It’s the last day of the baseball regular season and I know who to cheer for today because there’s no Chicago Conflict. The Cubs have clinched their division with the Cardinals loss yesterday, while the White Sox still have a chance for the same top  prize. It will involve winning against the Cubs coupled with a Twins loss to the Reds. My new Sox socks arrived just in time for the game today at Comiskey, so I can show my “support.” It’s exciting to have both of my teams in the playoffs, but to have both win their divisions in the same year would be the first time since 1906 when they ultimately met head-to-head in the World Series. A repeat of this is unlikely but still possible, even if the Sox fail to win tomorrow. I’m excited for the postseason possibilities.

The Cubs have nothing to play for today but pride, with not even a chance to even the Crosstown series of 2020 that the Sox now lead 5-2, including Summer Camp.  They can’t move up or down in the seedings in the National League brackets.  The Dodgers, Padres, and Braves will finish with better records regardless of the final scores today, so it’s assumed that the #3 seed Cubbies will rest their starters against the Sox today. The White Sox, on the other hand, have everything to gain, while keeping a hopeful eye on the scoreboard. They own the tiebreaker against the Twins, having achieved a 5-5 series draw but enjoy a better overall record in the American League Central. The victory over the Cubs last night ended a horrible 6-game losing streak, their longest of the short season. They could salvage this Titanic-like disaster with a win and a little luck. The Reds could suddenly become my favorite team if they could somehow beat the Twins and stay pace with Miami in the National League race.  I’ll be waiting for the Final Score.

The Red Zone will keep me occupied today, as I keep an eye on the Bears and Colts while stuck with local broadcasts of the Raiders, Seahawks, and 49ers. On the basketball front, the Celtics have another do-or-die game against the Heat, both teams vying for the opportunity to meet the Lakers in the Finals. LeBron had another triple-double to upend the Nuggets last night. With regard to hockey, the Lightning failed to claim the Stanley Cup as the Stars prevailed in double overtime. Plus, when the final scores were posted yesterday, college football saw upsets of two top-ten teams and an incredible comeback by the Texas Longhorns. 

It’s another exciting day of sports that we’re fortunate to at least be able to watch on TV. It’s surprising how smoothly the seasons have progressed, despite the initial pandemic panic that threated to cancel everything.  We’re on the verge of crowning an NBA champion, Stanley Cup winner, and having a MLB postseason. Although the achievements in each sport will be tainted with asterisks, there will be a satisfying sense of accomplishment given the intense challenges. Yes, there will be a Final Score. 

P.S. (Could stand for Post Season)

The Cubbies came out full strength, scoring 6 runs in the second inning behind Bryant and Bote home runs. The Final Score was 10-8, as the Sox fell short after stumbling behind early. They did rally with the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 9th. Too little…too late! The Twins lost to the Reds and the Indians beat the Pirates. It was a frustrating fall from grace for the hite Sox in the final week to drop from first to third in the division standings and plummeting to the seventh seed, losing seven of eight down the critical stretch. It sets the stage for next week’s A’s vs. Sox series in Oakland and Cubs vs. Marlins match-up at Wrigley. The Cardinals travel to San Diego, while the Giants and Phillies were eliminated in when each Final Score was  posted.