Kathy Willens/Associated Press
The New York Mets' Jeff McNeil and Baltimore Orioles' Dwight Smith Jr. took sizable steps toward making the postseason in the MLB The Show Players League on Wednesday night.
Smith went 2-1 with wins over Lance McCullers Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr., tying McNeil's record and sitting just three wins back of Joey Gallo for first place overall. Wednesday's action produced mixed results across the board, but those few wins among playoff contenders are vital, especially with 10 teams within three games back of the eighth and final playoff spot.
As the regular season moves into the final third of the 29-game round-robin schedule, there's hardly any room for error among postseason hopefuls.