Crunch time has arrived in the MLB playoff races, and the NL Wild Card standings are tightening up.

The San Francisco Giants (61-67) have stumbled out of the All-Star break, falling to a season-worst six games under the .500 mark after posting a record of 9-21 since July 18th.

Chances of playing baseball in October are quickly fading for San Francisco, but there is still time before the NL Wild Card standings become final.

Here’s a current look at those NL Wild Card standings, and a glimpse at what lies ahead for the Giants with 34 regular-season games remaining.

NL Wild Card Standings

The Giants haven’t done themselves any favors in the NL Wild Card standings, falling behind Cincinnati, St. Louis, and even their NL West foe, the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the chase for the third and final Wild Card spot.

San Francisco has a daunting task ahead if they are to defy the odds and make a run at October, but an easy remaining schedule could lift its efforts.

According to Tankathon, the Giants hold the easiest remaining strength of schedule among teams currently in the mix for the third NL Wild Card spot.

San Francisco holds the eighth-easiest schedule of all MLB teams (fifth-easiest of all NL teams), but they will have to do a better job of beating teams that are below them in the standings if they want to remain alive in the chase for October.

Things look very bleak for the Giants, but at this time of the season, all it takes is a five-game winning streak to make things interesting.

Current Playoff Odds

More MLB & SF Giants content from Sactown Sports

After ending their longest losing streak in over three months, the Milwaukee Brewers bring their major-league-best 80 wins into the series opener with the visiting San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

The Brewers snapped a three-game skid on Thursday in the finale of a five-game series with the Chicago Cubs, posting a 4-1 victory to extend their lead in the National League Central to seven games. Milwaukee’s success has been partly driven by second baseman Brice Turang’s career year.

Enjoying the best of his three major league seasons, Turang is batting .368 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs over the Brewers’ 19 games in August.

“I’ve always known I could hit balls hard, but it was just doing it consistently,” said Turang, 25, whose two-run homer helped propel Milwaukee on Thursday. “I’m not trying to hit homers — I’m just catching balls out in front and, what we say, clipping them. Catching the bottom of the ball.”

Helping to lead a pitching staff that boasts MLB’s third-best ERA (3.56), Jose Quintana (10-4, 3.32 ERA) will start for Milwaukee on Friday to begin the three-game series, looking to extend his dazzling month of August.

The veteran left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his past four starts, including a no-decision on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, in which he allowed just one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. The Brewers lost 3-2 in 10 innings.

MLB-best Brewers present daunting task for sinking Giants

When is the next San Francisco Giants game?

Friday, August 22nd – Sunday, August 24th – @ Milwaukee Brewers
Tuesday, August 26th – Thursday, August 28th – vs. Chicago Cubs
Friday, August 29th – Sunday, August 31st – vs. Baltimore Orioles
Monday, September 1st – Wednesday, September 3rd – @ Colorado Rockies
Friday, September 5th – Sunday, September 7th – @ St. Louis Cardinals

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