Pythagorean Records: 8/19 Edition

There is less than two and a half weeks left in the season, and the races are tightening up. Seven of the eight teams who haven't clinched playoff spots are still in the mix for the final four tickets to the postseason.

. Team W L RS RA pW pL Difference pW% . San Jose 65 56 633 576 66 55 -1 0.54306400349022 . Visalia 63 58 603 617 59 62 4 0.48950108249697 . Modesto 62 59 616 639 58 63 4 0.48323548437983 . Stockton 62 59 632 659 58 63 4 0.48087022300793 . Bakersfield 59 62 562 588 58 63 1 0.47932131959764

San Jose has bad an awful second half, but they should still hang on for the overall regular season championship. How much will it mean? There's a very real possibility that Eric Surkamp won't pitch again this season, and that could leave the Giants short on pitching in the postseason. After San Jose, both playoff spots are up for grabs, and all four teams are alive for both.For the first time in a long time in the second half, Bakersfield lost their division lead, and they're lagging behind the competition in the real standings. In the expected standings, it's a different story with all four teams within a game of each other. Visalia is ahead by just a little bit, but anything could happen.

. Team W L RS RA pW pL Difference pW% . Lake Elsinore 73 48 661 534 72 49 1 0.59638985348794 . High Desert 64 57 721 673 64 57 0 0.53147723362352 . Rancho Cucamonga 64 57 624 569 66 55 -2 0.54211348196956 . Lancaster 48 73 623 723 52 69 -4 0.43231339276663 . Inland Empire 45 76 569 674 51 70 -6 0.42313672932899

Like San Jose, Lake Elsinore holds a pretty sizable lead in the overall standings, so they should hang on to have the best record in the South and likely the entire league. The Storm hold one advantage over San Jose right now, the fact that they're playing well. Rancho Cucamonga is on a season long six game losing streak, and that could cost them if Lancaster surges and wins the second half title. All year, it's seemed line High Desert has underachieved a bit with Rancho Cucamonga playing about at the level they should, but now it seems as if the tables have turned. Lancaster may not be close in the overall standings, but they're in the race for the second half championship. Inland Empire could be eliminated completely by this time next week.