81.   The Dodgers are long out of the playoff race, but they entered the game with Milwaukee playing their best baseball of the season.

82.   The Dodgers said that situation was different because they were still in a playoff race with the Giants and Arizona.

83.   The defeat basically knocked the team out of the playoff race.

84.   The Dodgers have been out of the playoff race for three months.

85.   The Giants are climbing back into the playoff race because of two things.

86.   The Jets are out of the playoff race but Seattle is not.

87.   The Knicks spent the day preparing to play the Wizards Tuesday as an eighth-place team in the playoff race.

88.   The loser scrambles to re-enter the Division I-AA football playoff race.

89.   The Los Angeles Kings are in no position to get excited, not after missing the playoffs the past four seasons, not in such a tight playoff race.

90.   The latter three-game series could be crucial in the wild-card playoff race.