NL Central Standings (screenshot via MLB.com)

We’re down to the final few games in the 2012 regular season. Here’s where we are:

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds have the division won and are pretty much just playing for playoff positioning. They’re tied for the best record in the NL, along with the Washington Nationals. Obviously, Cincy would like to get that home field advantage.

There’s a bigger issue for the Reds though as they’re without Dusty Baker, who was hospitalized last week. Baker reportedly suffered a mini-stroke, to go along with an irregular heartbeat. He’ll be out for this week, but might be back for the final series against St. Louis next week.

We hope Baker recovers and gets healthy.

The Reds play two more against Milwaukee and travel to Pittsburgh for the weekend. Make sure to read C-ing Red for all the latest on the Reds.

St. Louis Cardinals

It looks like the Cardinals will be finding their way into the National League playoffs. They have a 4 1/2 game lead on the Brewers for that second wild card spot.

Naturally, I’m disappointed. My team doesn’t get to have the joy of making the playoffs, yet Cardinals fans get to have fun EVEN THOUGH they won the World Series last year. I don’t get this game of baseball sometimes.

St. Louis will try to finish the season strong though. The Cardinals clearly aren’t content with coasting to the finish line. Lousy overachievers! They won their fourth straight game Tuesday night, beating Houston 4-0.

They have one more game at Houston and then head home for the weekend to play Washington.

You can read more about the Cardinals at Aaron Miles’ Fastball.

Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee needs to win, plain and simple! They need to win out and hope the Cardinals either go through a portal to another dimension, or the team gets hypnotized into thinking they’re chickens.

Considering where the Brewers were during the season, it really is amazing to see them recover and even compete to make the playoffs. If they can keep it together, they can do anything. YOU HEAR ME!? ANYTHING!

The Brewers need three more wins to finish over .500. They play two more games against the Reds and head home for the weekend to play the Astros.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Remember all that excitement about the Pirates possibly making the playoffs? Me neither! It’s great forgetting about things!

Well, the Pirates collapsed and they’re 7 1/2 games behind the Cardinals for that final playoff spot. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Pirates were eliminated in the next couple of days. However, maybe the Cardinals portal thingy or hypnotism stuff does happen, in which case there is still hope.

Pittsburgh has two more games against the Mets and will be home this weekend to play the Reds.

Chicago Cubs

The race remains for the Cubs to try and avoid losing 100 games. It’s getting very close to the 100-mark. At 95 losses, they’re … well … you can do the math.

The Cubs lost to the Colorado Rockies Tuesday night, 10-5. The game was delayed and called off after the top of the seventh because of rain.

Chicago has two more games against the Rockies and then head to Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks this weekend. You can read everything about the Cubs at A League of Her Own.

Houston Astros

The Astros are over the 100-loss mark. But will they end up over 110 losses? That is the magical question that nobody probably cares to ask.

Houston will try to avoid being swept Wednesday to the hopefully hypnotized Cardinals. They travel to Milwaukee for the weekend.

Check out Tales From the Juice Box for all the latest on the Astros.