A look at whats happening all around the majors today:---CHAMPAGNE ON ICEChasing their first World Series championship since 1908, the Chicago Cubs are beginning to clear some hurdles along the way. After clinching a playoff spot Wednesday, the Cubs can wrap up their first NL Central title since 2008 with a win at home over Milwaukee or a St. Louis loss in San Francisco. Chicago has the best record in the majors at 93-52.LETS GET WILDAll-Star arms are on the mound at AT&T Park for the opener of a critical, four-game series between NL wild-card contenders. Adam Wainwright (11-8, 4.45 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Johnny Cueto (15-5, 2.90) and the skidding Giants, just swept at home by San Diego. San Francisco leads the wild-card race by a half-game over the Mets, with St. Louis another half-game back.BUMPY ROADThe path to the playoffs is about to get a lot tougher for the Yankees. New York begins a rugged road trip when Masahiro Tanaka (13-4, 3.04 ERA) starts at Fenway Park against Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-7, 4.70). The Yankees play four games in Boston, three at Tampa Bay and four in Toronto on an 11-game trek that matches their longest in 10 seasons. New York has dropped three of four and is two games behind Toronto for the second AL wild card.UH, OHDesperately trying to stay in the wild-card hunt, the Houston Astros are hoping injuries to Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman arent too serious. A top contender for AL MVP, Altuve left Wednesday nights game against Texas with right oblique discomfort. The star second baseman began the night leading the league in hitting with a .340 average to go with 24 home runs, 94 RBI, 27 stolen bases and 99 runs. Bregman, a hyped rookie third baseman, left in the sixth with right hamstring discomfort. Both players were to have a full evaluation, manager A.J. Hinch said.HOT CORNERToronto third baseman Josh Donaldson is waiting for results of an MRI on his sore right hip. Last years AL MVP has missed three straight games but said he hopes to play in the series opener at the Los Angeles Angels. J.A. Happ (18-4) starts for the slumping Blue Jays, who have lost seven of 10. They are three games behind first-place Boston in the AL East and hold a slim lead for the leagues second wild card.PERFECT ENCOREDodgers lefty Rich Hill (12-3, 1.80 ERA) starts at last-place Arizona as Los Angeles continues its 10-game trip with a five-game lead in the NL West over San Francisco. Hill has won nine straight decisions, and was pulled with a perfect game in progress after seven innings at Miami in his most recent outing because of concerns about a recurring blister. Nick Pope Jersey .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. David Beckham Jersey . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.englandsoccerpro.com/Nick-Pope-England-Jersey/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Kieran Trippier Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Ruben Loftus-Cheek Jersey Throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL on TSN analyst and former NHL goaltender Jamie McLennan ranks the netminders after each game night. Number values assigned are out of five with five being the best performance. Henrik Lundqvist - 4 - A strong game. He was focused early on and had to fight traffic and pressure all game long. The Horton goal was a tough break where the puck bounced back to him. On the Krug goal, Boyle was in his lane screening him, and the Seguin goal he made a great original save. Loved the way he was working to push rebounds past oncoming traffic. It was noticeable in this game. Tuukka Rask - 2 - A tough game. He fell on the Hagelin goal, was slow on his exchange with Chara on the Stepan goal. He has set the bar very high for himself playing so well in the playoffs, just not a very sharp game for him. The game winner was a nice redirection in front, not much chance as he scrambled to find it on the seam play. Noticed the rangers are really targeting his blocker side. Jimmy Howard - 5 – He was brilliant and aggressive all game long. His glove was locked in and tracked the puck really well. Big save on the sharp breakaway was about the posittioning – Howard had taken ice and not given the shooter anything.dddddddddddd On the big save on Bolland, it was more of a Jonathan Quick lunge across and forward that he came up with, took the angle up approach on the puck, and it came back on the ice to the right pad. Good read. Corey Crawford - 4 - Played well. He didnt have much of a chance on the Kindl goal, as he was screened well by Abdelkader. One thing he was very strong at on Thursday was his rebound control, really took ice, planted his feet and let the puck come to him. Jonathan Quick - 5 – A money goalie on Thursday. He was not bombarded with shots, but the Sharks had some Grade-A chances and he had the answer. A left shoulder save on Thorton was great, but his best trait all night long was he fought for his sight lines to find the puck through screens. His biggest save was on Pavelski in the last minute. Antti Niemi - 4 - His strongest play on Thursday was his ice coverage, no better save in the game than his lateral push and flexibility display on a Jeff Carter wrap-around. Had to battle through traffic and net crashing all night, only goals that beat him were through bodies and bounces. ' ' '