N.L. Wednesday wild card standings: Dodgers closer to elimination

The Dodgers are nearly out of time. With their loss Monday and the Cardinals' win, they are now a season-worst 4½ games out of a playoff spot with just eight games left to play. The Dodgers' elimination number, the total of needed losses and/or Cardinals wins, is now just four.

The Dodgers need 12 of 15 outcomes to go their way just to force a tie with St. Louis. Here are the standings:

Here is a recap of the relevant Tuesday's game action:

Padres 2, Dodgers 1: Los Angeles didn't score until the ninth inning, then put the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. But pinch runner Dee Gordon was stranded. "That was just a [expletive] loss," said manager Don Mattingly after the game. With the loss, the Dodgers' postseason odds are at just 0.9%.

Cardinals 4, Astros 0: Jaime Garcia pitched seven scoreless innings as St. Louis moved closer to a postseason berth. Since the Dodgers tied St. Louis for the second wild card spot with a comeback win on Sept. 15, the Cardinals are 8-1 and the Dodgers are 3-5.

Reds 4, Brewers 2: Milwaukee is in the same boat as the Dodgers, as they also fell to 4½ games back. Johnny Cueto picked up his 19th win for Cincinnati.

Braves 4, Marlins 3: Down one in the ninth inning, Freddie Freeman hit a two-run walk-off home run to clinch a playoff spot for Atlanta.

Diamondbacks 7, Giants 2: Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run and two sacrifice flies, and now Arizona is just a game back of the Dodgers.

Phillies 6, Nationals 3: Home runs from Carlos Ruiz and Darin Ruf gave Cole Hamels his 16th win of the year.

The earliest that the Dodgers or Brewers could be eliminated is Friday. The Diamondbacks and Phillies could be eliminated as early as Thursday.

Here is Wednesday's schedule:

• 3:35 p.m. - Los Angeles (Aaron Harang) at San Diego (Clayton Richard)
• 4:05 p.m. - Washington (John Lannan) at Philadelphia (Kyle Kendrick)
• 4:10 p.m. - Milwaukee (Shaun Marcum) at Cincinnati (Bronson Arroyo)
• 5:05 p.m. - St. Louis (Chris Carpenter) at Houston (Bud Norris)
• 7:15 p.m. - Arizona (Wade Miley) at San Francisco (Matt Cain)