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Five of ESPN.coms MLB beat writers who cover teams battling for wild-card berths were asked to make a case for why their team will be playing a do-or-die playoff game in October. Below, Mark Saxon argues for the St. Louis Cardinals against fellow writers Eddie Matz (Baltimore Orioles), Andrew Marchand (New York Yankees), Katie Strang (Detroit Tigers) and Adam Rubin (New York Mets).For more on the other contenders, check out?Wild-card Wednesday.Saxon: If you believe the moral of the old fable The Tortoise and the Hare, then you buy that the Cardinals will reach the NL wild-card game. While the other two contenders, the Mets and Giants, have had wild swings of fortune, the Cardinals have just kept plodding along. Their longest losing streak is five games. Their longest winning streak is five games. They came one right after the other in mid-June. So all they have to do is continue their steady-as-it-goes approach and one of the other two contenders figures to beat itself. The other thing they have going for them: Starting Thursday, the best road team in baseball has 10 of its final 17 games away from Busch Stadium. If they get into the postseason, who knows? Maybe theyll finally get hot.Marchand: This does not feel like a classic Cardinals team. They have been great on the road, but that could be reaching its expiration point.Matz: As my mother will tell you, Im a good boy who follows directions, and my marching orders here were to shoot a hole in every one of these theories (except mine, of course). To do that, Im calling on my experience with logic puzzles back in Mrs. Harris fifth-grade math class. If the Mets and Cardinals arent wild cards (which, per my instructions, they cant be), then the wild cards must be the second-place NL West team (Giants or Dodgers) and the ... Marlins?Strang: The Cards had dropped four of their past six games heading into Tuesdays action, including Mondays loss, in which they mustered just one hit off Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks (who, granted, has been lights-out against pretty much everyone in recent months) and saw Matt Carpenter exit the game with back tightness. More concerning is that St. Louis still has another set against the Cubs before closing out the season with a seven-game homestand. That stretch at home should be a good thing, especially considering their caliber of competition -- except for the fact, as Saxon astutely pointed out, that the Cards have been awful at Busch Stadium this year.Rubin: We already covered the disparity in schedule strength the remainder of the season to justify why the Mets will reach the postseason over St. Louis. Now lets zero in on the Cardinals swoon, which is being fueled by inconsistent starting pitching, erratic defense and a glaring lack of setup men. Jaime Garcia produced an 8.06 ERA in a five-start stretch through last Thursday. Meanwhile, Aledmys Diaz has only a .957 fielding percentage, with 16 errors through 93 games at shortstop. USA Soccer Store . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. USA Soccer Shirts . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. USA Soccer Jerseys 2019 . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Custom USA Soccer Jerseys . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. DALLAS -- Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has reached a deal with prosecutors for the conditional dismissal of a domestic assault case involving his former girlfriend.Defense attorney Jim Darnell said that there was still work to be done but that he was encouraged after a Thursday morning hearing. A judge set another hearing for Dec. 1, when the case could be settled.Thats all in progress, Darnell said regarding the conditions of any agreement. Until we get something done, if we do, then well announce it.Manziel is accused of hitting and threatening former girlfriend Colleen Crowley during a night out in January. The misdemeanor charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.Brittany Dunn, a spokeswoman for Dallas County prosecutors, said she couldnt comment because the case was still pending.Manziel, who will turn 24 on Dec. 6, left the courtroom on Thursday without responding to questions. He talked on his phone as he walked ahead of reporters and cameramen and before quickly getting in a car driven by Darnell.Hes doing OK, Darnell said. Tough kid.Judge Roberto Canas met in chambers for about 15 minutes with the defense and prosecutors. Manziel left the meeting after about five minutes and sat alone at the defense table, mostly looking down. The hearing after the meeting was brief, with Canas setting the next court date.Everybody will be required to be here, Canas said. Then we will get this case down the road.A spokeswoman for Dallas County prosecutors didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.The tentative deal doesnt end Manziels legal troubles. He also faces a lawsuit for his alleged role in trashing a Los Angeles rental home, and Darnell has said he has spoken to the attorney representing a car company that lent a car to Manziel and friends. That car was totaled in an April accident.Cleveland took Manziel with the 22nd overall pick of the 2014 draft. The Browns waived him in March after two tumultuous seasons marked by his inconsistent play and off-the-field headlines about his partyingg and drinking, including one stint in rehab.dddddddddddd.Even though hes an unsigned free agent, Manziel served a four-game suspension this season for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the domestic case remains under review by the league.Manziel could face NFL discipline regardless of the legal resolution, if he signs with a team. The baseline for domestic violence cases is a six-game suspension. In August, the NFLs chief disciplinary officer Todd Jones told ESPNs Jane McManus that Manziel could be subject to a suspension of that length.?If a club ever rolls the dice and brings him on board, hes got a six-game suspension thats hanging right now, Jones said at the time.In two seasons with the Browns, Manziel played in 15 games with eight starts. Cleveland was 2-6 in those starts. Manziel has completed 147 of 258 passes (57 percent) with seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and a career passer rating of 74.4.Since the 2015 season ended, Manziel has been dumped by two agents after both demanded a second trip to rehab for the player.Manziel won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 while playing for Texas A&M. He has enrolled in classes at the university for the fall semester; he is listed in Texas A&Ms current student directory as a senior whose major is in recreation, parks and tourism sciences.The allegations in the domestic case stem from a night out on Jan. 30. Crowley said Manziel accosted her at a Dallas hotel, a confrontation that continued downstairs to the valet station. She said he forced her into a car and a valet disregarded her pleas for help.The two eventually drove to where her car was parked in front of a Dallas bar, she said in an affidavit. She said Manziel got into the drivers seat and began to drive. Crowley said Manziel stopped when she tried to jump out of the car, but then he dragged her back inside and hit her.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '