Nearing the end of their most disappointing season in more than two decades, the Braves have decided to begin altering the organization’s culture by relieving general manager Frank Wren of his duties. Longtime baseball executive John Hart was named interim GM.

Commissioner Bud Selig has appointed a committee to examine the pace of the game. The members will look for ways to decrease the time of games and improve the overall pace of play beginning next season.

A year filled with so much hope and optimism ultimately turned into a season that left the Marlins wondering what might have been if not for two crushing injuries.

Right-hander Taylor Guerrieri, the Rays’ No. 3 prospect and the club’s first-round selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, is ready to bounce back from Tommy John surgery.

When it comes to starters and punchout rates, the Indians — in Corey Kluber — have a pretty good alpha dog, and with a week to go in the 2014 season, are just 37 strikeouts from tying a record set last year by the Tigers, who amassed 1,428 K’s.

Though their sights are still set on a second straight division title, the Cardinals took the field for Sunday night’s regular-season home finale knowing that their season will not end in a week.

With a chance to sweep the Reds, the Cardinals were instead blasted about en route to dropping their regular-season home finale, 7-2, in front of the 52nd sellout at Busch Stadium on Sunday night. The Cardinals watched their lead over the Pirates in the National League Central shrink to 2 1/2 games.

Sunday’s action in Major League Baseball made things a bit clearer with a week before the postseason officially arrives.

While it would be incredibly lengthy to lay out every conceivable possibility that remains with a week to go, here are the most realistic scenarios still in play for 2014.

Josh Donaldson launched a walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday, giving the A’s a crucial 8-6 victory over the Phillies that kept them on top in the AL Wild Card race.

Ian Kennedy allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings Sunday and the Padres scored four runs in the sixth inning on their way to an 8-2 victory over the Giants at Petco Park. The Padres (74-81) swept the three-game series from the Giants (84-71).

Let’s hear it for the Dodgers. They’re doing one of the toughest things in sports — winning when you’re supposed to win. They’ve wrapped up a playoff spot for the second year in a row under Don Mattingly and head home positioned to nail down an NL West title.

The Royals claimed their home regular-season finale and salvaged a game in their last series with the Tigers on Sunday in a 5-2 win at Kauffman Stadium, cutting their AL Central deficit to 1 1/2 games.

Jake Peavy will take the mound Monday night in Dodger Stadium for the Giants, who look to make up ground on their rivals from Southern California in the National League West. He’ll be opposed by Dan Haren as the Dodgers try to cut their magic number to clinch the division to one.

The postseason-bound Dodgers deployed six bullpen pitchers and rode a big game from Matt Kemp to fend off the Cubs, 8-5, on Sunday at Wrigley Field. Los Angeles’ magic number to clinch the NL West is at three, with a three-game set against the Giants on deck.

After 382 games at the new Yankee Stadium and 1,429 in New York overall, Derek Jeter is down to four more. On Monday, the future Hall of Famer will begin the final home series of his illustrious career against the Orioles, and he’s going to savor every minute of it. There won’t be any days off for the 14-time All-Star as the Yankees continue to hold onto a sliver of hope for the postseason. Baltimore’s Wei-Yin Chen squares off with New York’s Michael Pineda in the opener.

In his previous start against Miami at Citi Field, Jacob deGrom tied a modern Major League record by striking out the first eight hitters he faced. On Sunday afternoon at Turner Field, deGrom only struck out the first four Braves hitters but fired four perfect innings, allowed two runs and three hits over six innings to lead the Mets to a 10-2 win and a sweep of the weekend series.