Roger Lajoie Blog: It all comes down to the final week

By Roger Lajoie It all comes down to the final week of the season for the Hamilton Cardinals - which should come as no surprise to their fans. It's been a dogfight at the top of the CBL standings all season, and with just one week to go - and five big games - playoff seeding is very much up in the air, as it has been from the start. The Cardinals have already accomplished a lot of their goals for the 2026 Canadian Baseball League season. They set a franchise record for wins, they clinched a playoff spot and they clearly positioned themselves as one of the league's top teams. But still to be determined is who plays who in the playoffs, and that drama sets the stage for a thrilling last week of games. Hamilton sits third in the CBL with a 26-17 record after a badly needed 8-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. They are just a few percentage points ahead of fourth place Guelph and two full games up on fifth place Barrie. Cards are also just two games behind Welland for second spot and 4 1/2 behind first place London. So these last five games really matter, as the top three teams get a bye while the fourth and fifth place teams meet in a one-game elimination to earn their spot in the best-of-seven semi-finals. Hamilton's depth will certainly be tested in the coming days, as the Cards play five games in six days starting Tuesday, including four days in a row to complete the regular season. It all starts in Welland Tuesday, with another game there Thursday. On Friday the Royals visit The Nest before a trip to Barrie Saturday followed by a home tilt Sunday against Brantford ends the season. Talk about coming right down to the wire! All five teams are desperate to avoid having to play in the single elimination game, and the top two teams will also have home field advantage for the semi-finals. The win over Toronto on Sunday snapped a four-game losing streak for the Cardinals, who have suffered some tough close losses in recent outings. There were lots of positive signs in that Toronto game for Hamilton, including some great pitching performances and a pair of monster home runs. Three wins would likely be enough to nail down third place for the Cards, but it won't be easy. Semi-final playoff baseball in September in Hamilton would be great, but it all comes down to what happens in the final week of the season for that to happen. Which will come as no surprise to Cards fans who have watched this dogfight all season.