MLB standings: Dodgers trail Cardinals by two games for wild card

The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the final week of the season two games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card spot in the National League. Just one playoff spot remains up for grabs in the NL, and it'll take some serious work from L.A. to play postseason baseball in 2012 with an elimination number of just two.

The Dodgers welcome in the San Francisco Giants for the final three games of the year, while the Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds. Both the Giants and Reds have clinched their respective division crowns, and it will be interesting to see how hard they go against their rivals with the playoffs starting in six days.

Here is a complete look at the wild card standings. The top two teams make it.

So what does the elimination number mean for the Dodgers? Every time the Cardinals win, the number is cut by one. Every time the Dodgers lose, the number is cut by one. So, any combination of Cardinals wins and Dodgers losses that reaches two means Los Angeles is out of the playoff race.

If the two teams somehow tie following Wednesday's season finale, they'll play a one-game playoff in Los Angeles on Thursday. The winner of that game then plays a one-game playoff the following night to reach the NLDS, likely against the Braves in Atlanta. It's going to be an interesting week in the National League.