Two teams hanging onto their wild-card hopes by a thread get an opportunity to eliminate one other when the St. Louis Cardinals and host San Francisco Giants meet in a three-game series that begins Monday.

Slumping of late but unwilling to give up the fight, both the Cardinals (76-80) and Giants (77-79) scratched out wins Sunday that allowed each to pick up a game in the National League wild-card standings.

The Giants, who will close the season at home with three games against the Colorado Rockies beginning Friday, open the week three games behind the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, who are currently tied for the third and final wild-card spot.

The Cardinals are one game further back as they begin a six-game trip that wraps up with three games in Chicago against the Cubs at the end o

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