Nationals Magic Number provides daily updates as the Washington Nationals try to win their division. Today’s magic number for the Nats to clinch the N.L. East: 14

What else is 14: Fourteen years have passed since two teams from the same area met in the World Series. Why bring this up now? This year, there’s a chance it could happen again: The Nats and the Baltimore Orioles both appear to be headed to the playoffs, as do the two teams from Los Angeles. Facing off in the World Series would be a first for both pairs.

In 2000, baseball saw the latest round of the Subway Series, when New York’s Yankees and Mets played each other. Oakland played San Francisco once, in 1989, and the only World Series between Chicago’s White Sox and Cubs took place in 1906.

Like many people from the D.C. area, I was a Baltimore fan before baseball returned to the District. If I tune into an O’s game this playoffs, I’ll be cheering for them, sure. But if they happen to face off against the Nats in the World Series, Baltimore may as well be Atlanta.

(Editor’s note: Washington City Paper has a jinx-blind policy on reporting sports hypotheticals.)

What happened yesterday: The Nats finally won a game against the Phillies, while the second-place Braves were shut out in Miami, lowering the Nats’ magic number by two.

What’s happening today: The Nats and Braves begin a three-game series at Nationals Park at 7:05 p.m., which means the magic number can only move in increments of two (because any Nationals win would also mean a Braves loss).