MLB Playoff Roundup: Divisional Series Take Shape Across Busy Two-Day Stretch
The MLB postseason continued to tighten its grip over the past two days, with four Divisional Series matchups taking center stage on October 5th and 6th.
Chicago and Tampa Bay both moved within one victory of the American League Championship Series on Monday, while the Dodgers regained control of their series against Atlanta on Tuesday. In San Diego, the Padres entered the night fighting to keep their season alive against Milwaukee.
White Sox Rally Past Guardians, Take Commanding 2-0 Lead
The Chicago White Sox continued their impressive postseason run Monday with a 4-3 comeback victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, taking a 2-0 lead in the ALDS.
Cleveland jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning and appeared to be in a strong position behind Gavin Williams, who struck out 11 over five-plus innings. Chicago, however, stayed within striking distance before breaking through in the sixth.
Munetaka Murakami drove in Chicago’s first run before Braden Montgomery delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon, lining a two-run double down the right-field line to put the White Sox ahead. Chase Meidroth followed with an RBI single to extend the advantage to 4-2. (Reuters)
Sean Burke was outstanding out of the Chicago bullpen, allowing just one hit across 5 1/3 innings while striking out six. Jo Adell’s RBI triple brought Cleveland within a run late, but Grant Taylor finished the job to secure the 4-3 victory.
Chicago is now 4-0 this postseason and heads home needing one more win to reach the ALCS for the first time since its 2005 World Series championship season. (The Washington Post)
Yankees’ Defensive Collapse Sends Rays Up 2-0
Things went from bad to worse for the New York Yankees on Monday night.
Tampa Bay defeated New York 5-2 in Game 2, pushing the Yankees to the brink of elimination after taking both games in St. Petersburg.
New York’s defense played a major role in the loss. The Yankees committed four errors, including three in the opening inning, and Tampa Bay eventually broke the game open with a four-run fifth. Richie Palacios delivered a two-run single during the rally as the Rays took advantage of nearly every opportunity New York gave them. (Reuters)
Ben Rice provided essentially all of New York’s offense, hitting a pair of solo home runs, but the Yankees could not generate enough around him.
After nearly being no-hit in their 1-0 Game 1 loss, New York now returns to Yankee Stadium facing elimination. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has won two dramatically different games — first behind dominant pitching and then by capitalizing on New York’s mistakes.
The Rays hold a 2-0 series advantage with Game 3 set for Wednesday in New York. (MLB.com)
Yamamoto, Dodgers Take Back Control Against Braves
Tuesday’s National League action began with a pitching matchup between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chris Sale, and Yamamoto delivered one of the strongest starts of the postseason.
The Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1 at Truist Park, taking a 2-1 lead in the NLDS.
Yamamoto allowed just one run on four hits across seven innings while striking out 10 and walking only one. Atlanta had opportunities but could never produce the big hit, finishing 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. (Reuters)
Los Angeles did its damage against Sale in the fourth inning.
Kiké Hernández launched a two-run home run to left field to break a scoreless tie. Two batters later, former Braves star Freddie Freeman added a solo homer to make it 3-0. The home run was the 18th of Freeman’s postseason career and came in his first playoff game back in Atlanta. (MLB.com)
Atlanta pushed across its only run on a Drake Baldwin groundout in the fifth, but Yamamoto shut the door from there before Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz handled the final two innings.
The defending back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers are now one victory away from returning to the NLCS as their pursuit of a third consecutive championship continues. (CBS News)
Padres Fight to Keep Season Alive Against Brewers
The final game of the two-day stretch carries the highest stakes.
Milwaukee entered Tuesday night’s Game 3 at Petco Park holding a 2-0 series lead after winning the first two games in Milwaukee by a combined two runs. The Brewers took Game 1, 3-2, before Jackson Chourio’s dramatic two-run walk-off single delivered a 4-3 victory in Game 2. (Reuters)
Facing elimination Tuesday, San Diego struck first.
Fernando Tatis Jr. brought home the opening run in the third inning before Manny Machado followed with an RBI single, giving the Padres an early 2-0 advantage. Milwaukee answered in the fourth when William Contreras launched a solo home run off Nick Pivetta, cutting the deficit to one. (MLB.com)
For San Diego, there is no margin left for error. A Milwaukee victory ends the series and sends the Brewers to the NLCS, while a Padres win would force Game 4 on Wednesday night.
October Pressure Continues to Build
Two days of Division Series baseball have dramatically changed the postseason picture.
The White Sox and Rays have each pushed traditional American League contenders to the brink. The Dodgers once again look dangerous behind elite pitching and an experienced October lineup. And Milwaukee entered Tuesday night with an opportunity to become the first team of the round to punch its ticket to the League Championship Series.
October is moving quickly, and with elimination games arriving across the schedule, the margin between continuing a World Series run and beginning the offseason has become razor thin.
