Graphic by Liam Healy
By Nora Prasad and Mitchell Lookner
Sports Reporters
The MLB playoffs gave fans an exciting set of matchups in this divisional series. The San Diego Padres pulled off an upset against the 111-win Dodgers, and the Phillies defeated the favored Braves in four games. The Astros held off the underdog Mariners, and despite the Bronx’s weather conditions, the Yankees pulled off a series win against the Guardians. Here is the information to know about this thrilling divisional round.
National League:
Dodgers vs. Padres
The Padres were the clear underdogs going into their series versus the World Series favorite – the Los Angeles Dodgers. They surprisingly beat the Dodgers in just four games.
After winning the first game home in Los Angeles, the Dodgers lost the next three, knocking them out of the playoffs. The Dodgers’ most prominent issue was their offense, which was nowhere near as prolific as usual, scoring only three runs a game on average. These statistics are well below their season average of 5.2. This can be attributed to their inability to capitalize with runners in scoring positions. The Dodgers were supposed to steamroll the competition, especially the Padres, who the Dodgers bullied this entire year, winning 14 of the 19 matchups between the two.
The Padres, on the other hand, stunned the baseball world in this series. Their most notable player was Manny Machado, who batted .357 with a 1.114 OPS in the four-game series. The Padres also relied on their bullpen, which allowed just one run in 14 ⅔ innings. Josh Hader came through in the clutch, collecting three saves to close out their wins.
While this series was an unexpected disappointment for Dodgers fans, the Padres will be looking to continue their impressive run into the championship series, and if they stay hot, they are not that far from lifting up that glorious World Series trophy.
Phillies vs. Braves
The team that stole the NL East away from the Mets could not do much in their short-lived postseason run, as the Braves dropped the division series to Philly in four games. The reigning World Series champions averaged six runs per game, which is way up from their average of 3.6 runs during the regular season. Atlanta’s star pitchers – Spencer Strider, Max Fried, and Charlie Morton – coughed up a combined 12 runs in just seven ⅔ innings.
However, Philadelphia’s offense was incredible, with Bryce Harper leading the pack. The star outfielder batted .500 with two home runs and a 1.592 OPS. Jean Segura also showed up big time with an OPS of 1.148 for the series. The Phillies’ pitching staff was just as tremendous. Aaron Nola and Seranthony Dominguez threw a combined nine shutout innings, striking out 12.
Overall, this is a disappointing end to the Braves’ season but an exciting win for the Phillies as they face the Padres in the championship series. A Cinderella story is being written by the Phillies, who have not seen this much playoff success since 2010. They look to continue their run this fall.
American League:
Astros vs. Mariners
After shortstop Jeremy Peña smacked the go-ahead home run in the 18th inning of a marathon game, the Houston Astros swept the Seattle Mariners in a heartbreaking finish. Nonetheless, the hopeful Mariners fans still cheered until the last out. It was the longest scoreless game in postseason history, with incredible performances from both teams’ bullpens.
In the first game of the series, the Astros came back from a four-run deficit within the last two innings of the game. Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer, and then down to their final out, Yordan Alvarez walked it off with a thrilling three-run blast to seal the deal.
The Astros won game two with yet another home run from Alvarez, pulling Houston ahead in the sixth. Luis Castillo pitched well for Seattle, giving up just three runs over seven innings, but the Mariners’ hitters could not get it done – they left 13 runners on base.
Seattle rookie George Kirby pitched a seven-inning gem in game three, holding the Astros to just six hits and no runs. Astros’ starter Lance McCullers Jr. retaliated with six scoreless innings. The game had already reached the six-hour mark when reliever Penn Murfee gave up the go-ahead run on a solo shot by Jeremy Peña. Luis Garcia closed out the game for the Astros, tossing five scoreless innings and putting an end to the hard-nosed Mariners team.
Overall, the Mariners substantially underperformed, with a series OPS of just .577 compared to their regular season OPS of .705. Although they fell short, Seattle boasts a young team with a passionate fanbase behind them, so watch out for them in years to come.
The Astros, on the other hand, showed why they are one of the best teams left standing. They showed no signs of mercy and could be a significant threat moving forward. As the highest seed remaining and with hot bats such as youngster Yordan Alvarez leading the team, the Astros seem to be likely candidates to be hoisting the World Series trophy this year.
Yankees vs. Guardians
After two rain delays and five hard-fought games, the New York Yankees pulled through to beat the Cleveland Guardians in a Tuesday night win-or-go-home game. The powerful Yankees hit an impressive nine home runs, three coming from the newly-acquired outfielder Harrison Bader.
The Yankees and Guardians split the first two games in New York, then went to Cleveland and split two more. This meant that both teams’ seasons came down to one final game. Yankees’ starter Nestor Cortes pitched five solid innings, giving up just one run. Meanwhile, the Yankees knocked out Cleveland starter Aaron Civale early; they tallied three runs off of him in just a third of an inning. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge both contributed with home runs, and the Yankees’ bullpen pitched four shutout innings.
Yankee starters Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes were lights out all series. The bullpen was electric, with Clay Holmes, Wandy Peralta, and Jonathan Loaisiga pitching a combined 14 ⅔ innings, giving up just two runs and striking out 15.
The Guardians underperformed offensively, scoring just 2.8 runs per game compared to their average of 4.3 during the regular season. Although stars Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez tallied a combined 17 hits, Cleveland was unable to perform in the clutch, stranding a vast amount of their runners on base. Oscar Gonzalez was one of the only Guardians able to hit in the clutch, as he walked off one game and scored the winning run in the other.
Overall, Harrison Bader carried New York through what probably should have been an easier win, but the Yankees are looking forward to their ALCS matchup against the Astros, nonetheless. The young and talented Guardians will hope to redeem themselves next year.
Championship Series Matchups:
NL: San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies AL: Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees
