Once again, MLB is offering a four-game playoff buffet with the AL and NL Division Series both happening on the same day.
The four teams with the best records – the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees – will be playing their first games since the regular season ended six days ago. Will the extra rest work in their favor in allowing their injuries to heal and their circulation to be repaired? Or will another break leave them rusty in their openings?
The Philadelphia The Phillies stunned the Braves in Game 1 with a 7-6 victory, to solve the terrible situation for Atlanta, who will meet their two aces in the next two games – Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
In Houston, Jordan Alvarez smashed a three-run homer from Robbie Ray to steal Game 1 8-7 from the Seattle Mariners.
Stay tuned as the other two games continue for all the updates and information you need to stay on top of today’s action.
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Astros walk-off to win Game 1
Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez hit a three-run homer to surprise the Mariners 8-7 in Game 1.
With two outs and runners on first and second base, the Mariners called on ace Robbie Ray to replace closer Paul Sewald in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ray coughed up an 0-1 bomb to Alvarez for the win.
Mariners manager Scott Servais then made the decision to bring Ray, who started Saturday at Toronto in the AL wild-card game, to the lefty vs. lefty matchup with Alvarez.
It was the 10th walk-off in Astros postseason history.
Eugenio Suarez strikes out in the seventh
Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez hit a solo home run into the Crawford Boxes in left field in the seventh inning off Cristian Javier, extending Seattle’s lead to 7-3.
Suarez hit 31 home runs in the regular season
Justin Verlander was done after 4 innings
Houston’s ace lasted just four innings in Game 1 of the ALDS on Tuesday, giving up six earned runs on 10 hits against the Seattle Mariners. In the second, JP Crawford hit a solo home run and Julio Rodriguez came in with a triple to score his third run of the game.
Bryan Abreu grounded out to relieve Verlander in the top of the fifth as Seattle led 6-3.
Phillies’ first game winner changes NLDS Calculus vs. Braves
Fortunes change quickly in October and so do trends, and at downtown Atlanta’s Truist Park, the Phillies at the right time turned negative expectations into serious concern and now, perhaps, full-blown fear after a 101-win season.
The broken Phillies work in a very powerful way Tuesday, flying in Cobb County on just adrenaline and. defeating Atlanta ace Max Fried in a 7-6 victoryone in which their No. 3 starter, Ranger Suarez, wobbled into the fourth inning but, like his fellow bullpen, made a series of big plays with runners on base against a nearly peerless Braves lineup.
Now, it’s getting a little more serious: Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola start the next two games, which is relevant in any situation but surprising when you consider that they haven’t produced a single hit against the mighty Cardinals and they can knock you out on Friday.
– Gabe Lacques
Mariners reach Justin Verlander, leading Astros 4-0
Seattle scored in the top of the first against Justin Verlander on Cal Raleigh’s RBI single and then added three more in the second inning with Julio Rodriguez’s two-run double and Ty France’s RBI single. They lead 4-0 through two innings.
The Phillies jump out to a big early lead in Atlanta
The Philadelphia Phillies won first and often against Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried to take an early 6-1 lead in their NLDS opener.
Nick Castellanos got the Phils on the board first with a two-out RBI single against Fried in the top of the first inning and Alec Bohm added another clutch hit to lead off the second.
After Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud singled in the second to make it 2-1, Fried’s error opened the door for two undrafted Phillies runs in the third. And Castellanos came through again in the fourth with a two-out, two-run single.
Fried (14-7, 2.48 ERA in the regular season) exited with one out in the fourth after giving up eight hits and a walk. He was charged with all six runs, four of which he earned.
After the Phils scored another run on Edmundo Sosa’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, d’Arnaud came through again for the Braves with a big hit — a two-run double to cut the deficit to 7-3.
Through the first six innings, Philadelphia is 5-for-12 with runners in position. Atlanta is 1-for-7.
The eight most important players in the Division Series
Usually it’s not the big names that prove to be the most important when Major League Baseball’s playoffs arrive. After all, anyone can be cast, or completely ignored.
Often that’s the performance of the most unheralded, and as the four Division Series begins on Tuesday, USA TODAY Sports investigates. the eight players most important to their team’s chances.
Leading the way is Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips, who will take on more work with the team deciding not to include veteran closer Craig Kimbrel on its NLDS roster.
— Gabe Lacques
Veteran leaves Astros ALDS roster after ‘off-the-field’ injury
HOUSTON – The Houston Astros left out veterans Will Smith and Phil Maton in their AL Division Series series against the Seattle Mariners.
Maton was injured “off the field”, general manager James Click said Tuesday, adding that Maton would be available later in the day to provide information. Press would not say if the injury was the reason he was out of the lineup.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Maton suffered a broken finger when he hit his locker after the team’s final game of the season.
In place of Maton and Smith, the Astros placed rookie right-hander Hunter Brown on a roster with 12 pitchers and carried another position player in rookie infielder David Hensley.
The Padres get another shot at the Dodgers
For the first time since the first week of the season, the Padres and Dodgers will be back even, starting at 0-0 in the NLDS best of five.
“I think it feels better now that we’re not looking at stopping,” said Padres manager Doug Melvin, “and 18 games back, or 20 games, back, whatever it was.”
Well, it was 22 games back, but who’s counting?
“They treated us well during the year,” said Padres center fielder Trent Grisham, who hit .184 in the regular season, and .500 in the wild-card streak, “but now everything is on the line. There’s a winner who goes. Move on. And a loser goes home. Things. everything is on the line.”
– Bob Nightingale
Yankees won’t have LeMahieu, Effross vs. Guardians
NEW YORK – Former shortstop DJ LeMahieu was left out of the New York Yankees’ American League Division Series game against Cleveland on Tuesday after overcoming a thumb injury that has limited him this season.
Reliever Scott Effross, rookie infielder Oswald Peraza and outfielder Andrew Benintendi were also left off the 26-man roster, while Matt Carpenter, rookie Oswaldo Cabrera and shortstop Tim Locastro were included.
Cleveland added right-handers Aaron Civale and Cody Morris and dropped left-hander Kirk McCarty and right-hander Nick Sandlin, who sprained his shoulder Saturday.
— The Associated Press
Playoff rankings: The NL provides a top-ranked list of World Series contenders
While talent is always the most important thing, there is no shortage of position and technique when it comes to making a World Series trip. And after Major League Baseball expanded its postseason field to 12 teams, the status of opponents and the calendar may be more important than ever.
With three of the four new wild-card streaks ending in two-game sweeps, the damage has been minimized by the lower-seeded teams in this bracket.
Here’s a look the remaining World Series championscalculated by the chance they could reach – and win – the 2022 championship.
— Gabe Lacques
Strider on, Robertson off NLDS rosters
ATLANTA – Philadelphia Phillies reliever David Robertson will miss the NL Division Series after injuring his right calf while jumping to celebrate at home to Bryce Harper in their wild card victory at St.
The Phillies left Robertson out of the lineup for their NLDS opener in Atlanta on Tuesday. The Braves defensive lineman inserted rookie right-hander Spencer Strider into their game after he was sidelined since Sept. 18 with an ulcer on the left side.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said Strider will sit out Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia but won’t be available for the first game.
Strider, signed Monday a contract of 75 million dollars, 6 yearsit can be used as a primer or a refresher, according to Snitker.
The Braves will be without October NLDS hero Tyler Matzek as the left-hander is dealing with an elbow injury and is being evaluated.
— The Associated Press
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole hopes to find postseason redemption
In last season’s AL wild-card game, the Yankees start Gerrit Cole was knocked out in the third inning against the Red Sox
“It took a long time to finish,” Cole told USA TODAY Sports. “I hate to lose. I can’t stand it. I get upset. I get angry. I thought about it over and over again.
“It was a terrible feeling. I was just sick to my stomach.”
Cole, who the Yankees signed to a $324 million contract, starts Game 1 against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.
– Bob Nightingale
Playoff predictions: Favorites have a significant edge
Coming off of Major League Baseball’s first wild-card week, the 2022 postseason enters a traditional (since 1995!) best-of-five division series starting Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the regular season with 111 wins, which is more than any team in baseball since 2001, but. winning the second World Series in three years it won’t be a cakewalk.
Here is the process USA TODAY Sports’ baseball reporters and editors watch postseason play:
- Four pick the Dodgers to win it all.
- One with the Astros over the Braves
- One with the Braves over the Astros
- And one that has the Padres pulling off a major upset
