Thursday will see the American League teams play Game 4, with the Yankees and Tigers looking to advance. The Dodgers will host a Game 5 showdown with the Padres on Friday.
Yankees 3, Royals 2
It took a huge night from Giancarlo Stanton, but the New York Yankees are one win away from reaching the ALCS.
The Yankees snuck past the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. That gave the Yankees a 2-1 series lead and has them on the cusp of their fourth ALCS in the past eight seasons.
The Yankees jumped out early on an RBI double from Stanton in the fourth and a sacrifice fly from Juan Soto in the fifth. The Royals responded in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back RBI from Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey, who hit a deep triple that just barely got past Soto in right field.
Finally, Stanton lifted the Yankees back into the lead in the eighth with a deep home run that went well over the left-field wall. That gave the Yankees a one-run lead and eventually pushed them to the 2-1 series lead.
The two teams will run it back on Thursday in Kansas City, where the Yankees can close it out. If not, they’ll return to the Bronx on Saturday for Game 5.
Mets 4, Phillies 1
The dream season for the New York Mets continues. As do the postseason nightmares for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After coming up scoreless with the bases loaded in both the first and second innings, the Mets made the most of things in the sixth. Francisco Lindor launched a no-doubt grand slam over the right-field wall off Phillies reliever Carlos Estevez to get the Mets on the scoreboard with a 4-1 lead. They held to win by the same score and advance to the NLCS with a 3-1 NLDS victory.
The win continues an unlikely run that saw the Mets seemingly out of the postseason race at the All-Star break and needing a win on the last day of the regular season just to make the playoffs. Now, they’re eight wins away from a World Series championship. They’ll face the winner between the Padres and Dodgers for the NL pennant.
Another game between the Tigers and Guardians, another shutout.
Riley Greene, Matt Vierling and Spencer Torkelson provided the runs as the Tigers took a 2-1 series lead in the ALDS with a 3-0 win in Game 3. The Tigers were powered early by strong pitching from reliever Brant Hurter, who threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings after starter Keider Montero kept the Guardians quiet in the first inning. Greene’s first-inning single and Vierling’s third-inning sacrifice fly helped put Detroit up 2-0.
Torkelson, who entered the day hitless in his previous 14 at-bats, roped a run-scoring double in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend the Detroit lead to 3-0, which was more than enough considering how well the Tigers’ bullpen was performing. After Hurter exited the game, Beau Brieske came in and continued his dominant postseason run with two more scoreless innings of relief.
The Guardians had their chances but left eight runners on base and managed just six hits off Tigers pitching on Wednesday — three of which came off the bat of Steven Kwan. The Guardians have now gone 20 consecutive innings without scoring a run. Detroit can close out the series in Game 4 on Thursday.
Dodgers 8, Padres 0
This didn’t go well for the Padres, to say the least. Riding two straight wins, with no shortage of drama, the Padres went for the kill by giving Game 1 starter Dylan Cease the ball on short rest.
The Dodgers responded by chasing Cease after 1 2/3 innings, then knocking around the Padres’ bullpen for the rest of the game en route to an 8-0 victory and a 2-2 series. The Dodgers bullpen combined for nine scoreless innings, opening with Ryan Brasier and ending with Landon Knack, who was in consideration to start the game.
Every Dodgers hitter save for Chris Taylor had at least one hit. Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux each hit a home run. The lone win for the Padres is that the Dodgers used every late-inning arm they have, but any fatigue will be mitigated by the day off Thursday.
Here’s how it all went down via Yahoo Sports:
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Dodgers decline to name Game 5 starter
It could be Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It could be Jack Flaherty, who spent the night in the bullpen. It could be one then the other. Either one will likely have a short leash.
#Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wouldn’t announce a starter for Game 5. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty are options. But so is another bullpen game.
LAD-SD: It should be Yu Darvish vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 5
Game 1: Close Dodgers win
Game 2: Lopsided Padres win
Game 3: Close Padres win
Game 4: Lopsided Dodgers win
Game 5: ???
Final: Dodgers 8, Padres 0
The Padres went for the kill by starting Game 1 starter Dylan Cease on short rest. They got steamrollered instead.
Rather than celebrate an NLCS berth at home, the Padres got shut down by the Dodgers’ bullpen, with eight pitchers combining for nine scoreless innings. Meanwhile, a Dodgers lineup missing Freddie Freeman knocked around Cease, then the Padres bullpen. Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux all homered.
The two teams will now travel to Los Angeles for a Game 5, with the winner facing the New York Mets in the NLCS.
LAD-SD: One more inning to go
It was a little more adventurous than the Dodgers were probably expecting from the usually dominant Treinen, but he gets through the eighth scoreless. They’re up 8-0 and three outs away from playing a Game 5 at home.
The Dodgers have their plan, and they’re sticking to it. Even with an eight-run lead, they’re sending in top relief arm Blake Treinen to face the top of the Padres order in the eighth inning. Treinen hasn’t pitched since throwing 39 pitches in Game 1.
LAD-SD: Daniel Hudson keeps it scoreless in the seventh
Whatever the plan is for the Dodgers, it’s working. Hudson works a scoreless seventh, with a quick scare on a two-out Jake Cronenworth triple. Looks like some Padres fans are leaving with their team down 8-0 and two innings to go.
LAD-SD: Daniel Hudson warming for the Dodgers
Now this is interesting. The Dodgers have Landon Knack, a guy who can eat multiple innings, in their bullpen with three innings to go. They could have him finish this game. However, Daniel Hudson, a medium-leverage guy, is warming instead.
Given that Game 2 starter Jack Flaherty was warming earlier instead of Knack, the Dodgers might be saving Knack to back up Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who’s had trouble with San Diego, in Game 5 while letting Hudson, Flaherty, Edgardo Henriquez or Ben Casparius finish the game.
Daniel Hudson is warming for the Dodgers. Surprised Landon Knack hasn’t figured in yet.
LAD-SD: Gavin Lux busts the game open with a 2-run homer
Gavin Lux welcomes Peralta with a two-run homer to right. It’s 8-0 Dodgers, and L.A. probably doesn’t have to worry about using the rest of the team’s high-leverage arms tonight.
LAD-SD: Call stands, Edman out at first
The call stands. Now the Padres pull Alek Jacob for Wandy Peralta, with a runner on second and two outs in the seventh inning.
LAD-SD: Tommy Edman bunts in a run
The Dodgers move up 6-0 as Tommy Edman lays down a perfect bunt with runners on the corners and one out. He was called out, but the Dodgers are challenging the call at first. Looks like he might have been safe.
LAD-SD: Manny Machado hits one deep … to the warning track
Manny Machado hit one deep. He watched it fly. Petco Park began erupting.
Chris Taylor caught it at the warning track. One batter later, Jackson Merrill grounded out to end the sixth inning with the Padres still down 5-0.
Phillips threw only six pitches that inning, which isn’t nothing.
LAD-SD: Padres pull Jeremiah Estrada for Alek Jacob
Shohei Ohtani works a nine-pitch walk and that will do it for Estrada, who was at 29 pitches after an inning-plus of work. Alek Jacob comes and gets Mookie Betts to pop up after two pitches.
LAD-SD: Fernando Tatis Jr. comes short of a three-run homer
Phillips got ahead 0-2 on Tatis, who then took two balls and sent the next pitch just short of the warning track in right-center. That was a big at-bat, and the Dodgers bullpen is now more than halfway to landing this plane.
The remaining available arms in the Dodgers pen with four innings to go: Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson, Jack Flaherty, Ben Casparius and Landon Knack.
LAD-SD: Here comes Evan Phillips
The Dodgers have a five-run lead, but it’s an elimination game. After Alex Vesia strikes out Kyle Higashioka and gets a Luis Arraez flyout, the Dodgers are bringing in another top arm in Evan Phillips to face Fernando Tatis Jr. with two runners and two outs.
LAD-SD: David Peralta gets another hit
Peralta was 4-for-20 with eight strikeouts against left-handers in the regular season, but he has two hits off the Dodgers’ two bullpen lefties in this game. Evan Phillips is warming now, while Vesia walked Jake Cronenworth.
The Padres have two men on with no outs and could make this game interesting very quickly.
LAD-SD: Alex Vesia stays in for fifth, with Jack Flaherty starting to throw
Even with the Dodgers up five runs, it might be about to get weird with their bullpen. Flaherty could have been a bullpen option in Game 5, assuming the Dodgers got there, but pitching him here would line him up to pitch Game 1 of the NLCS on three days rest.
LAD-SD: Jackson Merrill robs a big hit from Max Muncy
Max Muncy hits a ball to deep right-center, but Jackson Merrill leaps and grabs it at the top of the wall. Could have been a double, could have been a homer, a big play either way for the Rookie of the Year contender.
Now Jeremiah Estrada comes into the game for Morejon.
LAD-SD: Another scoreless inning for the Dodgers bullpen
So far, so good for the Dodgers’ bullpen game plan. They’ve allowed two hits in four scoreless innings with four strikeouts so far.
Important to note: They still have Landon Knack, who could have started this game and will be an option if the Dodgers want a guy to eat multiple innings if they’re feeling comfortable with the lead.
LAD-SD: More on the Ohtani-Machado-ump play
Upon further review, Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel put the stop sign up after seeing the ball hit the ump, but Ohtani’s head was down, likely after seeing the first bounce.
The Dodgers… are not happy.
LAD-SD: Padres get Ohtani at home on the luckiest of plays
Ohtani walked and took second on a fly ball to center (he is very fast).
A Teoscar Hernandez hit should have scored him after it bounced off Manny Machado’s glove near the third-base line, but the ball hit the third-base ump and bounced back to Machado, who threw Ohtani out at home by 10 feet.
And that’s how the Padres got their first scoreless inning of the game.
