MLB Postseason: The Road to the World Series
Round 3 of the MLB Postseason has arrived and it’s time to see what the top 4 teams can do in the Championship Series.
2 teams from each league, American and National, play each other in hopes of securing a spot in the World Series, also known as the Fall Classic.
A minimum of 4 games can be played in the series, as 4 wins is the minimum a team needs to advance. In many cases, similar to the games played this year, 5-7 games will be played.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game 1: Dodgers win 9-0
Game one of the series was the seventh time these teams played each other this season. Before the game, the Dodgers had a 4-2 advantage in the season series. The Dodgers were picked to win (61.2%) over the Mets (38.8%).
The starting pitchers in game one were Jack Flaherty (LAD) and Kodai Senga (NYM). Flaherty retired his first 9 batters, with only two hits for the entire game. The Dodgers had an early start with 2 runs in the first, keeping their momentum after that with 1 run in the 2nd, 3 runs in the 4th, and another 3 runs in the 8th.
Flaherty returned to play his first playoff game in LA, after being traded from Detroit in July.
“I saw some family out there when I was warming up and I had gone to games here with them before,” he said. “[I] felt I tried to do too much the last couple times out in some big games. [Knowing my family was there] just allowed me to be myself and just go out and pitch and trust my stuff and the guys behind me.”
Game 2: Mets win 7-3, tied series 1-1
Going into game 2, the Dodgers were picked to win (57.2%) over the Mets (42.8%). The starting pitchers were Ryan Braiser (LAD) and Sean Manaea (NYM). For game 2, the Dodgers decided to make it a bullpen game, going through 5 pitchers throughout the game.
As a result of that, the Mets were making up for the points they couldn’t manage to score in game 1. Francisco Lindor hit a home run in the top of the 1st, followed by a total of 5 runs made in the 2nd, breaking the Dodgers’ 33 consecutive scoreless innings streak.
Game 3: Dodgers win 8-0, lead the series 8-0
Before game 3, the Mets were picked to win (53.7%) over the Dodgers (46.3%). The starting pitchers for this game were Luis Severino (NYM) and Walker Buehler (LAD). This was a huge game for Walker Buehler, who only allowed three hits in his 4 innings pitched. It was the opposite for Buehler, who allowed 2 runs in his 4 innings pitched.
The Dodgers scored consistently in this game. Of their 8 total points, 6 were runs produced by home runs. A breakdown of those points is 2 runs in the top of the 2nd, a 2-run homer by utility player Enrique Hernandez in the top of the 6th, a 3-run homer by DH Shohei Ohtani in the top of the 8th, and a homer by infielder Max Muncy in the top of the 9th.
“Walker, he’s a different animal in the postseason. I don’t care what his regular-season numbers are, especially this year coming off the second Tommy John,” Muncy said. “We all knew once we got into this setting he was going to be Walker Buehler, and he was definitely that tonight.”
Game 4: Dodgers win 10-2, lead the series 3-1
Going into game 4, the Mets were picked to win (50.1%) over the Dodgers (49.9%). The starting pitchers were Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) and Jose Quintana (NYM). Quintana pitched 3 ½ innings, whereas Yamamoto pitched 4 ½.
In the top of the 1st, the designated hitter of the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani, hit a home run. Following him up, 3rd baseman Mark Vientos of the Mets, hit a home run in the bottom of the 1st. With 2 more points run-in in the top of the 3rd, the Dodgers led the game 3-1. The Mets scored one more run, but the Dodgers scored 7 more points in the last 6 innings, securing their 10-2 win.
“You just ride those emotions,” Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts said. “I’ve tried to stay even-keeled and all those things. At a time like this, that doesn’t really work, so you’ve just got to jump on the rollercoaster and enjoy the ride.”
Game 5: The Mets win 12-6, Dodgers lead the series 3-2
The starting pitchers of game 5 were Jack Flaherty (LAD) and David Peterson NYM). Going into this game, the Dodgers were picked to win (51.4%) over the Mets (48.6%).
The Mets lead this game early, with 10 runs in 4 innings. These runs were scored by a 3-run home run, and the rest were off of singles, doubles, or triples. The Dodgers didn’t have trouble scoring early either, but they couldn’t keep up with 6 runs in 6 innings, 5 of which were off of 3 home runs and one off of a wild pitch.
“After yesterday’s game, we just had a collective conversation where it was like, hey, this is it,” the Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso said. “This is who we are. This is the situation we’re in and let’s keep continuing to lay it all out there.”
Game 6: Dodgers win 10-5, winning the series 4-2, heading to the World Series
For game 6, the Dodgers were picked to win (50.7%) over the Mets (49.3%). The starting pitchers were Michael Kopech (LAD) and Sean Manaea (NYM).
This was an early scoring game for both teams. One run was made by Francisco Lindor on an error in the top of the 1st. The Dodgers’ second baseman Tommy Edman hit a double in the bottom of the 1st, leading to two runs being scored, 2-1. The next runs were scored in the bottom of the 3rd for the Dodgers. 2 home runs, both being two runs, raised the deficit to 6-1. Trying to catch up, the Mets’ third baseman Mark Vientos hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 4th, raising the score to 3-6.
For the rest of the game, all runs made were from singles or doubles. The Dodgers managed to have 4 more runs scored and the Mets had another 2 runs, leaving the final score to be 10-5.
“I really feel like we finally arrived, I finally arrived at this stage,” the Dodgers’ designated hitter Shohei Ohtani said through a translator. “A lot of the games we played were really tough and hard to win, and it was truly a team effort to get here.”
This is the 25th time the Dodgers have secured the National League pennant and they will be headed to the World Series again after just a short 4 years.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game 1: Yankees win 5-2
Game one of the series was the seventh time these teams played each other this season. Before the game, the Yankees had a 4-2 advantage in the season series. The Yankees were picked to win (55.9%) over the Guardians (44.1%).
The starting pitchers were Carlos Rodón (NYY) and Alex Cobb (CLE). Rodón pitched 5 scoreless innings with a total of 3 hits and one run in the top of the 6th, which later led to his first post-season win.
“The goal was to just stay in control, stay in control of what I can do, obviously physically and emotionally,” Rodón said. “I thought I executed that well tonight.”
Cobb only lasted 3 ½ innings after Juan Soto hit a homer in the bottom of the 3rd, but pulling Cobb led to more success for the Yankees offense. Joey Cantillo pitched in the bottom of the 3rd resulting in two more runs that were scored by outfielder, and captain, Aaron Judge and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton.
After the 3rd, the Yankees only managed to score two more runs. The Guardians started gaining momentum at the top of the 6th when shortstop Brayan Rocchio hit a home run but only managed to score one more run at the top of the 8th, leading to the Yankees' 5-2 win.
Game 2: Yankees win 6-3, lead the series 2-0
Going into game 2, the Yankees were picked to win (60.9%) over the Guardians (39.1%). The starting pitchers for this game were Gerrit Cole (NYY) and Tanner Bibee (CLE). Both pitchers didn’t have promising starts and were pulled early in the game; Bibee after 1 ⅓ innings and Cole after 4 ⅓.
The Yankees scored early in the game, thanks to errors made by the Guardians’ defense, however, those errors didn’t seem to stop for the rest of the game. In the bottom of the 6th, the Yankees were only up by one point. Their shortstop Anthony Volpe was on base, while first baseman Anthony Rizzo was up to bat. Rizzo hit a double and Volpe scored on a fielding error made by Will Brennan, giving them a 2-point lead.
In the next inning, captain and outfielder Aaron Judge hit his first post-season home run, making a 4-point difference in the scores. The Guardians scored only one more point in the top of the 9th, a home run by Jose Ramirez, leaving the final score to be 6-3 and giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the series.
Game 3: Guardians win 7-5, Yankees lead the series 2-1
Game 3 was a nail-biter, with Clarke Schmidt (NYY) and Matthew Boyd (CLE) starting. Before the game, the Yankees were picked to win (50.2%) over the Guardians (49.8%). Both pitchers lasted 5 innings before they were pulled out and replaced by members of the bullpen.
The Yankees managed a run in the top of the 2nd, followed by a 2-run inning by the Guardians in the bottom of the 3rd. The Guardians managed 1 run off of a single in the bottom of the 6th, making the score 3-1. In the top of the 8th, the Yankees had back-to-back home runs off of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, leaving the score to be 4-3, Yankees in the lead.
One more run was managed on the Yankees' end in the top of the 9th, but their successes were cut short when Jhonkensy Noel hit a 2-run homer, tying the game 5-5. One additional inning was needed, the Yankees went scoreless, and the Guardians’ first baseman hit a 2-run home run that ended the game 7-5.
"That was playoff baseball,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Both sides just kept coming with haymakers and big at-bats, big moments off of two really good bullpens. They outlasted us. They had one more good swing than us. That’s part of it. We’ll be ready to roll tomorrow.”
Game 4: Yankees win 8-6, lead the series 3-1
Similar to game 3, these two teams were neck-and-neck the entire game. Despite the Guardians’ win the night before, the Yankees were still picked to win (52.3%) over the Guardians (47.7%). The starting pitchers for this game were Luis Gil (NYY) and Gavin Williams (CLE). In his first post-season game, Gil pitched for 4 innings and was relieved by Tim Hill in the bottom of the 5th. Williams lasted a little shorter than Gil with a total of 3 ⅓ innings, relieved by Erik Sabrowski.
Starting strong, Outfielder Juan Soto of the Yankees hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 1st inning. Soon after, Outfielder Steven Kwan of the Guardians managed a run in the bottom of the 1st. In the top of the 2nd, the Yankees Catcher Austin Wells hit a home run, giving them the lead 3-1. The next inning was scoreless for the Yankees, but Kwan got the chance to run across home plate again in the bottom of the 3rd, making the score 3-2.
In the top of the 6th, the Yankees designated hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, hit a 3-run home run, giving them a big lead 6-2. However, that didn’t last long as the Guardians managed 3 additional runs in the bottom of the 7th, making the score 6-5. In the bottom of the 8th, the Guardians had one more run on a throwing error by Mark Leiter Jr. of the Yankees, tying the game 6-6.
With one more inning to go, both teams were eager to hit, but in the end, only the Yankees were able to make more runs. With one score on an error and another from a single, the Yankees won 8-6, as the Guardians were unable to make up points in their last at-bat.
“No lead is safe,” Stanton said. “It’s a great team over there, but it’s just important to keep pushing. They answered the bell. It’s a wave. It’s a roller coaster. But yeah, it was good to come out on top today.”
Game 5: Yankees win 5-2, taking the series 4-1, heading to the World Series
Game 5 was the game that could send the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2009. The Guardians were picked to win (57.9%) over the Yankees (42.1%).
The starting pitchers were Carlos Rodon (NYY) and Tanner Bibee (CLE). An early scoring game for the Guardians with one run in the bottom of the 2nd and another made in the bottom of the 5th, making the score 2-0. Soon after, the Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton hit a 2-run home run, tying the game 2-2 in the top of the 6th.
The rest of the regular innings went by scoreless for both teams, leading into one overtime inning. In the top of the 10th, the Yankees had 2-outs, 2 on base, with outfielder Juan Soto at bat.
“I was just saying to myself: 'You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” Soto said.
With 1 ball and 2 strikes, Soto hit a home run that led to their 5-2 victory. Closer Luke Weaver had one last scoreless inning to confirm their victory and 41st American League pennant. This will be the Yankees' first time have been to the World Series in 15 years.
The World Series will begin on Friday, October 25th in Los Angeles, California. This will be the Yankees and Dodgers' 12th time meeting up in the World Series, but the first time since 1981.
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