AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best of 7) (Dates, times)
New York Yankees
vs.
|
Game 1 10/14 Yankees 5 Guardians 2 |
Game 2 10/15, 7:38 pm |
Game 3 10/17, 5:08 pm |
Game 4 10/18, 8:08 pm | --- |
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best of 7) (Dates, times)
Los Angeles Dodgers
vs.
|
Game 1 10/13 Dodgers 9 Mets 0 |
Game 2 10/14 Mets 7 Dodgers 3 |
Game 3 10/16, 8:08 pm |
Game 4 10/17, 8:08 pm |
Game 5 10/18, 5:08 pm |
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES (Best of 5) (Dates, times)
|
New York Yankees
vs.
|
Game 1 10/5 Yankees 5 Royals 4 |
Game 2 10/7 Royals 4 Yankees 2 |
Game 3 10/9 Yankees 3 Royals 2 |
Game 4 10/10 Yankees 3 Royals 1 Yankees win series, 3-1, head to ALCS as Gerrit Cole delivers strong mound performance. |
--- |
 Cleveland Guardians
vs.
|
Game 1 10/5 Guardians 7 Tigers 0 |
Game 2 10/7 Tigers 3 Guardians 0 |
Game 3 10/9 Tigers 3 Guardians 0 |
Game 4 10/10 Guardians 5 Tigers 4 |
Game 5 10/12 Guardians 7 Tigers 3 Cleveland takes Game 5 to advance to ALCS |
Philadelphia Phillies
vs.
|
Game 1 10/5 Mets 6 Phillies 2 |
Game 2 10/6 Phillies 7 Mets 6 |
Game 3 10/8 Mets 7 Phillies 2 |
Game 4 10/9 Mets 4 Phillies 1 Mets win series 3-1 Francisco Lindor's 6th inning grand slam sends Phillies packing, Mets on to NLCS. |
--- |
|
Los Angeles Dodgers
vs.
|
Game 1 10/5 Dodgers 7 Padres 5 |
Game 2 10/6 Padres 10 Dodgers 2 |
Game 3 10/8 Padres 6 Dodgers 5 |
Game 4 10/9 Dodgers 8 Padres 0 |
Game 5 10/11 Dodgers 2 Padres 0 Dodgers shut out Padres again, advance to NLCS vs. Mets |
UPDATE, 10/4: Wild Card Game 3 Results
UPDATE, 10/2: Wild Card Game 1 Results
The Dodgers finished with the best record in the majors and in the National League. They and the Phillies earned first round byes. In the American League, the Yankees and Guardians get a pass on the first round with the two top finishes, winners of their respective divisions.
Alas, the poor Chicago White Sox, finished the regular season with the most losses of any team in the modern era (1900-present), but, there is a silver lining. The Sox had their best month in September, racking up 10 wins and 15 losses, and went 5-1 down the stretch, sweeping the Angels in a three-game series and winning their last two games at Detroit, ending the regular season with a mark of 41-121.
While the Sox did set the record for most losses, they did not surpass the 1962 Mets in terms of the worst record. In 1962, the Mets only played 160 games, the league ruling that two rainouts earlier in the season did not have to be played as they would not affect any of the final standings, leaving the Mets with a record of 40-120, a .250 percentage, while the White Sox, this season, ended with a percentage of .253.
All three games will be played in Houston, putting the visiting Tigers at a serious disadvantage. The Astros, winners of five straight AL West titles, have been a mainstay in the playoffs since joining the American League in 2013.
In addition to extensive playoff experience, the Astros also enjoy a huge edge at the plate, with veteran sluggers like Jose Altuve, Lance Berkman, and power-stroking Yordan Alvarez.
Houston also appears to have a sizable edge on the mound. Framber Valdez has had an excellent campaign, and they also enjoy the presence of Justin Verlander, three time Cy Young Award winner, though Verlander was left off the roster for this series and will not pitch.
Giving the Tigers hope for post-season success is game one starter, Tarik Skubal, who is a likely shoo-in for the AL Cy Young award. Skubal has been lights out for most of the season, racking up a major league high 18 wins against just four losses.
Also, the Tigers have been roaring since the All-Star break, with a record of 39-26 in the second half and a 17-8 mark for September.
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
The Orioles return to October baseball for the second straight year. After winning the AL East with 101 wins in 2023 and being swept in their first playoff series, the O's are looking to go deeper this season. The lineup is similar to last season's, with high hopes for power surges from Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle.
Baltimore has good hitters up and down the order, and, as opposed to last season, a capable closer in Yennier Cano. The O's didn't tear up the league and could never quite match strides with the Yankees in their division, but they did manage to hold the top wild card spot, getting all games in the first round at home.
Similar to the Orioles, Kansas City chased a division winner, Cleveland, all season, but could never quite catch them, finishing 6.5 games behind, tied with Detroit for second place in the Central.
KC's hopes fall on the shoulders of Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who, if not for the presence of one Aaron Judge, would likely win the AL MVP Award. His .332 average led the majors, and his 109 RBI tied him for fifth in the AL with another Yankee, Juan Soto.
The Royals are one of the best stories in sports this year, reaching the playoffs after losing 106 games in 2023. They'll rely on veteran catcher Salvador Perez for leadership and a huge bat in the middle of the order. The pitching is solid. Kansas City's team ERA was 3.76, sixth best in the league.
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
By virtue of a double-header split with the Braves on Monday, September 20, the Mets cruised into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams, posting a 40-27 recrod from the All-Star break and going 18-9 in the heady month of September, managing to win eight of a total of 13 games against the Phillies, Braves, and Brewers.
New York has a solid top of the lineup, with Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Sterling Marte, and Pete Alonso leading the charge to the plate. Their pitching has held up nicely, with Luis Severino blossoming into a reliable #1, and Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana putting up solid numbers during the regular season.
Milwaukee led the NL Central start to finish and won their division by the most of any division leader, 10 games, though they ended up five games behind the Dodgers and two back of the Phillies in the race for the league's best records.
With a load of playoff experience up and down their lineup, the somewhat non-descript Brewers epitomize the concept of team baseball, doing the little things right and routinely getting big performances from day-to-day players. The middle of their lineup is deadly, with Rhys Hoskins, William Contreras, and Willy Adames providing most of the RBI power, though they're soild at the plate, 1 through 9.
The Mets surged into the playoffs and should give the home-standing Brewers all they can handle in this short series in which anything is possible.
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
By virtue of winning the last game of the season, a 3-0 win over the Mets in the second game of Monday, September 30th double-header, the Braves qualified by a mere game over the Arizona Diamonbacks, thus eliminating from this year's playoffs, both teams that made the World Series last season.
Atlanta comes into the post-season hampered, as they have been all season, losing both Ronald Acuna Jr. and their mound ace, Spencer Strider, back in April. They also will not have Chris Sale, their best starteer through the regular season, for this series, putting them at a distinct disadvantage against the hard-charging Padres, who took the top wild card slot, finishing five games behind the Dodgers in the rugged NL West.
San Diego gets home field for this three-game series, and their lineup should thrive under the home lights. Manny Machado has been seeking October fame for years, and this appears to be his best opportunity to make some noise.
The Padres will also get plenty of long shots off Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar, and Fernando Tatis, back from injury that sidelined him from late June to the end of August.
Dyan Cease will go to the mound for San Diego in game one, and the Padres are well-rested, having clinched the top wild card well before the season's end.
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
Leaders
Batting Average
Home Runs
RBI
Top Pitchers, Probable Starters
Closer
NY Mets 4, Milwaukee 2 (Mets win series, 2-1)
UPDATE, 10/3: Wild Card Game 2 Results
Detroit 5, Houston 2 (Detroit wins series, 2-0)
Kansas City 2, Baltimore 1 (KC wins series, 2-0)
Milwaukee 5, NY Mets 3 (series tied, 1-1) Game 3 Thu. 7:00 pm ET
San Diego 5, Atlanta 4 (San Diego wins series, 2-0)
Detroit 3, Houston 1 (Detroit leads, 1-0) Game 2 Wednesday, 2:30 pm ET
Kansas City 1, Baltimore 0 (KC Leads, 1=0) Game 2, Wed. 4:30 pm ET
NY Mets 8, Milwaukee 4 (NY leads 1-0) Game 2 Wed. 7:30 pm ET
San Diego 4, Atlanta 0 (San Diego leads 1-0) Game 2 Wed. 8:30 pm ET
The playoffs have arrived. With wild card seedings going down to the last day of the season (actually beyond, in the case of Atlanta, Arizona, and the New York Mets).
American League Wild Card Series: Tigers at Astros
Detroit Tigers (86-76) 2nd, AL Central
Kerry Carpenter, RF, .284
Riley Greene, LF, .262
Colt Keith, 2B, .260
Riley Greene, LF, 24
Kerry Carpenter, RF, 18
Matt Vierling, CF, 16
Riley Greene, LF, 74
Colt Keith, 2B, 61
Marr Vierling, CF, 57
Kerry Carpenter, RF, 57
Tarik Skubal, 18-4, 228 K, 2.39 ERA
Kenta Maeda, 3-7, 96 K, 6.09
Reese Olson, 4-8, 101 K, 3.53
Jason Foley, 28 Saves, 46 K, 3.15
Houston Astros (88-73) Won AL West
Yordan Alvarez, LF, .308
Yainer Diaz, C, .299
Jose Altuve, 2B, .295
Yordan Alvarez, LF, 35
Alex Bregman, 3B, 26
Kyle Tucker, RF, 23
Yordan Alvarez, LF, 86
Yainer Diaz, C, 84
Alex Bregman, 3B, 75
Framber Valdez, 15-7, 169 K, 2.91 ERA
Hunter Brown, 11-9, 179 K, 2.49
Ronel Blanco, 13-6, 166 K, 2.80
Josh Hader, 34 Saves, 105 K, 3.80
American League Wild Card Series: Royals at Orioles
Kansas City Royals (86-76) 2nd, AL Central
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, .332
Salvador Perez, C, .271
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, .262
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, 32
Salvador Perez, C, 27
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, 19
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, 109
Salvador Perez, C, 104
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, 97
Seth Lugo, 16-9, 181 K, 3.00 ERA
Cole Ragans, 11-9, 223 K, 3.14
Michael Wacha, 13-8, 145 K, 3.35
James McArthur, 18 saves, 49 K, 4.92
Baltimore Orioles (91-71) 2nd, AL East
Gunnar Henderson, SS, .281
Ryan Mountcastle, 1B, .271
Jordan Westburg, 3B, .264
Anthony Santander, RF, 44
Gunnar Henderson, SS, 37
Colton Cowser, LF, 24
Anthony Santander, RF, 102
Gunnar Henderson, SS, 92
Adler Rutschman, C, 79
Corbin Burnes, 15-9, 181 K, 2.92 ERA
Albert Suarez, 9-7, 108 K, 3.70
Grayson Rodriguez, 13-4, 130 K, 3.86
Yennier Cano, 34 saves, 65 K, 3.15
National League Wild Card Series: Mets at Brewers
New York Mets (89-73) 2nd, NL East
Jose Iglesias, 2B, .337
Francisco Lindor, SS, .273
Sterling Marte, RF, .269
Pete Alonso, 1B, 34
Francisco Lindor, SS, 33
Mark Vientos, 3B, 27
Francisco Lindor, SS, 91
Brandon Nimmo, LF, 90
Pete Alonso, 1B, 88
Luis Severino, 11-7, 161 K, 3.91 ERA
Sean Manaea, 12-6, 184 K, 3.47
Jose Quintana, 10-10, 135 K, 3.75
Edwin Diaz, 20 Saves, 84 K, 3.52
Milwaukee Brewers (93-69) Won NL Central
Christian Yelich, LF, .315
William Contreras, C, .281
Jackson Chourio, LF, .275
Willy Adames, SS, 32
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, 26
William Contreras, C, 23
Willy Adames, SS, 112
William Contreras, C, 92
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, 82
Freddy Peralta, 11-9, 200 K, 3.68 ERA
Colin Rea, 12-6, 135 K, 4.29
Tobias Myers, 9-6, 127 K, 3.00
Trevor McGill, 21 Saves, 50 K, 2.72
National League Wild Card Series: Braves at Padres
Atlanta Braves (89-73) 2nd, NL Central
Marcell Ozuna, DH, .302
Michael Harris II, CF, .264
Austin Riley, 3B, .256
Marcell Ozuna, DH, 39
Matt Olson, 1B, 29
Austin Riley, 3B, 19
Marcell Ozuna, DH, 104
Matt Olson, 1B, 98
Austin Riley, 3B, 56
Chris Sale, 18-3, 225 K, 2.38
Max Fried, 11-10, 166 K, 3.25
Charlie Morton, 8-10, 167 K, 4.19
Raisel Iglesias, 34 Saves, 68, 1.95
San Diego Padres (93-69) 2nd, NL West
Luis Arraez, 1B, .318
Jackson Merrill, CF, .292
Jurickson Profar, LF, .280
Manny Machado, 3B, 29
Jurickson Profar, LF, 24
Jackson Merrill, CF, 24
Manny Machado, 3B, 105
Jackson Merrill, CF, 90
Jurickson Profar, LF, 85
Dylan Cease, 14-11, 224 K, 3.47 ERA
Michael King, 13-9, 201 K, 2.95
Matt Waldron, 7-11, 133 K, 4.91
Robert Suarez, 36 Saves, 59 K, 2.77
p - C l i n c h e d p l a y o f f b e r t h | d - C l i n c h e d d i v i s i o n
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