The Tigers, Royals, and Padres swept their wild-card series and head into the divisional round of the playoffs against tougher opponents.
The Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres each swept their wild-card series and head into the divisional round of Major League Baseball playoffs with much momentum.
The New York Mets needed three games to eliminate the Milwaukee Brewers, but they also have the talent to make a run in the World Series.
Three of the four teams remaining in the American League play in the Central Division.
Detroit is one of the hottest teams, winning 10 of its last 11 games of the regular season. The Tigers dominated the AL West champion Houston Astros in their wild-card series. Detroit won the opening game 3–1 and eliminated Houston with a 5–2 victory the following day.
Now, Detroit has a showdown with the Cleveland Guardians, who won the AL Central after going 92–69. The regular-season matchups between the division rivals were close, with the Guardians holding a
7–6 edge.
Detroit’s second baseman, Andy Ibanez, led the team with three RBIs in two games against Houston. The Guardians are led by third baseman
José Ramírez, who batted .279 with 39 home runs and 118 RBIs during the regular season. Both teams have depth with the starting pitching and bullpen.
The Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in their wild-card series despite scoring two runs in the two games. Kansas City starter Cole Ragans threw six scoreless innings, and the bullpen was superb in the 1-0 victory in Game 1. Royals starter
Seth Lugo, a Cy Young award candidate, and five relievers were just as effective in the 2–1 victory in Game 2. Closer Lucas
Erceg picked up a save in each game for the Royals, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2014.
However, Kansas City faces a tougher challenge in the Division Series against the New York Yankees, the most decorated franchise in MLB history with 27 World Series titles and the No. 1 seed in this postseason. The Yankees have a formidable lineup with outfielder Aaron Judge, who led all of MLB with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs. The Yankees
went 5–2 against the Royals in the regular season.
A couple of regional rivalries highlight the National League Division series.
The San Diego Padres take on the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers, the top seed in the league. San Diego swept the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card round. The Padres starter
Michael King was masterful in Game 1, scattering five hits with 12 strikeouts over seven innings in a 4–0 victory in Game 1. The Padres eliminated the Braves with a 5–4 victory in Game 2.
The Dodgers are a World Series favorite with Shohei Ohtani, who had one of the best regular seasons in Major League Baseball history after batting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIs, and 59 stolen bases. The Padres won the regular-season series against the Dodgers 8–5.
The Mets and Philadelphia Phillies renew their NL East rivalry in the wild-card round. However, the teams are meeting in the postseason for the first time. The Mets advanced with a dramatic 4–2 victory over the AL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso
delivered the victory with a three-run homer off All-Star closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning.
Philadelphia shook off a slow start to the regular season and won the NL East for the first time since 2011 with a 95–67 record. The Phillies are led by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, who combined for 68 home runs and 191 RBIs. Starter Zack Wheeler went 16–7 with a 2.57 ERA. The Phillies won the season series
7–6.
