Wednesday Night, Citi Field, bottom of the sixth, Phillies lead the Mets 1-0, bases loaded. Fransico Lindor is at the plate and the count is 2-1. The crack of the bat echoes for less than a second before all of New York erupts.
“Lindor towards right center field! This one is back! It is gone! Grand slam and Lindor puts the Mets on top!” Fox Sports’ Adam Amin exclaimed during his play-by-play calling of difference maker at-bat.
The score of 4-1 would remain the same for the rest of the game, sealing the fate of the Phillies and advancing New York to the National League Championship Series for the first time in nine years. The Mets are the first team to advance to a League Championship Series this season and await the conclusion of the Padres and Dodgers Division series to know their opponent. They have been playing playoff baseball since before the wild card began, fighting to clinch a spot in the postseason until finally doing so on September 30th, so this rest should be big for them.
Phillies at Mets was just one of four postseason bouts on Wednesday. The Padres and Royals series continues to be the most exciting in the second round as the Dodgers have now forced a winner-take-all game five in Los Angeles by shutting out the Padres in San Diego 8-0 in game four.
The Dodgers scored in each of the first three innings including two home runs, sent Padres starter Dylan Cease back to the dugout after less than two full innings, and would score three more runs in the seventh inning. Eight Dodger pitchers combined for the largest shutout win in Dodgers postseason history.
The do-or-die game five will take place on Friday at Dodger Stadium, first pitch is set for 5:08PM.
The Detroit Tigers shutout the Cleveland Guardians for the second straight game to take a 2-1 series lead and look to punch their ticket to the next round tonight. Similar to the Dodgers reliance on their bullpen against the padres, the Tigers seem to have the same mentality. After taking an early lead against Guardians starter Alex Cobb, six different pitchers would combine for the 3-0 game three victory.
Game four is tonight in Detroit, first pitch is scheduled for 6:08 PM.
The New York Yankees got back on track to take a 2-1 series lead ahead of tonight’s game four in Kansas City. Thanks to a retro performance from Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees were able to break a tie in the eighth inning off his go-ahead homer, and Luke Weaver stayed composed in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to earn the save.
Stanton would finish the night with three hits, 2 RBIs, and managed to steal a base for the first time in four years.
Yankees Ace, six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole will take the mound tonight as the Yanks look to wrap up the series, while Michael Wacha will try to fend off elimination from the starter role. Wacha faced the Yankee lineup in game one of the series and allowed three earned runs in four innings, issued three walks, and tallied three strikeouts in 70 pitches. He’ll need to settle in early to keep the Royal’s game five hopes alive.
Game four is tonight in Kansas City, first pitch is set for 8:08PM
Written By Raven Ullah, WUFO Intern
