In four thrilling games on Wednesday in the MLB playoffs, Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets became the first team to advance to the Championship Series, eliminating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League Division Series.
They will have to wait to see who their opponent will be in the Championship Series, as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres to even their series in two games. In the American League, the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians – again – to take a 2-1 lead, and the New York Yankees also grabbed a 2-1 lead over the Kansas City Royals after a big night in the American League. Giancarlo Stanton.
Here’s how the day went, from live updates and analysis during the games to takeaways after the final show to what’s next for each team.
Go to: Takeaways and analysis | Live updates
Takeaways and analysis
Detroit leads the series 2-1
Game 3 at Comerica Park was historic in an unusual way — the ALDS series between the Guardians and Tigers is now only the second in postseason history to feature a shutout in each of the first three games, according to ESPN research. The last two have gone Detroit’s way, including a 3-0 win on Wednesday. The Tigers used six different pitchers — three of which came in the middle of the inning — to notch their second straight shutout.
Manager AJ Hinch has been precise with almost every throwing move he’s made in the postseason, as evidenced by the fact that the Tigers are averaging 2.8 points per game but are 4-1 so far. And they do it on the mound with one star player in Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, Cleveland is on a 20-game scoreless innings streak in the postseason, a franchise record. He put the guards in a hole in the chain. They now trail 2-1 after taking a 1-0 lead over the weekend.
What to watch in Game 4: The Guardians have one thing going for them in Game 4 – their best pitcher will take the ball in an playoff game for them. Tanner Bibee was fantastic in Game 1, even though he only pitched 4⅔ innings and took a 5-0 lead into the first inning thanks to the offense. However, Pepe looked great. Cleveland will have the shooting advantage on Thursday despite Skubal looming for Game 5. But the Guardian has to get there first. –Jesse Rogers
New York wins the set 3-1
You can only hold down these mits for so long. The Mets loaded the bases twice in the first two innings of Game 4 against Phillies left fielder Ranger Suárez. They did not score either time. The third time, against the Phillies, was a different story. With one out, Phillies manager Rob Thompson called up his closer, Carlos Estevez, to face Francisco Lindor. Estevez’s fourth pitch was a 99 mph fastball over the plate. Lindor smashed it into the visitors’ bullpen into right-center field for the go-ahead grand slam and his biggest Met hit. The blowout ensured that New York didn’t waste another strong start from left-hander Jose Quintana, who held Philadelphia to one run, two hits and two walks over five innings, leading the Mets to the NLCS for the first time since 2015.
What’s the next step: Now the Mets will wait to see if they travel to San Diego or Los Angeles to continue this dream season.
The last time the Dodgers and Mets met, Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the crowd and called the Mets to a players-only meeting after losing 15 of 19 games to fall 11 games under .500. It was May 29, and it was the day that sparked transformation in New York. Or was it Grimace who threw out the first pitch two weeks later? Who knows? But the Mets have been the best team in baseball since then. The Dodgers posted the best record in baseball during the regular season. They have their star power in Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. But they also have important questions. Freddie Freeman suffered an ankle injury and the starting rotation was disappointing. The Dodgers will have bullpen advantage, but the Mets’ lineup is deeper and their starting pitchers are more reliable. It will be an NLCS clash no one saw coming at the end of May. But it may happen.
Meanwhile, the Mets beat the Padres 5-2 during the regular season, sweeping them in a three-game series in New York in June and splitting a four-game series in San Diego in late August. Both clubs feature strong rotations and deep formations. But the Padres will have a big advantage in the bullpen department after adding Jason Adam and Tanner Scott at the trade deadline to bolster the bridge to closer Robert Suarez. The Mets pitching staff will have to figure out how to limit Fernando Tatis Jr.’s power, but, once again, the Padres will have to figure out how to slow down a team that continues to defy expectations.
As for the Phillies, here’s what they face when they return home early for the winter. –Jorge Castillo
New York leads the series 2-1
The Yankees are a very different team when Giancarlo Stanton is locked in, as he was in the 3-2 win in Game 3 of their division series against Kansas City. With No. 3 and 4 hitters, Aaron Judge and Austin Wells, combining for 3-for-23 in the series, they are getting a three-hit game from Stanton, the No. 5 hitter, deepening their lineup and posing a serious problem for a Kansas City team struggling to score runs.
Stanton’s go-ahead home run in the eighth inning gave them a one-run lead closer to Luke Weaver’s five-hit shutout. Add nine runs — one of which marked their first run in the fourth, and two of which helped push through the second run in the fifth — and the Yankees have found their formula for winning: power, patience and pitching.
What to watch in Game 4: Gerrit Cole takes over on the mound, as the rest day between Games 1 and 2 allows him to play on regular rest in the game before the start of Game 1 usually. He looks forward to the challenge of clinching the Yankees’ 19th ALCS berth. “I’ll take anything I can get in the postseason,” Cole said. “I’m not picky, whether at home or on the road. You’re here, it’s a blessing.” –Jeff Passan
The series was tied 2-2
The Dodgers are bruised, but certainly not broken. They were without a No. 3 hitter, without a traditional starting pitcher and without their everyday shutout, but somehow, with their season on the line, they persevered. They chased down Dylan Cease before the end of the second inning, scored five runs before committing their first of the third inning and never let the Padres’ vaunted offense get any closer, ultimately turning Game 4 into a rout. Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux are all back. And seven relievers combined for the shutout. Miguel Rojas was out of the lineup with a torn adductor muscle, Freddie Freeman was a late scratch due to persistent pain in his sprained right ankle, and the Dodgers didn’t have a starter to trust while facing elimination. None of that matters. They will live to fight another day.
What to watch in Game 5: The tense, electric and intriguing NLDS will move into a winner-take-all Game 5 on Friday night. It’s just appropriate. The Padres would start Yu Darvish, who turned seven innings of the ball once to help seal the win in Game 2. The Dodgers have both Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto available. In all likelihood, Yamamoto will start and Flaherty will be available out of the bullpen if needed. The Dodgers will play in front of their own fans that have turned hostile on Sunday. But the biggest benefit for them will be Thursday as a holiday. The Dodgers are hoping to give Freeman a chance to get back into the lineup. -Alden Gonzalez
