MLB takeaways: Padres, Astros and Phils move on, Guardians put Yankees on the brink
The Padres use a big seventh inning to take the lead over the Dodgers and move on to the National League Championship Series. (0:59)
Eight teams started Saturday still in the 2022 postseason. After today’s league division series games, that number shrank considerably.
The Philadelphia Phillies eliminated the Atlanta Braves with an 8-3 National League Division Series Game 4 victory that had Philly’s Citizens Bank Park rocking.
The Seattle Mariners played their first home playoff game in more than 20 years, but they couldn’t avert a sweep by the Houston Astros. And the San Diego Padres knocked out the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers after rallying for a 5-3 victory in Game 4.
The American League Division Series matchup between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians was split after the first two games in the Bronx. But the Guardians pushed the 99-win Yankees to the brink of elimination with a walk-off win in Game 3.
More: Everything you need to know about the 2022 MLB playoffs | Previewing LDS matchups | Could this be the greatest postseason … ever? | Bracket, results and more
Padres win series 3-1
The Padres have slayed the “dragon up the freeway,” to borrow a phrase from their owner, Peter Seidler. They won three consecutive NLDS games to eliminate a star-studded Dodgers team that dominated them throughout the regular season, and they seem to be operating at a completely different level at this juncture. They’re getting solid-to-great starting pitching and playing stellar defense behind it. The back end of their bullpen is dominating. And they’re stringing together timely hits, never more so than in the five-run seventh inning that produced an epic comeback on Saturday night.
Perhaps just as important, they’re playing with an extreme level of confidence. Eliminating the Mets and Dodgers, two teams that combined to win 212 games during the regular season, will do that. Now they’ll have home-field advantage in an NLCS showdown against the similarly hot Phillies. And given the energy at Petco Park these past two nights, that could be a major lift. — Alden Gonzalez
HE IS HIM. #CaptureTheMoment pic.twitter.com/VYUX81hImH
Count it as a Run Batted Aust-In! #CaptureTheMoment pic.twitter.com/MUc3CRn8k6
HA. SEONG. KING. #CaptureTheMoment pic.twitter.com/dzu8GX6hm1
JUAN. SOTO.
The @Padres have come back to tie it! #postseason pic.twitter.com/XPefj5gRtm
TRAYCE THOMPSON! pic.twitter.com/u4jNsnu5mL
Freddie clutch! pic.twitter.com/Lk6PZKQ8wJ
Congratulations to Cara and Will Smith on the birth of their beautiful baby girl who was born this morning. Both mom and baby are doing well.
Guardians lead series 2-1
It might seem impossible to win without going big on offense in the postseason, but don’t tell that to the plucky Guardians. The Yankees hit three homers, including a 449-foot moon shot by struggling slugger Aaron Judge. But the Guardians kept blooping pitches into the outfield and looping little liners to the opposite field — and before you knew, it added up to some real offense. The Yankees tried to close it out with a combination of Wandy Peralta and Clarke Schmidt, but Cleveland kept blooping and looping until the bases were loaded for frequent postseason hero Oscar Gonzalez, who singled softly through the middle, scoring two runs for a walk-off win in the ninth inning as a sellout crowd at Progressive Field set the grandstand shuddering. It turns out a slingshot offense actually can get it done in October, and when it does, it’s awfully fun to watch. — Bradford Doolittle
OSCAR THE CLUTCH! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/6ZJUW8JSgI
Silly Willy.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/qrLo9w06dV
He done did it again. pic.twitter.com/ySJbwH6Azk
Cabrera CRUSH 💥 pic.twitter.com/NlmUTFuqcW
You think Oswaldo knew this was gone?! #postseason pic.twitter.com/1Mlv9pIYYE
Brand new ballgame 👨⚖️ pic.twitter.com/Kd3NoEjVqp
Aaron Judge‘s first hit of the postseason is a game-tying two-run homer. Prior to that, Judge had been 0-9, with eight strikeouts this postseason. According to ESPN Stats & Information, that was Judge’s 12th career postseason home run, which broke a tie with Bernie Williams for the third most by a Yankee through the age-30 season. Judge trails only Mickey Mantle (14 home runs in 54 games) and Derek Jeter (14 HRs in 110 games).
Real ones have been here since day one.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/wLHsoYjfah
Ay Nay Nay.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/g3On6Ith3m
Get ’em on. Get ’em over. Get ’em in.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/61figmJTfD
A house party on a Saturday night.
Say less.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/S6DE50zgYs
Saturday Showdown. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/3oSgwQgsMj
Astros win series 3-0
The game that felt like it might never end finally did, at 7:31 p.m. local time — 6 hours, 22 minutes after it started, 18 innings deep, on account of one bad pitch.
Jeremy Pena, the rookie shortstop for the Houston Astros, hammered a hanging slider from Seattle Mariners rookie Penn Murfee to center field, breaking the longest scoreless tie in playoff history and leading the Astros to a 1-0 victory.
In a game that had as many pitchers as hits (18), with a postseason-record 42 strikeouts, no errors and incredibly clean baseball, the Astros advanced to their sixth consecutive AL Championship Series, sweeping their division rivals and illustrating again that whether it’s a slugfest or a pitching duel, they’re as equipped as any team to triumph. — Jeff Passan
FINAL in 18: Astros 1, Mariners 0
Jeremy Peña’s solo home run to lead off the top of the 18th sends Houston to its sixth straight ALCS.
Seattle’s first home playoff game in 21 years goes as long as any in postseason history. Amazing atmosphere. Wonderful season. Tough ending.
JEREMY PEÑA BREAKS THE ICE IN THE 18TH! #postseason pic.twitter.com/4EkefQ91U3
FIVE-TOOL PLAYER JULIO RODRIGUEZ pic.twitter.com/r09OGHJML1
Astros-Mariners is going to the 16th inning. Here are the numbers so far.
– Hitters are 14 for 101
– Of those 14 hits, 12 were singles and two doubles
– Pitchers have struck out 37 hitters and issued three walks
– There have been 425 pitches thrown
– Total runs scored: zero
Just your everyday double play. #EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/RPGhgRSOdy
Return of the King 👑
Felix Hernandez is back in Seattle for the Mariners first playoff game since 2001!
(via @MarlyRiveraESPN)pic.twitter.com/VYN85bX1nV
Forever our King 👑 pic.twitter.com/PO1Jlz0Sen
✨ that light tho ✨ pic.twitter.com/5gNSFlwbzO
Win. pic.twitter.com/KGvAE3aExY
Phillies win series 3-1
Once again, Major League Baseball will not have a repeat World Series champion after the Phillies bounced the Braves from the postseason with a resounding 8-3 victory in Game 4 of their NLDS.
Just as they did in all three of their wins in the series, the Phillies jumped to an early lead that had Atlanta playing chase pretty much from the beginning. And for the second day in a row, it was a party from start to finish at a raucous Citizens Bank Park.
Instead of a bat-spike home run celebration providing the signature moment like it did in Game 3, the highlight on Saturday was a spring around the bases. In the third inning, J.T. Realmuto became the first catcher in postseason history to hit an inside-the-park home run, one inning after Brandon Marsh ignited the crowd with a three-run blast.
Two things are clear no matter who Philly faces in the NLCS: This team that found new life earlier in the season when manager Rob Thomson took over won’t be an easy out for anyone; and when the Phillies take the field at home in an NLCS for the first time since 2010 on Friday, it’s going to be quite a scene in Philadelphia. — Jesse Rogers
.@bryceharper3 with the exclamation point! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/5Xs4ZyIcHC
Rhys Hoskins drives in another run!
📺: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/C6yF1UfXfL
J.T. Realmuto is SPEED! @Phillies lead 6-2!
📺: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/jwCXSPwBhC
The Phillies are pouring it on! Philadelphia fans can feel it!
📺: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/T2hReNtECD
🚨 INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN 🚨#POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/pX1BrApZrU
According to ESPN Stats & Information, that is the first inside-the-park home run by a catcher in the postseason and the first time any Phillies player has done it in the playoffs.
Ar-SEE YA!
A solo shot gets the @Braves on the board!
📺: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/4OHCrok5O1
Charlie Morton stayed in the game after being hit in the elbow by a comebacker
📺: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/VMvRR3KiIc
THIS IS MARSH!!!!!!!!! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/xOitZ3UPts
I think I’m appropriately dressed for today’s big day…..you PHEEL-EASE?!! 🤣🤣🤣 Philly we ready?!! Then let’s goooooo @Phillies! Our time! pic.twitter.com/8ceNVTiaNU
The Philadelphia native knows a bit about winning when it counts.
positive vibes only
day game in the city that spawned the Day Man, we’re gonna have to fire on all cylinders
The fellas pic.twitter.com/RrNSBWkmD6