Friday brought us a full slate of playoff baseball. And it did not disappoint. The Astros and White Sox got the day started with Game 2 of their ALDS matchup. Charlie Morton and Corbin Burnes dueled in Milwaukee for the first game between the Braves and Brewers. The Red Sox and Rays brought the firepower for their second meeting. Finally, Logan Webb and the Giants saved the best for last in a historical start against the Dodgers in Game 1 of their anticipated NLDS matchup.
Astros take 2-0 lead against White Sox
A day after taking Game 1 by a 6-1 score, Houston looked to keep the momentum going in Game 2. Framber Valdez got off to a shaky start, giving up two base hits and a hit batter to load the bases with one out in the first inning. Eloy Jimenez brought the first run across the plate for Chicago with an RBI groundout. Valdez settled in and struck out Yoan Moncada to end the inning.
On the other side, Lucas Giolito appeared locked in to start the game, striking out the side against the top of the Astros order in the first frame -- all on swinging strikes. Valdez returned the favor in the second, striking out the side to make it four consecutive punchouts. Giolito wasn’t as fortunate in the bottom of the inning as a pair of walks put two runners on before Kyle Tucker tied the game with a base hit. Chas McCormick knocked a run in on a sacrifice fly before the inning ended with a 2-1 score. Both pitchers would strand a pair of runners in the third inning and toss a scoreless fourth before the game broke open for both teams in the fifth inning.
Four singles and a sacrifice fly would plate three runs for the White Sox. Meanwhile, Giolito’s struggles with control continued as he walked two batters with one out before his day was done at 90 pitches -- 52 for strikes. Garrett Crochet relieved Giolito and allowed both inherited runners to score, evening the score a four runs apiece.
With Aaron Bummer on the mound for Chicago in the seventh, three base hits would score a run to put the Astros ahead. That’s when the game got away from the White Sox. Craig Kimbrel entered and gave up a two-run double to Carlos Correa before Tucker blasted a two-run homer. In the end, the Astros would come out on top 9-4 to take a 2-0 series lead. The two teams will meet again on Sunday in Chicago. Luis Garcia will make the start for the Astros as they look to complete the sweep. The White Sox will announce a starter on Saturday, but it’s safe to assume the choice will come down to Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodon.
[[ad:athena]]
Rowdy Tellez powers Brewers to Game 1 victory
Morton and Burnes did not disappoint as the two pitchers put on a fantastic pitching duel. Milwaukee’s Cy Young candidate took some time to settle in, walking two batters to start the game before a wild pitch put runners on the corners with no outs. Rowdy Tellez made a great play on a groundball by Ozzie Albies to help get Burnes out of trouble. Albies hit a grounder to Tellez, who touched first base before throwing Jorge Soler out at home. Burnes would end the inning by striking out Austin Riley.
Charlie Morton impressed in his first frame by striking out the side. He would scatter just three baserunners through six innings. Meanwhile, Burnes did not allow his first hit until the fifth inning. The 26-year-old right-hander would end his day after six scoreless frames, throwing 57-of-91 pitches for strikes while generating 19 whiffs to strike out six batters. Morton would continue on into the seventh. He hit Avisail Garcia to lead off the inning before giving up a two-run homer to Tellez to put the Brewers on top. The two-run blast would end the day for Morton at 85 pitches -- 60 strikes. He generated 16 whiffs on the day to total nine strikeouts.
The two runs would turn out to be all Milwaukee needed. Joc Pederson hit a solo homer for Atlanta in the eighth inning. But Josh Hader would close it out for the Brewers in the ninth. Atlanta will send Max Fried to the mound on Saturday as they look to even the series against Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers.
Red Sox offense erupts as Boston evens series vs Rays
A day after Boston was shut out in their Game 1 loss against the Rays, they totaled 20 hits and 14 runs to even the series. Up against right-hander Shane Baz, the Red Sox put two runs on the board in the first inning on four hits and a walk, including RBI base hits by Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo.
The Rays came roaring back against Chris Sale in the bottom of the frame. Three singles and a walk would bring one run across the plate and leave the bases loaded for Jordan Luplow, who blasted a grand slam to give Tampa Bay a 5-2 lead. Sale would finish the inning before he was relieved by Tanner Houck. Boston wasn’t going to roll over. Back-to-back homers by Bogaerts and Verdugo in the third inning would cut the deficit to just one run before Enrique Hernandez tied things up with a solo blast in the fifth. A walk and a base hit would then put two runners on for J.D. Martinez. Martinez didn’t make the AL Wild Card roster due to an injured ankle. Just a few days later, he came through for the Red Sox as he launched a three-run homer off Matt Wisler to give Boston an 8-5 lead.
With Houck still pitching in the sixth, Ji-Man Choi homered to cut the Red Sox lead to two runs. Boston would get the run back with an RBI single by Christian Vazquez. A two-run homer by Rafael Devers all but sealed the deal in the eighth inning off Michael Wacha, but the Red Sox added three more runs in the ninth for good measure.
The Red Sox and Rays will face off for Game 3 on Sunday. Nathan Eovaldi will get the start for Boston. He’s coming off 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts against the Yankees in the Wild Card game. For Tampa Bay, no official starter has been named, but it’s likely to be 26-year-old right-hander Drew Rasmussen. He posted a 2.84 ERA with 73 strikeouts over 76 innings in the regular season.
Logan Webb dominates as Giants take series lead
What a way to end the night. The Giants and Dodgers met for Game 1 in San Francisco on Friday for the first playoff game between the division rivals. Rivalry aside, this is a series between a 107-win team and a 106-win team, which is incredible on its own as the Giants could not take their foot off the gas down the stretch. Perhaps that just kept them sharp for the playoffs.
Logan Webb got the call for game one after breaking out to 3.03 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 158 strikeouts over 148 1/3 innings in the regular season. The 24-year-old right-hander was up to the challenge as he appeared unfazed by the stage, holding the Dodgers scoreless over 7 2/3 innings. He was incredibly efficient on the day, scattering five hits while throwing 64-of-92 pitches for strikes with no walks. While Webb found much of his success this year behind his sinker-slider combination, he went to the changeup a season-high 38 times on the night, generating 12 whiffs on the pitch. He induced 21 total swings and misses to strike out ten batters. It also helps to force 11 groundouts to just one fly-out. Webb joins Jake Arrieta, Trevor Bauer, and Cliff Lee as the only pitchers to throw at least 7 2/3 innings with no runs, no walks, and ten or more strikeouts in a postseason game.
As Webb was dealing, the Giants plated four runs on three homers on the night. After Tommy La Stella drew a leadoff walk in the first inning, Buster Posey took a 3-0 fastball from Walker Buehler deep over the right-field wall to give San Francisco the lead. It was the first postseason home run for the 34-year-old catcher since he homered off Max Scherzer in game four of the 2012 World Series. Buehler would settle in to throw five more scoreless innings before Kris Bryant led the seventh inning off with a solo blast to left field. Brandon Crawford added an insurance run in the eighth with a home run off Alex Vesia before Camilo Doval closed out the game with a clean ninth inning.
Kevin Gausman will take the mound for the Giants on Saturday, coming off a tremendous season as he posted a 2.81 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 227 strikeouts over 192 innings. Julio Urias will get the start for the Dodgers. The 25-year-old right-hander ended his year with a 20-3 record, 2.96 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts over 185 2/3 innings.
Quick Hits: Clayton Kershaw received a PRP injection to address the flexor tendon issue in his elbow and expects to be ready for Spring Training... Rafael Devers is dealing with discomfort in his right forearm... Garrett Richards was removed from the Red Sox ALDS roster with a hamstring strain... Matt Barnes was added to take Richards’ place on the Boston ALDS roster... Alex Verdugo plans to start a throwing program this offseason in hopes of becoming a two-way player by 2023... Dodgers assistant general manager Brandon Gomes is reportedly on the Mets’ radar for a possible front office position... Andrew Heaney has elected free agency...
