MLB saw four playoff tilts yesterday and follows that up with two more today.
NLDS 1
Dodgers 0, Giants 4
The Giants were in control of this one from the very beginning.
Logan Webb Tosses Playoff Gem
Logan Webb gave the division champion San Francisco Giants 7 2⁄3 innings of shutout baseball, quieting the potent Dodgers offense and allowing the Giants to coast to a 1-0 lead in the NLDS.
Game 2 Preview
Julio Urias will face off against Kevin Gausman as the Giants try to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
NLDS 2
Atlanta 1, Milwaukee 2
Or, as Dan Szymborski likes to label it, Coke vs Beer. This was one hell of a pitching duel, with neither team scoring until Milwaukee finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh. Eventually the adult beverage managed to narrowly hold out over the Red Cans from Atlanta.
Corbin Burnes Gets It Done
Burnes continued his amazing 2021 by throwing six shutout innings in Milwaukee’s first playoff game of the season.
Game 2 Preview
With Max Fried going up against Brandon Woodrfuff, this has all the makings of a second consecutive pitching duel.
ALDS 1
Boston 14, Tampa Bay 6
Pitching was an issue for both sides in this contest. The Red Sox pounded out five home runs in the contest to tie the series 1-1.
Chris Sale Returns with Miserable Results
In the end, Boston still won the contest, so little will be made of it, but Chris Sale’s start was atrocious. The lefty was spotted a three-run lead before he ever took the mound. After only one inning of work, the Red Sox trailed 5-3. Boston’s continued offensive explosion quickly erased Sale’s poor start and salvaged the game for Boston.
ALDS 2
Chicago 4, Houston 9
With nary a trashcan to be heard, the Houston Astros have reminded the world that yes, they are a damn good team and have an offense to be feared. Houston has now taken a comfortable 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Five-Run Seventh Sinks ChiSox
This game was a classic bank-and forth affair through six innings. With the score tied at four heading into the seventh, Tony La Russa turned to Aaron Bummer to keep the game all square. Bummer’s outing lived up to his surname and Craig Kimbrel proved unable to stop the bleeding as baseball’s most potent offense went to work. The White Sox will now face elimination the rest of the way in the series with three games to go. Tomorrow, the Astros will send Luis Garcia to the mound in an attempt to clinch the ALDS. La Russa is still weighing his options.
Other Baseball
Hank Aaron Award Finalists Announced
Major League Baseball has announced the 14 finalists for this year’s Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive player in the regular season from both the American and the National Leagues.