The MLB postseason started today with four games. The first game was saw the Texas Rangers face the the Tampa Bay Rays. The second game on the day was the Toronto Blue Jays against the Minnesota Twins. The night window included the National League games with the Arizona Diamondsbacks taking in the Milwaukee Brewers. The final game of the day was the Miami Marlins against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The Texas Rangers had Jordan Montgomery on the mound as he faced off against Tyler Glasnow for the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers got a quick series lead as they beat the Rays 4-0. The Rays didn’t play their typical style of baseball, as they committed four errors, which was a season-high for them. In the second inning, the Rangers started scoring when Josh Jung drove in Nathaniel Lowe with a sacrifice fly. In the Top of the Fifth, the Rangers had the bases loaded, and Corey Seager would score on a Wild Pitch to make it 2-0, but Glasnow would get out of the jam, striking out Leody Taveras and Jung to end the inning. Glasnow would come out for the sixth, but after back-to-back walks, his day was over as he went five innings giving up four runs, only three earned on six hits; he walked five and struck out eight; he had struggled a bit entering this start, and it continued today, but the errors behind him didn’t help. In the Top of the sixth, Seager hit a ball to center that would score Evan Carter, but Rays center fielder Jose Siri misplayed the ball, and after the misplay, he threw the ball away, which allowed Marcus Semien to come home to score to make it 4-0. Four runs would be enough for Montgomery as he went seven innings, didn’t allow a run on six hits, didn’t issue a walk, and struck out five; not bad for a pickup at the trade deadline for the Rangers. Aroldis Chapman and Jose Leclerc also shut the door for Texas, not allowing a hit; Leclerc did give up a walk, but both recorded one strikeout in the Rangers win.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins
The Toronto Blue Jays sent Kevin Gausman to the mound to start the series against the Minnesota Twins, who had Pablo Lopez on the mound. The Twins didn’t waste time taking an early lead in the Bottom of the First when former first overall pick Royce Lewis hit a two-run home run down the left field line to make it 2-0 Twins. Lewis was at it again in the Bottom of the Third when he hit a solo shot to right field to make it 3-0 Twins; Lewis is the third player in MLB history to hit two home runs in their first two MLB at-bats, the other two were Evan Longoria and Gary Gaetti. The Blue Jays had a chance in the Top of the Fourth with runners on first and second. Kevin Kiermaier singled to the shallow infield, and Bo Bichette tried to score, but Carlos Correa would throw him out at home. In the Top of the Sixth, the Blue Jays would get on the board, though when Kiermaier singled again, and this time Bichette scored no problem to make it 3-1; the very next batter was Matt Chapman, who had runners on first and second when he hit a deep fly ball to center that Michael A. Taylor robbed at the wall to end the inning. The Blue Jays did get a lead-off double from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the Top of the Eighth, but the Twins bullpen, which has been lights out this season, got out of trouble to end the inning. Jhoan Duran got the ninth and shut the door for the Twins to secure a game one win, their first in 18 games and first since October 5, 2004, when they won game one against the New York Yankees. Lopez went 5.2 innings, giving up just one run on five hits; he walked two and struck out three. Gausman would go only four innings, giving up three runs on three hits; he walked three and struck out five, taking the loss.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers
The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Brandon Pfaadt to the mound to start the series, while the Milwaukee Brewers countered with their ace Corbin Burnes. The Brewers wasted no time getting on the board in the Bottom of the First when Carlos Santana singled home Christian Yelich to make it 1-0 Brewers. They would tack on more runs in the Bottom of the Second when Tyrone Taylor crushed a two-run home run to left field to make it 3-0. The Diamondbacks would get back into it in the Top of the Third when rookie phenom Corbin Carroll made his introduction to postseason baseball with a two-run home run; Ketel Marte would follow that up with a solo home run the very next at-bat to tie the game at 3-3. The Diamondbacks took their first lead of the game in the Top of the Fourth when Gabriel Moreno hit a solo home run to make it 4-3 Arizona. Neither starter lasted long, with Pfaadt only going 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits; he walked one and struck out four. Burnes only lasted four innings, giving up four runs on five hits; he walked two and struck out five. The Brewers had chances in the fifth and sixth innings; in the fifth, they had three straight singles, but the Diamondbacks got out of it with a strikeout and a double play, and in the sixth, after a walk and a single Yelich got thrown out at third. A few batters later, William Contreras got caught at second after going past the bag and trying to retreat on a fielder’s choice. In the Top of the Ninth, the Diamondbacks got the insurance runs they needed when Christian Walker crushed a double to deep center field, scoring Tommy Pham and Carroll to make it 6-3. The Arizona bullpen saved the game, combining to go 6.1 innings; they didn’t allow a run on five hits; they walked three and struck out seven; it was a franchise record for relief innings in a victorious postseason game while Pfaadt’s start of 2.2 innings was the second shortest in Arizona history as the Diamondbacks take a 1-0 series lead on a 6-3 lead.
Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Miami Marlins, without their ace and future ace for the rest of the season, sent Jesus Luzardo to the mound to face off with Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. The Phillies had a chance early in the Bottom of the First after a Kyle Schwarber leadoff single, then a Trea Turner double to start the game, but Luzardo got a strikeout and two flyouts to get out of trouble unscathed. The Phillies broke through in the Bottom of the Third with Johan Rojas on second; Alec Bohm doubled him home to make it 1-0. The Phillies tacked on two more runs in the Bottom of the Fourth thanks to a Bryson Stott single that scored J.T. Realmuto and then a single by Christian Pache that scored Stott and made it 3-0 Phillies. The Marlins finally got to Wheeler in the seventh inning after a one-out double by Josh Bell. Two batters later, Jake Burger singled Bell to third, then Bryan De La Cruz singled home Bell to put the Marlins on the board. The Phillies would turn to Jose Alvarado with runners on first and second against Yuli Gurriel, but Alvarado won the battle to get the Phillies out of the jam. The Phillies tacked on another run in the Bottom of the Eighth as Nick Castellanos doubled to left field, allowing Bryce Harper to score from first to make it 4-1 Phillies. In the Top of the Ninth, the Marlins couldn’t cash in on a double by Bell to lead off the inning, and the Phillies take game one behind a dominating performance from Wheeler, who went 6.2 innings giving up one run on five hits, he didn’t walk a single Marlin and struck out eight. Luzardo went four innings, giving up three runs on eight hits; he also didn’t issue a walk and struck out five.
Four Teams Facing Elimination
The Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Miami Marlins all face elimination on Tuesday when all four series resume. The Rays and Rangers will play at 3:08, the Blue Jays and Twins will be at 4:38, the Diamondbacks and Brewers will be at 7:08, and the Marlins and Phillies will be at 8:08. If any of the teams down 0-1 can win tomorrow, then game three will be on Thursday with the times to be determined. Tomorrow’s pitching matchups are.
Rangers vs. Rays: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Zach Eflin
Blue Jays vs. Twins: Jose Berrios vs. Sonny Gray
Brewers vs. Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen vs. Freddy Peralta
Marlins vs. Phillies: Braxton Garrett vs. Aaron Nola
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