The Houston Astros were not the only team whose season ended Wednesday.
Three of the four Wild Card Series ended in two-game sweeps, with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres joining the Chicago White Sox in advancing to the Division Series. Only the Philadelphia Phillies managed to extend their season, rallying past the Atlanta Braves in extra innings to force a decisive Game 3.
Yankees Make Quick Work of Red Sox
The Yankees followed Tuesday’s 9-0 shutout with another lopsided win Wednesday, beating Boston 9-2 at Yankee Stadium to sweep their American League Wild Card Series.
Max Fried held Boston to one run over six innings, while New York’s offense eventually overwhelmed the Red Sox bullpen.
Luis García Jr. homered in the fourth, and Cody Bellinger drove in a run in the fifth before the Yankees broke the game open with six runs in the sixth. Bellinger capped the inning with a three-run homer.
Willson Contreras finally ended Boston’s 26-inning postseason scoreless streak with a homer off Fried in the sixth, but by the end of the inning, the Yankees had turned a close game into another rout.
New York outscored Boston 18-2 in the two games and eliminated the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series for the second consecutive season.
The Yankees will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS beginning Saturday.
Padres Finish Off Cubs
The Cubs managed to score Wednesday. That was about the extent of the improvement.
After shutting out Chicago 8-0 in Game 1, San Diego completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory at Petco Park.
Xander Bogaerts drove in the first run in the second inning, and Ethan Salas added a sacrifice fly to give the Padres an early 2-0 lead. Chicago cut the deficit to one in the fourth, but Gavin Sheets answered later in the inning.
Sheets, who spent much of September in a walking boot because of a left foot injury, came off the bench and launched a two-run homer off Daniel Palencia. It was his only plate appearance of the series.
San Diego’s pitching held Chicago to one run over the two-game series.
The Padres advance to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS beginning Saturday.
Phillies Refuse to Go Home
Philadelphia was the only team facing elimination Wednesday that managed to survive.
The Phillies trailed Atlanta 3-1 after seven innings and were six outs from elimination when Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper opened the eighth with back-to-back home runs. Schwarber’s traveled an estimated 447 feet, and Harper followed immediately with a shot to right to tie the game.
Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.
With two outs in the top of the 10th, Alec Bohm hit a solo homer to right to give Philadelphia a 4-3 lead.
Rookie Andrew Painter, pitching in relief for the first time in his career, worked the final three innings. Atlanta put two runners aboard with two outs in the bottom of the 10th before J.T. Realmuto successfully challenged the final called ball, turning it into a game-ending strikeout of Dominic Smith.
It was the first game-ending ABS challenge in postseason history.
The victory evened the series at one game apiece and set up the only Game 3 of this year’s Wild Card round.
One Wild Card Game Remains
Three Division Series matchups are now set.
The White Sox, who ended Houston’s season Wednesday, will face the Cleveland Guardians. The Yankees move on to face the Rays, while the Padres head to Milwaukee to face the Brewers.
Philadelphia and Atlanta will settle the final Wild Card Series at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, with the winner advancing to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. MLB.com
By the end of the night, the Wild Card round will be over, and the postseason field will be down to eight.
