The Astros weren’t the only team to move within one loss of elimination Tuesday.
All four Wild Card Series opened with Game 1, and elsewhere around the postseason, Atlanta came from behind to beat Philadelphia while the Yankees and Padres turned their openers into routs.
Braves 5, Phillies 3
The Phillies appeared to have Game 1 under control after J.T. Realmuto’s two-run triple in the seventh gave Philadelphia a 3-2 lead.
Then Austin Riley changed everything.
With two runners aboard in the bottom of the eighth, Riley hit a three-run homer off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran to put Atlanta ahead 5-3. Raisel Iglesias preserved the lead in the ninth, giving the Braves a 1-0 series advantage.
Chris Sale struck out nine over 6⅓ innings for Atlanta, while Jesús Luzardo allowed one run over five innings in his first start since September 7 after dealing with shoulder inflammation.
Yankees 9, Red Sox 0
There wasn’t much suspense in the Bronx.
Cam Schlittler struck out 10 over 6⅓ scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk as the Yankees shut out Boston 9-0.
Ben Rice supplied most of the offense, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs. His second homer was a grand slam in the eighth that turned an already comfortable Yankees lead into a rout. Boston finished with only three hits.
New York leads the series 1-0.
Padres 8, Cubs 0
San Diego needed exactly one pitch to take the lead.
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch the Padres saw from Matthew Boyd, and Manny Machado homered two batters later. Xander Bogaerts added another homer in the fourth as San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory.
Michael King was even more dominant. He carried a no-hitter through six innings and ultimately allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings.
The Padres now lead the series 1-0 and are one win from advancing to face Milwaukee in the NLDS.
Everyone Faces Game 2 Wednesday
That leaves all four Wild Card Series in exactly the same position after opening day: Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and San Diego can advance with wins Wednesday, while Philadelphia, Houston, Boston, and the Cubs must win to force Game 3.
The Phillies and Braves begin Wednesday’s schedule at 1 p.m. CT, followed by White Sox-Astros at 4 p.m. CT, Red Sox-Yankees at 7 p.m. CT, and Cubs-Padres at 9 p.m. CT.
For the Astros, that means Hunter Brown takes the mound at Daikin Park with Houston’s season on the line.
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