The Weekly Rundown: 10/6/24 - 10/12/24
The Yankees, Guardians, Mets, and Dodgers are the last teams standing.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
We’re down to four. The Yankees, Guardians, Mets, and Dodgers were victorious in their respective Division Series matchups and will move on to the Championship Series.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this has been the most entertaining postseason in recent memory. Pretty much every game from that Braves-Mets doubleheader to now has been must-watch television. The product has been better than the NFL, and that isn’t the baseball fan in me talking. It’s reality.
In case you missed out on some of the action, we’ll recap each Division Series game (except for the Game 1s, which are in last week’s rundown) below, plus everything else that went down in the world of baseball since last Sunday. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter above if you haven’t already.
RIP Luis Tiant
A week after the death of Pete Rose, we lost another baseball legend.
Legendary pitcher Luis Tiant passed away Tuesday at the age of 83.
Tiant’s illustrious career spanned 19 MLB seasons. He spent his first six years in the big leagues with Cleveland, then one with Minnesota before joining the Boston Red Sox. His eight years with Boston were his best as he earned Cy Young and MVP votes in 1972, 1974, and 1976. He was a three-time All-Star: once with Cleveland and twice with Boston.
Tiant’s final four seasons came with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and California Angels. He finished his career with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 strikeouts across 573 games (484 starts).
Known for his signature windup in which he turned away from the hitter, “El Tiante” was truly one of a kind. It’s a shame he wasn’t inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he shared a great quote on his snub back in 2021.
"I've told my sons, 'Don't worry, don't get emotional that you don't see my name. The day they want to put me in, put me in. When you see my name sitting in the Hall of Fame, that's when you can believe that they put me in.
"My Hall of Fame is my wife, my family. That’s my Hall of Fame."
Rockies Extend Bud Black
Despite another season with 100+ losses, the Colorado Rockies are bringing manager Bud Black back for at least another year.
Black was signed to a contract extension through the 2025 campaign, the team announced:
"While our recent results on the field did not meet expectations, we believe this team is heading in the right direction with the growth of very talented young players," Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said. "Our organization is committed to giving our fans the winning team that they deserve.
"We believe the foundation we're building with our core roster and our farm system, along with Buddy's skills, experience and knowledge are instrumental in achieving our goal of playing games in October."
Black has a 537-657 record in his eight seasons with the Rockies. Colorado finished the 2024 season with a 61-101 record after going 59-103 in 2023.
Tropicana Field Damaged by Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton ripped through Florida throughout the week as a Category 5 and the strongest storm of the year with wind speeds that peaked at 180 mph. The storm caused widespread damage across the state, including to the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field. The stadium’s roof had a 115 mph capacity.
To see the extent of the damage, watch the video below.
It’s unclear if the field is even usable at this point, so it’s fair to wonder whether the Rays have played their final game at Tropicana. The team is already planning to tear down the stadium and build a new one for the 2028 season.
American League Division Series
For Game 1 recaps, go to last week’s rundown here.
Royals vs. Yankees - Game 2
The Yankees took a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 with Carlos Rodon on the mound vs. Royals ace Cole Ragans. They took a 1-0 lead in the third inning with a Giancarlo Stanton RBI infield single.
Kansas City answered with four runs in the top of the fourth, including this game-tying blast from Sal Perez:
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late as the Royals went on to win 4-2.
Series tied, 1-1
Game 3
Giancarlo Stanton again got the Yankees on the board first, this time with an RBI double in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Juan Soto made it 2-0 Yankees with a sacrifice fly.
The Royals tied it up at 2 in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a Kyle Isbel RBI double and an RBI triple from Michael Massey.
Stanton delivered again with a go-ahead solo homer in the eighth inning. That turned out to be the game-winner as New York took Game 3, 3-2.
Yankees lead series, 2-1.
Game 4
The Royals couldn’t get much of anything going against Gerrit Cole in Game 4. The Yankees ace allowed only one run in seven innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Yankees got to Royals starter Michael Wacha early with a Juan Soto RBI single in the first inning. Gleyber Torres added another RBI single to make it 2-0 Yankees in the fifth.
Giancarlo Stanton made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the sixth. Vinnie Pasquantino got Kansas City on the board with an RBI double in the bottom of the frame, but the Yankees punched their ticket to the ALCS with a 3-1 win.
Yankees win series, 3-1.
Tigers vs. Guardians - Game 2
After dropping Game 1, Detroit went with its ace and no-brainer for AL Cy Young, Tarik Skubal, to start Game 2 vs. Cleveland.
It turned out to be an epic pitcher’s duel between Skubal and the Guardians pitching staff. Skubel tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing only three hits and striking out eight.
Cleveland’s pitchers didn’t allow a run to cross until the ninth inning, when Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run bomb off dominant Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.
It was the first three-run homer Clase ever allowed in the big leagues.
Carpenter’s clutch blast propelled Detroit to a 3-0 win.
Series tied, 1-1.
Game 3
The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a first-inning RBI single by Riley Greene. They made it 2-0 in the third with a Matt Vierling sac fly and 3-0 in the sixth with a Spencer Torkelson RBI double.
It was a bullpen game for both sides as Detroit chased Cleveland starter Alex Cobb from the game after only three innings. The Tigers cruised to another 3-0 victory.
Tigers lead series, 2-1.
Game 4
Lane Thomas gave Cleveland life in its do-or-die Game 4 with a first-inning RBI single. Tigers rookie Trey Sweeney tied it back up in the second with a sac fly.
Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez’s solo blast made it 2-1 Cleveland in the top of the fifth, but Zach McKinstry tied it up again with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the frame.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead on a Wenceel Perez RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. But in the top of the seventh, the Guardians regained the lead on a clutch two-run homer by David Fry.
Fry added an insurance run with a sac bunt in the ninth. Detroit made it interesting with another run scored in the bottom of the ninth, but Cleveland escaped with a 5-4 win to force Game 5.
Series tied, 2-2.
Game 5
The Tigers had their ace Tarik Skubal on the mound for Saturday’s do-or-die Game 5. He kept the Guardians off the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when Jose Ramirez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the score at 1-1, then Lane Thomas came through with a massive grand slam.
Detroit scored a pair of runs over the next couple of innings, but Cleveland tacked on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth to seal a 7-3 victory and advance to the ALCS, where it’ll meet the Yankees.
Guardians win series, 3-2.
National League Division Series
For Game 1 recaps, go to last week’s rundown here.
Mets vs. Phillies - Game 2
The second game of this series between division rivals may have been the most entertaining game of the entire 2024 MLB season.
Mets slugger Mark Vientos got the party started with a two-run blast in the third inning.
Pete Alonso tacked on another run with a solo homer in the sixth.
The Phillies’ bats woke up in the bottom of the sixth when Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos went back-to-back off Mets starter Luis Severino.
Brandon Nimmo put the Mets back up one with a solo shot in the seventh.
Philly punched back in the eighth with a two-run Bryson Stott triple and a J.T. Realmuto fielder’s choice that made it 6-4.
In the top of the ninth, Vientos struck again with a game-tying two-run blast.
In the bottom of the frame, Nick Castellanos sent Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy with a walk-off single.
Series tied, 1-1.
Game 3
Pete Alonso got the Mets on the board first in Game 3 with a solo homer in the second.
Jesse Winker extended the Mets lead to 2-0 with a solo homer of his own in the fourth.
Two-run singles by Starling Marte in the sixth and Jose Iglesias in the seventh gave the Mets a commanding 6-0 lead. Meanwhile, Mets starter Sean Manaea tossed a gem with only three hits allowed in seven scoreless innings of work.
The Phillies’ only runs of the game came in the eighth as Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos notched RBI singles. Francisco Lindor’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth made it 7-2 Mets, which ended up being the final score of Game 3.
Mets lead series, 2-1.
Game 4
The Phillies scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning, but one swing by Mets star Francisco Lindor in the sixth inning decided the series.
Lindor crushed a grand slam to propel the Mets to a 4-1 win and a trip to the NLCS.
Mets win series, 3-1.
Padres vs. Dodgers - Game 2
Is Padres-Dodgers the modern-day Red Sox-Yankees? I’d say so after watching Game 2 between these NL West rivals.
Fernando Tatis Jr. wasted little time. The Padres star got his team on the board with a first-inning solo homer.
The drama began in the bottom of the first. Dodgers star Mookie Betts hit what appeared to be a solo homer, but Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar revealed he made the ridiculous catch after initially motioning toward Dodger fans as if he missed it. It was a wild scene that set the stage for more drama later on.
David Peralta made it 3-0 San Diego with a two-run shot in the third inning. Gavin Lux got the Dodgers on the board with a sac fly in the bottom of the frame.
Padres rookie Jackson Merrill made it 4-1 Padres with an RBI single in the sixth. Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty plunked Tatis Jr. and after striking out Manny Machado, the two exchanged some not-so-nice words. JomBoy’s breakdown dissects the entire ordeal perfectly:
More drama took place in the seventh when a Dodgers fan threw a baseball in the vicinity of Profar. The unrest at Dodger Stadium caused a lengthy delay.
Back to baseball.
In the eighth, Merrill hit a two-run shot for his first career postseason homer. Xander Bogaerts made it 7-1 with a solo homer.
The Padres piled on with a Kyle Higashioka solo blast and a Tatis two-run shot, giving them six total homers on the night. Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy added a meaningless homer in the bottom of the ninth, and San Diego tied the series with a 10-2 rout.
Series tied, 1-1.
Game 3
This time, Mookie Betts would not be denied. In the top of the first, he hit an eerily similar shot to left field that was just out of Profar’s reach this time.
The Padres did all of their damage in the second inning. Xander Bogaerts’ fielder’s choice, a two-run double by David Peralta, and a Kyle Higashioka sac fly made it 4-1 San Diego. Then, Tatis struck again with another two-run homer.
Teoscar Hernandez gave L.A. a chance in the top of the third with a grand slam, making the score 6-5 Padres. It was scoreless the rest of the way, however, giving San Diego the win and a series lead.
Padres lead series, 2-1.
Game 4
Mookie Betts’ postseason slump appears to be over. For the second straight game, he opened the scoring with a first-inning homer.
Shohei Ohtani and Betts both hit RBI singles in the second to make it 3-0 L.A.
Will Smith made it 5-0 with a two-run homer in the fifth.
Tommy Edman’s sac bunt and Gavin Lux’s two-run homer gave the Dodgers an 8-0 lead in the seventh. L.A.’s bullpen game worked to perfection as it finished off the shutout to force a Game 5 at Dodger Stadium.
Series tied, 2-2.
Game 5
In a pitcher’s duel between Japanese stars Yu Darvish and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it was the rookie who emerged victorious.
Yamamoto allowed only two hits in five scoreless innings of work. The Dodgers bullpen dominated the rest of the way, allowing zero hits or walks over the final four innings.
Darvish was no slouch. He allowed only two runs on three hits in 6.2 innings, but that was all it took for L.A. to advance to the next round. It did so thanks to solo homers from Kiké Hernandez in the second inning and Teoscar Hernandez in the seventh.
Dodgers win series, 3-2.
Rapid Fire
Dodgers righty Gavin Stone will miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.