MLB playoffs: ALCS, NLCS Thursday takeaways, analysis
It was another blockbuster night in MLB's league championship series -- and what a night it was!
First, theCleveland Guardiansgot their first win of the American League Championship Series in dramatic fashion. They tied the game in the ninth inning with a two-out, two-run homer before David Fry blasted a two-run shot in the 10th for the 7-5 walk-off victory over theNew York Yankees, cutting New York's series lead to 2-1. Then, the Los Angeles Dodgersdominated the New York Metsfor the second consecutive night at Citi Field with a 10-2 rout to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
We've got you covered with all the action from both games, as well as takeaways and what's next for the winners and losers after the final pitch.
Takeaways
Los Angeles Dodgers10,New York Mets2
Dodgers lead series 3-1
For the third time in four games, the Dodgers blow out the Mets with a 10-2 victory and are now one win away from the World Series. In a sense, Game 4 turned on the second pitch of the game when Shohei Ohtani blasted an 0-1 sinker from Jose Quintana 422 feet over the fence and deep into the bullpen area in right-center field. After that, Mets pitchers seemed wary of challenging Ohtani. His one-out walk on four pitches in the third inning led to a two-run rally. His walk in the fifth led to Mookie Betts' two-run double. After Ohtani walked again in the sixth, Betts belted a two-run homer to left. In other words: Ohtani and Betts have turned things around and that makes the Dodgers verrrrrryy dangerous right now, even with Freddie Freeman sidelined in this contest with his sprained ankle. (Oh, yeah, and Max Muncy set a record-reaching base for the 12th consecutive plate appearance. That helps too!)
What to watch in Game 5: It's desperation time for the Mets in Game 5. They've showed resiliency all season, but the Dodgers have battered New York's pitching so far and L.A.'s bullpen has shut down the bats. The Mets will go withDavid Peterson for the Game 5 start, withKodai Sengaavailable in relief. The staff will have to figure out how to get Ohtani and Betts out to keep the Mets alive. Good luck with that. -- David Schoenfield
Cleveland Guardians 7, New York Yankees5
Yankees lead series 2-1
The Guardians had Game 3 under control for much of the night, following a script that could not have been more perfect. Matthew Boyd threw five crisp innings to hand the advantage over to the leverage-relay squad of Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase -- and it was going fine until Clase's anchor leg. Baseball's most dominant reliever, a guy who surrendered two homers during the regular season, gave up a stunning, game-tying two-run slicing blast to Aaron Judge, then a solo shot to Giancarlo Stanton.
So it was the Yankees with the perfect script, turning a two-run lead over to red-hot closer Luke Weaver in the ninth. Two down. None on. Two strikes. Lane Thomas doubled off the wall to keep the Guardians alive. Then, on the second pitch he saw, rookie pinch hitter Jhonkensy Noel launched one into the left-field seats. The scripts? Out the window. And the new script called for a starring role for Cleveland's super-utility All-Star David Fry, who hit a two-run blast to left off of Clay Holmes to walk it off for Cleveland. The Guardians were very close to dead, and now they are very much alive. This game will have a win probability chart that looks like the worst roller-coaster ride ever designed.
What to watch in Game 4: The Guardians and Yankees will both turn to young righties making their postseason debut in Game 4 -- Gavin Williams for Cleveland, Luis Gil for New York. Gil had the much better regular season. Both pitchers have been trying to stay sharp with simulation games and side sessions. We'll see who is ready from the opening bell Friday, but the early innings will be critical. Either way: We have a series. -- Bradford Doolittle
Five amazing facts from Cleveland's comeback win
Just how amazing was the Guardians' thrilling extra-inning Game 3 win over the Yankees? Here are some wild numbers and facts, courtesy of ESPN Research:
- Jhonkensy Noel is the first player with a game-tying HR in the bottom of the ninth inning or later of an ALCS game since Raúl Ibañez did it for the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2012 ALCS against the Tigers.
- Noel is the third pinch hitter in MLB postseason history to hit a game-tying or go-ahead HR with his team trailing with 2 outs in the 9th inning or later. He joins Jim Leyritz (1998 National League Division Series) and Kirk Gibson (1988 World Series).
- This is the second game in MLB postseason history in which both teams hit game-tying home runs in the eighth inning or later. The other was Game 1 of the 1995 ALDS between Boston and Cleveland
- The Yankees are now 196-2 in their postseason history when leading by multiple runs in the 9th inning or later -- and both losses have come against Cleveland (Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS and tonight)
- David Fry's walk-off HR is the third in Cleveland playoff history, joining Oscar González (2022 AL wild-card series) and Tony Peña (1995 ALDS).
