Magical Mets Roll On, Yankees Hero Alex Verdugo, More MLB Divisional Round Takeaways
After the Wild Card Series round ended with a literal bang off the bat of Pete Alonso, it's fair to say the Division Series round has a hard act to follow.
Saturday brought the first look at what's in store for a new round of drama and intensity.
Four Division Series Game 1s are in the books, and each one told us something about each of the eight teams involved. We aimed to determine exactly what by diving into takeaways for each team upon the conclusion of all four games.
Tap to the next slide for the day's results. The takeaways will follow, with one each for the winner and loser of every game.
Division Series Game 1 Results
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AL Division Series: Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
- Result: Guardians 7, Tigers 0
- Status: Guardians lead 1-0
NL Division Series: New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
- Result: Mets 6, Phillies 2
- Status: Mets lead 1-0
AL Division Series: Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees
- Result: Yankees 6, Royals 5
- Status: Yankees lead 1-0
NL Division Series: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers
- Result: Dodgers 7, Padres 5
- Status: Dodgers lead 1-0
Cleveland Guardians Game 1 Takeaways
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A Week Off Didn't Put Any Rust on the Lineup
There was every reason to expect the Guardians offense to look out of sorts on Saturday.
For the last two seasons, the teams that had first-round byes tended be the ones that struggled the most offensively in the Division Series. And the Guardians rested longer than any of them, as they had last played on Saturday, September 28.
But if a team is going to provide a definitive answer to the "Rest vs. Rust" debate, there are worse ways to do so than with a five-run first inning.
It was especially encouraging to see Lane Thomas whack the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer. Though the veteran outfielder did hit seven homers in September, he was cold in going just 8-for-50 in his last 14 games.
A slow start to the Division Series is the last thing the Guardians wanted for their offense. Looming in Game 2 on Monday is Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who is notoriously unkind to opposing hitters.
The Hook on Tanner Bibee Was Perfectly Timed
Whether Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was too quick with his hook on Bibee should be a fair question. After all, he had only thrown 76 pitches through 4.2 scoreless innings.
But consider:
- Bibee was about to face the meat of Detroit's lineup for the third time
- This series has an off day on Sunday
- Vogt has the best bullpen in MLB at his disposal
All three things presumably factored into Vogt's decision to lift Bibee, and the third might as well be underlined after what happened. Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase took the baton and fired 4.1 hitless, scoreless innings to finish the job.
Sounds about right for a bullpen that led the majors with a 2.57 ERA, much less with a 1.31 ERA in September. And lest anyone worry about his feelings, the record should show that Bibee clearly didn't mind the early hook.
Detroit Tigers Game 2 Takeaways
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Their 'Pitching Chaos' Backfired
A big reason the Tigers are even in the Division Series is how successfully manager A.J. Hinch bamboozled the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series.
Tarik Skubal's six scoreless innings in Game 1 helped, but Hinch got at least three outs from six other pitchers. Not one of those guys gave up a run either.
Therefore, it wasn't the worst idea to deliberately play a bullpen game on Saturday, with lefty reliever Tyler Holton serving as the opener. But such games always come with the risk of having one or more weak links.
That risk bit Holton first, as four of the five runs that the Tigers gave up in the first inning ended up on his line. It also bit Ty Madden, who walked three and allowed two runs in the sixth inning.
The Wild Card Series and the fact that the Tigers finished 34-19 despite getting less than 200 innings from their starters serve as evidence that there is a method to Hinch's "pitching chaos" madness. But this time, it just didn't work.
Maybe Just Start Reese Olson Next Time
Sure, Olson did serve up Thomas' three-run homer on the very first pitch he threw. Not a great start, as these things go.
But after that, the righty logged five scoreless innings in which he gave up just two more hits and a walk. And he needed just 73 pitches to do it.
Given that he wasn't very sharp after coming off a two-month stay on the disabled list on September 16, that the Tigers didn't want to start Olson is understandable. Yet it's also not the biggest shocker that he pitched so well. Before going on the IL, he had been mostly excellent in posting a 3.23 ERA over 19 starts.
If anyone will be Detroit's second go-to starter after Skubal, it should be Olson. The Tigers would do well to remember that next time.
This is, of course, assuming there is a next time.
New York Mets Game 1 Takeaways
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The Mets Had 'Em Right Where They Want 'Em
Whenever the Mets are losing, they might as well be winning.
Of course, this is blatant hyperbole. But it feels true, as the Mets' five-run eighth in Game 1 ultimately resulted in a comeback win. They have now had four of those since Monday.
Granted, the events that turned this one weren't quite as dramatic as Francisco Lindor's game-winning blast in Atlanta that put the Mets in the playoffs, much less Pete Alonso's historic tater in Milwaukee that arranged this matchup with Philadelphia.
All the same, the first seven innings of Game 1 saw the Mets record all of one hit as their win probability dropped to 21 percent. They didn't seem cooked, necessarily, but you had to question whether their comeback magic was tapped out.
Not so much, as it turns out. And as a result, they're two wins away from the National League Championship Series.
The Mets Stole a Mismatch
Meanwhile, let's not overlook that the Mets won a game in which their starter went only two innings opposite a starter who shut them out for seven.
To be clear, it's not as if there was ever any hope of Kodai Senga matching Zack Wheeler pitch for pitch. This was only Senga's second start of the year and his first since July 26.
"I'm ready for whatever," the righty said through an interpreter. "If they say 10 pitches, I'm all in for 10 pitches. If they say 200, I'm in for 200."
He eventually threw just 31 pitches, leaving a parade of relievers to throw the rest. In effect, Wheeler vs. Senga became Wheeler vs. Johnny Wholestaff.
It's huge for the Mets that this approach worked. What probably should have been a loss turned into a win, and now they get to turn their rotation back over to Luis Severino for Game 2 on Sunday.
A return home to Citi Field is on deck for Tuesday.
Philadelphia Phillies Game 1 Takeaways
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Zack Wheeler Is Becoming a Postseason Legend
Line Score: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
Wheeler has taken some shots at the Mets in the past, but he says he has "no hard feelings" about his former team these days.
It's a little hard to believe him after what he did to them on Saturday.
Not content to merely dominate them, Wheeler straight-up embarrassed Mets hitters while he was out there in Game 1. He got up to 99 mph with his fastball and made them swing and miss 30 times.
Swings and misses aren't usually that common in playoff games. Wheeler is only the third pitcher to record 30 whiffs in a postseason game in the pitch-tracking era, joining Gerrit Cole (33 in 2019) and Tim Lincecum (31 in 2010).
In the process, Wheeler made himself even more of a postseason legend. He now has a 2.18 ERA in the playoffs, the fourth-lowest among pitchers with at least 10 starts.
Also, a shoutout to Phillies manager Rob Thomson for trusting his ace. He could have lifted Wheeler after he walked Jesse Winker with one out in the seventh, but he chose to stick with him and was rewarded accordingly.
Kyle Schwarber's Home Run Wasn't Nearly Enough
Speaking of playoff legends, Schwarber's name got a little larger in the MLB history books when he led off with a homer against Senga.
It was his 21st overall home run in the playoffs, giving him sole possession of the No. 4 spot on the all-time list. It was also his fifth leadoff homer in the playoffs, moving him two ahead of any other player in history. And his 12 as a Phillie, the most in club history.
Yet as much as Schwarber's leadoff laser seemed to portend a good day for the Phillies offense, it was...well, not that. In addition to one of two runs, it accounted for one of just five hits.
You have to wonder if rust is a factor. The Phillies had been off all week, and, as noted earlier, teams that had first-round byes tended to struggle offensively in the Division Series in 2022 and 2023.
On the other hand, it's also possible that the Phillies' offense really is this vulnerable these days. It was underwhelming in the second half of the regular season when only Schwarber and Nick Castellanos enjoyed sustained hotness.
Whatever it is, the Phillies need to shake it off. The matchups and home-field advantage of this series are no longer in their favor.
New York Yankees Game 1 Takeaways
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Aaron Boone Chose Wisely
The Yankees hope that 21-year-old Mars native Jasson Domínguez will be the Next Big Thing in left field. But on Saturday, Aaron Boone went with Alex Verdugo instead.
It was a controversial decision. It also proved to be a good one.
Batting out of the No. 9 hole, Verdugo went 2-for-3 with a couple of runs scored and the most important run batted in: the one that gave the Yankees the lead in the seventh inning.
To say that Verdugo needed a game like this would be overstating it. He had a rough regular season, particularly as he batted just .228 with 16 RBI in 55 games in the second half.
Verdugo is nothing if not a terrific defender, though, and that showed when he made a slick sliding grab to end a threat in the fourth. Otherwise, Saturday was hardly the first time he's shown a nose for the clutch hit. It was a part of his reputation while he was with the Boston Red Sox.
Whether or not this unique talent appears again this October, it's a safe guess that this won't be Verdugo's last start in this series.
The Bullpen Made It Look Easy
The Yankees didn't come into October with a weak bullpen, necessarily. But if anyone said their pen had something to prove, they wouldn't be wrong.
To this end, Game 1 represents a good start.
Though Tim Hill had some misadventures upon relieving Gerrit Cole in the sixth, things calmed down after he gave way to Clay Holmes. Things then stayed calm as Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Luke Weaver combined for 3.2 scoreless innings to finish it off.
With Weaver, especially, the Yankees seem to be onto something.
The veteran righty didn't have a major league save to his credit before September 6. He got his first that day and three more amid an eight-game run that saw him allow zero earned runs while striking out 24 of the 40 batters he saw.
Saturday was more of the same. Boone brought Weaver on to get a four-out save, and he hardly broke a sweat in striking out three and inducing a groundout to end it.
In case anyone is wondering, the Yankees record for saves in a single postseason is seven by John Wetteland (i.e., the guy before Mariano Rivera) in 1996.
Kansas City Royals Game 1 Takeaways
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The Royals Beat BB-eat Themselves
Run prevention was the Royals' whole thing in the regular season, and nothing changed in the Wild Card Series. They permitted the Baltimore Orioles only one run.
However, whereas they walked only four Orioles hitters in the two games, they walked twice that many against the Yankees on Saturday. Two were with the bases loaded, effectively tilting the outcome away from them.
Regardless of the specific circumstances, walking eight guys is no way to win a playoff game. In such instances, the offending team has won 34 times and lost 86 times.
It bears noting that it wasn't Juan Soto and Aaron Judge who the Royals were walking over and over again. That would have been a defensible strategy, but they only had one walk between them.
In other words, there's no defense to be offered here.
It Was an Encouraging Game for the Offense
Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino are arguably the Royals' two best hitters, and they went a combined 0-for-10 on Saturday.
It's, therefore, a silver lining that their offense salvaged nine hits and five runs.
MJ Melendez and Garrett Hampson had big hits with a two-run homer and a two-run single, respectively. Michael Massey also had a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot, and Yuli Gurriel got on three times via a hit and two walks.
It would have been a huge victory if it had been these guys who led the Royals to a W in Game 1. And had it not been for the walks, that may have been the case.
This is a woulda-coulda-shoulda outlook on the situation, but any news is good news for the Royals offense. They scored just three total runs in Baltimore, the same as they averaged in their last 29 games of the regular season.
If they can get Witt and Pasquantino going, their chances of coming back in this series will be very much alive.
Los Angeles Dodgers Game 1 Takeaways
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Shocker: Shohei Ohtani Homered
As he made perhaps the most anticipated playoff debut of the 21st century, Ohtani's night got off to an inauspicious start.
He and the Dodgers were already down 3-0 when he took his first at-bat, which ended with a harmless flyout. When he came up again with two men on in the second inning, he needed to take a second after fouling a 2-0 pitch off his back leg.
Then this happened:
Home run. Tie ballgame. And the bat flip? Put it in the dang Hall of Fame.
Ohtani hitting a huge homer in his first MLB playoff game almost feels too on the nose. But that's not because of a bad script. It's because of him.
He's been setting expectations higher and higher throughout his first season as a Dodger, and especially lately. He came into October on a ridiculous hot streak in which he homered 10 times and drove in 31 runs in 22 games.
Ohtani is going to be the National League MVP. And from the looks of things, he would also like to be the MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series.
The Bullpen Temporarily Silenced the Rotation Questions
It's as if the Dodgers bullpen considered what those of the Guardians, Mets and Yankees had done earlier on Saturday and thought, "Say, that looks like a good idea."
Whatever the inspiration, the end result is the same. A five-pitcher brigade bookended by Ryan Brasier and Blake Treinen held the Padres scoreless on just two hits over six innings.
This is the good news, and it isn't totally unexpected. The Dodgers bullpen arguably looks better on paper than it does on any given leaderboard. Even as is, it was nails in keeping games from getting out of hand in the second half of the season.
The bad news, of course, is that it was needed for as many as six innings.
That's on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who didn't fool anyone in allowing five runs in three innings. It's been about a month since he came back from a shoulder injury, but he still doesn't look right.
It's not the best omen for a rotation that was already without Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone, and which also officially lost Clayton Kershaw for the year earlier on Saturday.
Jack Flaherty had better be up for going deep in Game 2 on Sunday. If he doesn't, it'll be hard to ask for the bullpen to be this good two days in a row.
San Diego Padres Game 1 Takeaways
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The Padres Need Dylan Cease to Be Better
Line Score: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
The Padres learned on Friday that Joe Musgrove won't be back this October or any time soon. The veteran righty needs Tommy John surgery.
That means one less ace-caliber arm in San Diego's rotation, which invariably puts more pressure on the surviving members. And as the first man up, Cease failed the test.
He threw the ball well, topping out at 99.4 mph and drawing 15 swings and misses out of 82 total pitches. But he also got hit hard, serving up five batted balls of at least 100 mph.
Apropos of this, it's appropriate to acknowledge how much more hittable Cease was after tossing his no-hitter on July 25:
- Through No-Hitter: 32.5 K%, 36.2 Hard%
- After No-Hitter: 22.9 K%, 42.1 Hard%
It may, therefore, be up to Yu Darvish and Michael King to shoulder the burden in Musgrove's absence. The former will get his shot in Game 2 on Sunday when he'll look to live up to his career 2.27 ERA against the Dodgers.
They Can't Count on Outslugging the Dodgers
It wasn't because they didn't hit well enough that the Padres took the L on Saturday.
They had leads of 3-0 and 5-3 and eventually ended the game with seven hits and six walks. The right guys made an impact, with Manny Machado hitting a two-run homer and Xander Bogaerts adding a two-run double.
That they lost anyway sends a clear warning: Slugfests will not favor them in this series.
Perhaps this is self-explanatory. The Dodgers scored runs at will all year, ultimately scoring more (842) than any other team that made the playoffs. They also hit 237 home runs, the most of any team in the NL field.
Even the hottest version of the Padres still didn't outscore the Dodgers. The Padres scored 312 runs as they were going 43-19 to finish the regular season. In the same span, the Dodgers scored 359 times.
Clearly, the Padres had better get their pitching online. Failure to do so could result in those "Beat LA!" chants aging very poorly, very quickly.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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