Cam Schlittler, a Yankees pitcher and former Red Sox fan, was motivated by personal rivalry and regional rivalry during a standout performance in the wild-card series, leading to a memorable game that he described as a Yankees performance for the ages.
The Padres' season ended with a 3-1 loss to the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series, marking another early exit despite a strong regular season, with missed opportunities and strong defensive plays by the Cubs contributing to their defeat.
Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler struck out 12 in his postseason debut, leading the Yankees to a 4-0 victory over the Red Sox and advancing to the AL Division Series against Toronto, marking a significant comeback in the Wild Card Series.
The Yankees and Red Sox face off in Game 3 of their AL Wild Card Series, with the Yankees favored to win. The series is tied at 1-1, and the game features key players like Aaron Judge for the Yankees and Trevor Story for the Red Sox. The SportsLine model predicts a high-scoring game and has specific betting recommendations. The winner advances to face Toronto in the AL Division Series.
The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers are playing a winner-take-all game in the AL Wild Card Series, with the winner advancing to face the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series. The Guardians evened the series with a 6-1 victory, highlighted by key home runs and strong bullpen performance, in a game that featured historic playoff circumstances with three winner-take-all games in one day.
The Cubs and Padres will play a decisive Game 3 of their wild-card series on Thursday at 4:08 p.m. at Wrigley Field, broadcast on ESPN, with Jameson Taillon pitching for the Cubs and Yu Darvish for the Padres.
The Red Sox's playoff hopes were dashed after Brayan Bello's poor performance in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Yankees, who forced a decisive Game 3 with a narrow win, highlighting strategic managerial decisions and intense playoff atmosphere.
The Yankees narrowly avoided elimination in their wild-card series against the Red Sox, thanks to a clutch game-winning hit by Austin Wells in the eighth inning of Game 2, setting up a decisive Game 3, with the series hanging in the balance.
The MLB Wild Card Series is underway with the Padres leading the Cubs 3-0 in Game 2, forcing a decisive Game 3, while the Guardians and Tigers are tied at 1-1, and the Yankees and Red Sox are also in a close contest. The Padres' strong bullpen and Machado's home run are key highlights, and the Guardians' late offensive surge secured their win.
Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 10-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Wild Card Series opener, with each hitting two home runs, as the Dodgers aim to defend their World Series title. The game featured strong pitching from Blake Snell and a shaky Dodgers bullpen, with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday night.
In a crucial Wild Card Series game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone's decision to pull pitcher Max Fried after 102 pitches is highlighted as a key factor in their 3-1 loss to the Red Sox, raising concerns about their postseason prospects and future matchups.
The Red Sox secured a 3-1 victory over the Yankees in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, highlighted by Garrett Crochet's dominant pitching, strategic lineup decisions by Alex Cora, and clutch hitting from Masataka Yoshida, positioning them well to advance to the ALDS.
The Padres face elimination after losing Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series to the Cubs, highlighting their struggles with timely hitting and reliance on pitching, with the series now a must-win situation for them to continue their postseason run.
The Detroit Tigers won their opening game of the 2025 AL wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians with a 2-1 victory, highlighted by strong pitching and key plays, setting the stage for the postseason.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will carry three catchers, including starter Will Smith who is dealing with a hand injury, for their wild-card series against the Reds, with notable roster decisions including the omission of Michael Conforto and the addition of Justin Dean for defensive and baserunning depth.