The first weekend of the MLB series is in full swing. And three teams were sent packing on Saturday.
The playoff field was expanded to 12 teams for the 2022 postseason, so the best-of-three series determines which teams advance to the division series.
Saturday’s festivities began with the Cleveland Guardians beating the Tampa Bay Rays with a walk-off homer in the 15th inning to advance in the division series, followed by the Seattle Mariners overcoming a seven-run deficit to beat Toronto The Blue Jays cruised to a 10-9 victory. The Guardians will face the New York Yankees in one ALDS, while the Mariners will face the Houston Astros in the other.
Meanwhile, the New York Mets forced a Game 3 with a 7-3 win over the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies swept the Cardinals in St. Louis. Philadelphia will face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS while the San Diego-New York winner will face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
More: Everything you need to know about the 2022 MLB Playoffs | Best postseason… ever? | Ace Rankings (ESPN+)| Brackets, results and more
The Mariners win the series 2-0
Game 2
After becoming just the third team to overcome a seven-run deficit in a postseason game, Seattle has taken on the appearance of a lucky team, or maybe a Cinderella — or as close to one as you can get in baseball.
With young heroes like Cal Raleigh coming to the fore, Seattle has become the first club to survive the road team disadvantage of the new wild-card format. And because it did, the M’s have now assured a host of fans in the Pacific Northwest that they will get their first taste in 21 years of first-hand playoff baseball. It’s not all magic and fairy tales, surely. This team is good. Either way, Seattle will be rolling when the Mariners take on the Astros. This is the kind of team that can capture the imagination of a city … and a sport. — Bradford Doolittle
RETURN COMPLETED
Expect the unbelievable. #EmbraceChaos pic.twitter.com/Zhzs8cvrS1
– Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 9, 2022
Seattle isn’t over yet!
NEW FREZIA GAME. pic.twitter.com/fxoX3SqD0p
– Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 8, 2022
The rise of the #RallyShoe
The legend of rally shoes. To tell the generations. #SeaUsRise #Mariners #Seattle @komonews pic.twitter.com/NNmRFYjfQJ
— Paul Rivera (@PaulRiveraNews) October 8, 2022
The craziest thing I’ve ever seen. A Mariners fan puts his shoe on his head at the Mariners Watch party going into the 8th inning. All the other fans do the same. The team then rallied to score 4 runs to tie the game. #RallyShoe #EmbraceChaos
— Kevin Martinez (@Kevin_Martinez) October 8, 2022
SHOES. OVER YOUR HEAD. RIGHT. NOW.
— T-Mobile Park (@TMobilePark) October 8, 2022
Start the chaos. #SeaUsRise | #EmbraceChaos pic.twitter.com/r1muOSF8HT
– Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 8, 2022
The Jays are ROLLING
of @BlueJays have taken a commanding 8-1 lead in Game 2 🤌#Next level | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/zAbDXBcx2p
— Sports Network (@Sportsnet) October 8, 2022
BASEBALL OCTOBER ✌️ #Next level pic.twitter.com/6vj1sgHP4g
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 8, 2022
Teoscar in the 2nd round and Teoscar in the 4th round. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/qmsyUN4pp1
— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 8, 2022
The Guardians win the series 2-0
Game 2
Was it great hitting, poor offense — or a little bit of both? Either way, the lack of runs on the scoreboard was the story in Cleveland during a Game 2 that was finally decided when Oscar Gonzalez’s home run in the 15th inning accounted for the game’s only run — and completed a two-game wild card sweep for the Guardians.
Here are some highlights from ESPN Stats & Info that put the historic performance (or lack thereof) in Game 2 into perspective:
The 39 combined hits are the most in a single postseason game
Tampa Bay’s 20 hits were the fourth most by a single team in a postseason game
The first game after the season will also go to the 13th round without a run scored by either team
Third 1-0 overtime series client in postseason history
The future for Guardians? An ALDS game with the Yankees, which will begin Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. One thing Cleveland will hope continues into the next round: Triston McKenzie shows he’s developing into one of the best young pitchers in baseball and a worthy No. 2 starter behind ace Shane Bieber. — Jesse Rogers
Freshman away!
OSCAR GONZALEZ SENDS CLEVELAND TO THE ALDS 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Ql1jZhXn7p
— ESPN (@espn) October 8, 2022
And … we’re still scoreless in the 14th inning
Terry Francona is starting to warm up to the Guardians set.
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 8, 2022
2:17 Game 1
4:34 (and counting) Game 2— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) October 8, 2022
The second stretch of the seventh sequence is being sung here.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 8, 2022
Both offenses struggle to get on base
No score as we head into the 8th. Only one base runner has reached third. Lonely down here. pic.twitter.com/BSmIOrDfpD
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 8, 2022
The starters did their job
Straight dirt from today’s beginnings. pic.twitter.com/czzNu2scdV
— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2022
CC in the building
CC Sabathia in attendance to watch Triston McKenzie play 💯 pic.twitter.com/IHnep7eRS5
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 8, 2022
The series was tied 1-1
With the season on the line, the Mets received contributions from up and down their roster. Jacob deGrom got off to a strong start, going six innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out eight batters. Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso hit big home runs, Brandon Nimmo, Eduardo Escobar and Jeff McNeil all knocked in extra runs while Edwin Diaz came on in the seventh to shut down Jurickson Profar and Juan Soto. The complete effort was a stark contrast from a lackluster Game 1, and the Mets will need more in a winner-takes-all Game 3 if they hope to advance to the NLDS. — Joon Lee
And the Mets bust Game 2 wide open
McHits #Postseason editing. #TheseMets pic.twitter.com/Zd5FjRO8iA
— New York Mets (@Mets) October 9, 2022
Trading long balls
PETE ALONSO RETURNS METS TO CAP 😤 pic.twitter.com/lSnGPYOAbl
— ESPN (@espn) October 9, 2022
Trent Grisham. Tie game.#Seize the Moment pic.twitter.com/wCaT2FqLrg
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 9, 2022
STUD! @East12BC pic.twitter.com/2zerSIueM7
— New York Mets (@Mets) October 8, 2022
Phillies win the series 2-0
The Phillies’ Game 1 comeback win was as much about what the Cardinals did or didn’t do as it was about the Phils. Saturday’s close win in Game 2 was the blueprint for what a deep Philadelphia playoff run will look like. The ace hitter goes deep – Aaron Nola in this case, and he was great. Jose Alvarado adds some dominant outings and Rob Thomson pulls the right levers to finish it off. The Phillies got a combined 13 scoreless innings over two games from Nola and Zack Wheeler, just as they would have drafted him. Offensively, Bryce Harper got the Phillies on board with a long home run. That, too, is part of any plan that sees Philadelphia meet the massive challenges ahead. As for the Cardinals, Albert Pujols finished his career with a two-hit game. But Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado combined to go 1-for-15 in the series. If we’re talking drafts, that’s not what the Cardinals had in mind. — Bradford Doolittle
Bohm ignites the skin
Alec Bohm you are serious omg pic.twitter.com/ddiX1baJyB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 9, 2022
Bryce gets all one
BRYCE HARPER PERSON A deep HR to OPEN 💪 pic.twitter.com/2MCPSp6XEh
— ESPN (@espn) October 9, 2022
This is a Yah yahhh @bryceharper3 🦍😤
— Natasha Cloud (@T_Cloud4) October 9, 2022
