Eight teams started Saturday still in the 2022 postseason. After today’s league division series games, that number could be cut nearly in half.
The Philadelphia Phillies eliminated the Atlanta Braves with an 8-3 NLDS Game 4 victory that had Philly’s Citizens Bank Park rocking.
The Seattle Mariners played their first home playoff game in more than 20 years, but couldn’t avert a sweep against the Houston Astros. And the San Diego Padres have taken the field in Game 4 with a chance to knock out the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers after holding on for a 2-1 victory in Game 3.
The only series that can’t end today? The other ALDS matchup, between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians, who split the first two games in Bronx.
Follow the action below all day long with start times, pitching matchups and starting lineups as they’re announced, followed by in-game updates and takeaways after each game is concluded.
More: Everything you need to know about the 2022 MLB playoffs | Previewing LDS matchups | Could this be the greatest postseason … ever? | Bracket, results and more
Guardians lead series 2-1
It might seem impossible to win without going big on offense in the postseason, but don’t tell that to the plucky Cleveland Guardians. The New York Yankees hit three homers, including a 449-foot moonshot by formerly struggling slugger Aaron Judge. But the Guardians just keep blooping pitches into the outfield and looping little liners to the opposite field — and before you knew, it added up to some real offense. The Yankees tried to close it out with a combination of Wandy Peralta and Clarke Schmidt, but Cleveland kept blooping and looping until the bases were loaded for frequent postseason hero Oscar Gonzalez, who singled softly through the middle, scoring two runs as a sell-out crowd at Progressive Field set the grandstand shuddering. Turns out a slingshot offense actually can get it done in October, and when it does, it’s awfully fun to watch. — Bradford Doolittle
Cleveland walks it off
OSCAR THE CLUTCH! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/6ZJUW8JSgI
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2022
Guardians’ lead is short-lived
Silly Willy.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/qrLo9w06dV
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 16, 2022
He done did it again. pic.twitter.com/ySJbwH6Azk
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 16, 2022
Yankees add to the lead
Cabrera CRUSH ? pic.twitter.com/NlmUTFuqcW
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 16, 2022
You think Oswaldo knew this was gone?! #postseason pic.twitter.com/1Mlv9pIYYE
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2022
All rise … finally
Brand new ballgame ???? pic.twitter.com/Kd3NoEjVqp
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 16, 2022
Aaron Judge‘s first hit of the postseason is a game-tying two-run homer. Prior to that homer, Judge had been 0-9, with 8 strikeouts this postseason. According to ESPN Stats and Information, that was Judge’s 12th career postseason home run which broke a tie with Bernie WIlliams for the third-most by a Yankee through their age-30 season. Judge trails only Mickey Mantle (14 HR in 54 games) and Derek Jeter (14 HR in 110 games).
Guardians strike first (and second)
Real ones have been here since day one.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/wLHsoYjfah
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 16, 2022
Ay Nay Nay.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/g3On6Ith3m
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 16, 2022
Get ’em on. Get ’em over. Get ’em in.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/61figmJTfD
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 16, 2022
Cleveland is ready to rock
A house party on a Saturday night.
Say less.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/S6DE50zgYs
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 15, 2022
Saturday Showdown. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/3oSgwQgsMj
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 15, 2022
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres
Padres lead series 2-1
Dodgers starter: Tyler Anderson
Padres starter: Joe Musgrove
Starting lineups:
DODGERS
1. Mookie Betts (R) RF
2. Trea Turner (R) SS
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Will Smith (R) C
5. Max Muncy (L) 3B
6. Justin Turner (R) DH
7. Trayce Thompson (R) CF
8. Chris Taylor (R) LF
9. Gavin Lux (L) 2B
PADRES
1. Ha-Seong Kim (R) SS
2. Juan Soto (L) RF
3. Manny Machado (R) 3B
4. Brandon Drury (R) DH
5. Jake Cronenworth (L) 2B
6. Wil Myers (R) 1B
7. Jurickson Profar (S) LF
8. Trent Grisham (L) CF
9. Austin Nola (R) C
Why this series is over: If you felt the energy at Petco Park on Friday night, you’d know why. In Game 4, the Padres will once again have a raucous sold-out crowd behind them and the perfect pitcher on the mound — Musgrove, the San Diego native and lifelong Padres fan who dreamed of pitching on a night like this and is fresh off shutting down the Mets in the decisive game of the previous series. — Alden Gonzalez
Why it isn’t: It’s the Dodgers, for crying out loud. They didn’t win 111 regular-season games for no reason. Heck, they didn’t win 14 of those games against these Padres for no reason. The Dodgers had plenty of opportunities to grab leads in Games 2 and 3 — and simply didn’t come through with runners in scoring position. At some point, one would think, they will. They’re too good not to. — Gonzalez
Some pregame news
Congratulations to Cara and Will Smith on the birth of their beautiful baby girl who was born this morning. Both mom and baby are doing well.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 16, 2022
Astros win series 3-0
Takeaways
The game that felt like it might never end finally did, at 7:31 p.m. local time, six hours, 22 minutes after it started, 18 innings deep, on account of one bad pitch.
Jeremy Peña, the rookie shortstop for the Houston Astros, hammered a hanging slider from Seattle Mariners rookie Penn Murfee to center field, breaking the longest scoreless tie in playoff history and leading the Astros to a 1-0 victory.
In a game that had as many pitchers as hits (18), with a postseason record 42 strikeouts, no errors and incredibly clean baseball, the Astros advanced to their sixth consecutive American League Championship Series, sweeping their division rivals and illustrating again that whether it’s slugfest or pitching duel, they’re as equipped as any team to triumph. — Jeff Passan
Houston completes the sweep
FINAL in 18: Astros 1, Mariners 0
Jeremy Peña’s solo home run to lead off the top of the 18th sends Houston to its sixth straight ALCS.
Seattle’s first home playoff game in 21 years goes as long as any in postseason history. Amazing atmosphere. Wonderful season. Tough ending.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 16, 2022
Astros (finally) get on the board first
JEREMY PEÑA BREAKS THE ICE IN THE 18TH! #postseason pic.twitter.com/4EkefQ91U3
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2022
They’re still scoreless in Seattle
FIVE-TOOL PLAYER JULIO RODRIGUEZ pic.twitter.com/r09OGHJML1
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) October 16, 2022
Astros-Mariners is going to the 16th inning. Here are the numbers so far.
– Hitters are 14 for 101
– Of those 14 hits, 12 were singles and two doubles
– Pitchers have struck out 37 hitters and issued three walks
– There have been 425 pitches thrown
– Total runs scored: zero— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 16, 2022
Wait, what just happened?
Just your everyday double play. #EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/RPGhgRSOdy
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 15, 2022
Hail to the king
Return of the King ?
Felix Hernandez is back in Seattle for the Mariners first playoff game since 2001!
(via @MarlyRiveraESPN)pic.twitter.com/VYN85bX1nV
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2022
Forever our King ? pic.twitter.com/PO1Jlz0Sen
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 15, 2022
Arrivals
? that light tho ? pic.twitter.com/5gNSFlwbzO
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 15, 2022
Win. pic.twitter.com/KGvAE3aExY
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 15, 2022
Phillies win series 3-1
Takeaways
Once again, Major League Baseball will not have a repeat World Series champion after the Phillies bounced the Braves from the postseason with a resounding 8-3 victory in Game 4 of their NLDS.
Just as they did in all three of their wins in the series, the Phillies jumped to an early lead that had Atlanta playing chase pretty much from the beginning — and for the second day in a row, it was a party from start to finish at a raucous Citizens Bank Park.
Instead of a bat-spike home run celebration providing the signature moment like it did in Game 3, the highlight on Saturday was a spring around the bases. In the third inning, J.T. Realmuto became the first catcher in postseason history to hit an inside-the-park home run, one inning after Brandon Marsh ignited the crowd with a three-run blast.
Two things are clear no matter who Philly faces in the NLCS: This team that found new life earlier in the season when manager Rob Thomson took over won’t be an easy out for anyone – and when the Phillies take the field at home in an NLCS for the first time since 2010 next Friday, it’s going to be quite a scene in Philadelphia. — Jesse Rogers
Bryce adds the exclamation point
.@bryceharper3 with the exclamation point! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/5Xs4ZyIcHC
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2022
Phillies piling on
Rhys Hoskins drives in another run!
?: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/C6yF1UfXfL
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2022
J.T. Realmuto is SPEED! @Phillies lead 6-2!
?: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/jwCXSPwBhC
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2022
The Phillies are pouring it on! Philadelphia fans can feel it!
?: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/T2hReNtECD
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2022
? INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN ?#POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/pX1BrApZrU
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2022
According to ESPN Stats and Information, that is the first inside-the-park home run by a catcher in postseason and the first time any Phillies player has done it in the playoffs.
Braves get one back
Ar-SEE YA!
A solo shot gets the @Braves on the board!
?: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/4OHCrok5O1
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2022
Phillies strike big first blow
Charlie Morton stayed in the game after being hit in the elbow by a comebacker
?: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/VMvRR3KiIc
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2022
THIS IS MARSH!!!!!!!!! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/xOitZ3UPts
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2022
Dawn Staley is hyped
I think I’m appropriately dressed for today’s big day…..you PHEEL-EASE?!! ??? Philly we ready?!! Then let’s goooooo @Phillies! Our time! pic.twitter.com/8ceNVTiaNU
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) October 15, 2022
The Philadelphia native know a bit about winning when it counts.
Is Blooper nervous?
positive vibes only
— Blooper (@BlooperBraves) October 15, 2022
day game in the city that spawned the Day Man, we’re gonna have to fire on all cylinders
— Blooper (@BlooperBraves) October 15, 2022
Arrivals
The fellas pic.twitter.com/RrNSBWkmD6
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 15, 2022