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3Bplay · 10-16-2025, 02:48 PM

MLB NEWS WIRE
Divisional series matchups now set

By MLB.com staff
10/04/2025

9/30 -- Mets, Cubs victories kick off Wildcard round: Tyrone Taylor's 10th-inning solo homerun gave the Mets a 1-0 advantage in their series, and Shota Imanaga shut the Padres down over seven innings of work as the Mets and Cubs kicked off the postseason with a couple of thrilling victories.

Taylor pushed the Mets over the Phillies by a 4-3 score with his leadoff solo homerun (remember, no 'ghost' runners in the postseason) in the top of the inning before Ryan Helsley picked up the save in the bottom of the inning. New York now just needs a win on Wednesday to clinch the series and move on to the NLDS.

Making his first postseason start after appearing out of the bullpen with the Yankees in 2021, Clay Holmes allowed three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight with just a pair of walks. Gregory Soto got the final two outs of the seventh before Edwin Diaz pitched two innings, allowing a run with three strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Cubs jumped all over the Padres in the first few innings, taking a 6-1 lead after five innings. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-out, two-run homerun in the first, while Michael Busch padded the Cubs' lead with a two-run shot of his own, both coming against Nick Pivetta. The latter dinger chased Pivetta from the game after four-plus innings of work.

San Diego would get an RBI single from Yoan Moncada in the seventh to cut the lead to four, before Jake Cronenworth's solo shot in the ninth would draw them even closer. But Daniel Palencia bore down and got the final out to give the Cubs the 1-0 series advantage and the chance to clinch tomorrow.

10/1 -- Both NL Wildcard series head to third game: Both the Phillies and Padres forced Game 3's in their respective series, as Philadelphia forced a third game on the strength of a couple of homeruns, one each from Max Kepler and rookie Aidan Miller, who is playing third base while Alec Bohm is still out with an oblique injury.

Kepler's homerun was the deciding factor, as he broke a 3-3 tie with his one-out solo homerun. Philadelphia used just a pair of pitchers in the game, with Ranger Suarez going 7 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Matt Strahm came in with two outs in the eighth, and worked the ninth for the save.

In the other game, down 2-0 heading into the ninth and needing a huge rally, San Diego managed exactly that with four runs in the inning and then holding on for dear life in the bottom of the inning to force a third game with a 4-2 win. Xander Bogaerts' two-run double tied the game at two before Freddy Fermin broke the tie two batters later with a two-run two-bagger of his own.

Mason Miller worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for the save, striking out a pair of Cubs hitters along the way.

10/1 -- Mariners, Yankees take early AL Wildcard advantage: Eugenio Suarez homered in his first two at-bats, and Logan Gilbert held the Astros to just one run over seven innings as Seattle took the first game of their series with Houston by a 3-1 score. Suarez accounted for all three Mariners runs with a solo homerun in the first, followed by a two-run shot in the third.

That's all that Gilbert would need, as he breezed through seven innings before giving way to closer Andres Munoz for the two-inning save. Munoz was dominant in his two frames of work, striking out five without walking a batter or giving up a hit. He also threw just twenty-four pitches, leaving him available for the potential series-clinching game on Wednesday.

Carlos Correa's RBI single in the fourth was the only run that Houston could come up with. Making his first postseason start, Hunter Brown was tagged for eleven hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out five with no walks for Houston.

In the nightcap on the AL side, the Yankees scored four runs in a flurry of offense in the fifth inning, with Trent Grisham leading off the inning with a solo shot. Two singles later, Austin Wells hit a three-run homerun to put the Bombers up four. That's all they would need as they took a 4-0 win to go up 1-0 in their series with the Blue Jays.

With just eighty-nine pitches, Max Fried allowed just four hits over seven shutout innings, but was pulled after giving up two hits to lead off the eighth. David Bednar came on for the save in the eighth, getting out of the jam in that inning and pitching a scoreless ninth.

Aside from the top three hitters in their order, going 4-for-12 in the game, the rest of the Toronto lineup went just 1-for-19 with six strikeouts and a walk. Andres Gimenez was the only hitter to collect more than one hit, going 2-for-4. Vlad Guerrero Jr's fourth-inning double was the only extra base hit in the game for the Jays.

10/2 -- Toronto forces Game 3; other Wildcard series come to a close: A nailbiter throughout on Wednesday, the Blue Jays held just a 3-1 lead heading into the top of the ninth. But they put up three runs in that inning to put the game out of reach, eventually taking a 6-2 victory in the Bronx.

Daulton Varsho cranked a solo homerun to kick the scoring off in the second inning against Carlos Rodon. New York's defense betrayed them in this game, as errors by Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells in the fifth and seventh innings directly led to single Blue Jays' runs.

The Yankees finally dented the scoreboard in the seventh with an RBI double from Jazz Chisholm, but the Jays' big inning in the ninth rendered the Yanks' rally in the ninth moot. With the Toronto win, they'll go to a third game on Thursday night for the right to move on to the ALDS against the Red Sox.

The other three Divisional Series matchups are now set, with the Mariners and Detroit Tigers set to face off beginning on October 5th. On the NL ledger, the Cubs and top-seeded Brewers will face off on one side of the bracket, while the Dodgers and Phillies will square off on the other side.

Seattle swept the Astros in two games after taking a 5-3 victory on Wednesday night, scoring all five of their runs in the second inning. Chicago advanced to face the Brewers after a 6-5 win over the Padres in the rubber match of their Wildcard series, while Philadelphia held on for a 2-1 win over the Mets to bounce them from the postseason.

10/3 -- Pirates agree to extension with outfielder: When the Pirates teased "BIG NEWS" on their Twitter account, many thought the team might be announcing an extension with Paul Skenes, or that they were hiring a new manager. However, it was a pretty solid consolation prize as it was announced that they were signing outfielder Oneil Cruz to a five-year extension.

Cruz will earn a $2 million signing bonus on top of his $68 million base salary earned over the next five seasons. He'll make $4 million next year, $8 million in 2027; and after $12 million in 2028, the salaries really jump from there, nearly doubling in 2029 and 2030.

The Pirates will be buying out two years of free agency at $22 million per year, giving him the highest yearly salary in team history at that point. The AAV of $14 million slightly exceeds the AAV of Bryan Reynolds' record-setting contract extension, which was at about $13.8 million when he signed his extension prior to the 2023 season.

10/3 -- Gausman, Blue Jays cruise to victory; will advance to ALDS: Behind seven strong innings from Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays won by a 5-3 score, taking two-of-three from the Yankees to advance to the ALDS against another divisional foe in the Boston Red Sox. The ALDS and NLDS series are now set with the Blue Jays' win.

The two sides exchanged goose eggs through the first two innings, with Gausman and the well-traveled Kenta Maeda matching wits. Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the third thanks to RBI hits from Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk; and from there the Blue Jays never trailed. The Yankees would counter with a run in the bottom of the third on Austin Wells' solo homerun, but the Jays would always seemingly have a counter to keep New York at bay.

Maeda came back out for the fifth inning, but a walk and a hit finally chased him from the game in favor of Jonathan Loaisiga. The Yanks' bullpen held fast until the eighth inning, when the Jays struck for a pair of runs that included a solo homerun from Addison Barger.

The relatively quick playoff exit for the Yankees again has fueled speculation about manager Aaron Boone's job, but both GM Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner family have both come out and said that Boone will return in 2026. He's actually signed through the 2027 season, and will make $5 million next season, while earning $5.5 million the following year.

"I don't pay attention to that (stuff)," he said. "It's a tough way to end the season, and it's well short of our goal...but we're already looking forward to next year and getting back here."

10-16-2025, 02:48 PM	#30
3Bplay Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 336	Wildcard Week Roundup (9/30 -- 10/4) MLB NEWS WIRE Divisional series matchups now set By MLB.com staff 10/04/2025 9/30 -- Mets, Cubs victories kick off Wildcard round: Tyrone Taylor's 10th-inning solo homerun gave the Mets a 1-0 advantage in their series, and Shota Imanaga shut the Padres down over seven innings of work as the Mets and Cubs kicked off the postseason with a couple of thrilling victories. Taylor pushed the Mets over the Phillies by a 4-3 score with his leadoff solo homerun (remember, no 'ghost' runners in the postseason) in the top of the inning before Ryan Helsley picked up the save in the bottom of the inning. New York now just needs a win on Wednesday to clinch the series and move on to the NLDS. Making his first postseason start after appearing out of the bullpen with the Yankees in 2021, Clay Holmes allowed three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight with just a pair of walks. Gregory Soto got the final two outs of the seventh before Edwin Diaz pitched two innings, allowing a run with three strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Cubs jumped all over the Padres in the first few innings, taking a 6-1 lead after five innings. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-out, two-run homerun in the first, while Michael Busch padded the Cubs' lead with a two-run shot of his own, both coming against Nick Pivetta. The latter dinger chased Pivetta from the game after four-plus innings of work. San Diego would get an RBI single from Yoan Moncada in the seventh to cut the lead to four, before Jake Cronenworth's solo shot in the ninth would draw them even closer. But Daniel Palencia bore down and got the final out to give the Cubs the 1-0 series advantage and the chance to clinch tomorrow. 10/1 -- Both NL Wildcard series head to third game: Both the Phillies and Padres forced Game 3's in their respective series, as Philadelphia forced a third game on the strength of a couple of homeruns, one each from Max Kepler and rookie Aidan Miller, who is playing third base while Alec Bohm is still out with an oblique injury. Kepler's homerun was the deciding factor, as he broke a 3-3 tie with his one-out solo homerun. Philadelphia used just a pair of pitchers in the game, with Ranger Suarez going 7 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Matt Strahm came in with two outs in the eighth, and worked the ninth for the save. In the other game, down 2-0 heading into the ninth and needing a huge rally, San Diego managed exactly that with four runs in the inning and then holding on for dear life in the bottom of the inning to force a third game with a 4-2 win. Xander Bogaerts' two-run double tied the game at two before Freddy Fermin broke the tie two batters later with a two-run two-bagger of his own. Mason Miller worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for the save, striking out a pair of Cubs hitters along the way. 10/1 -- Mariners, Yankees take early AL Wildcard advantage: Eugenio Suarez homered in his first two at-bats, and Logan Gilbert held the Astros to just one run over seven innings as Seattle took the first game of their series with Houston by a 3-1 score. Suarez accounted for all three Mariners runs with a solo homerun in the first, followed by a two-run shot in the third. That's all that Gilbert would need, as he breezed through seven innings before giving way to closer Andres Munoz for the two-inning save. Munoz was dominant in his two frames of work, striking out five without walking a batter or giving up a hit. He also threw just twenty-four pitches, leaving him available for the potential series-clinching game on Wednesday. Carlos Correa's RBI single in the fourth was the only run that Houston could come up with. Making his first postseason start, Hunter Brown was tagged for eleven hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out five with no walks for Houston. In the nightcap on the AL side, the Yankees scored four runs in a flurry of offense in the fifth inning, with Trent Grisham leading off the inning with a solo shot. Two singles later, Austin Wells hit a three-run homerun to put the Bombers up four. That's all they would need as they took a 4-0 win to go up 1-0 in their series with the Blue Jays. With just eighty-nine pitches, Max Fried allowed just four hits over seven shutout innings, but was pulled after giving up two hits to lead off the eighth. David Bednar came on for the save in the eighth, getting out of the jam in that inning and pitching a scoreless ninth. Aside from the top three hitters in their order, going 4-for-12 in the game, the rest of the Toronto lineup went just 1-for-19 with six strikeouts and a walk. Andres Gimenez was the only hitter to collect more than one hit, going 2-for-4. Vlad Guerrero Jr's fourth-inning double was the only extra base hit in the game for the Jays. 10/2 -- Toronto forces Game 3; other Wildcard series come to a close: A nailbiter throughout on Wednesday, the Blue Jays held just a 3-1 lead heading into the top of the ninth. But they put up three runs in that inning to put the game out of reach, eventually taking a 6-2 victory in the Bronx. Daulton Varsho cranked a solo homerun to kick the scoring off in the second inning against Carlos Rodon. New York's defense betrayed them in this game, as errors by Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells in the fifth and seventh innings directly led to single Blue Jays' runs. The Yankees finally dented the scoreboard in the seventh with an RBI double from Jazz Chisholm, but the Jays' big inning in the ninth rendered the Yanks' rally in the ninth moot. With the Toronto win, they'll go to a third game on Thursday night for the right to move on to the ALDS against the Red Sox. The other three Divisional Series matchups are now set, with the Mariners and Detroit Tigers set to face off beginning on October 5th. On the NL ledger, the Cubs and top-seeded Brewers will face off on one side of the bracket, while the Dodgers and Phillies will square off on the other side. Seattle swept the Astros in two games after taking a 5-3 victory on Wednesday night, scoring all five of their runs in the second inning. Chicago advanced to face the Brewers after a 6-5 win over the Padres in the rubber match of their Wildcard series, while Philadelphia held on for a 2-1 win over the Mets to bounce them from the postseason. 10/3 -- Pirates agree to extension with outfielder: When the Pirates teased "BIG NEWS" on their Twitter account, many thought the team might be announcing an extension with Paul Skenes, or that they were hiring a new manager. However, it was a pretty solid consolation prize as it was announced that they were signing outfielder Oneil Cruz to a five-year extension. Cruz will earn a $2 million signing bonus on top of his $68 million base salary earned over the next five seasons. He'll make $4 million next year, $8 million in 2027; and after $12 million in 2028, the salaries really jump from there, nearly doubling in 2029 and 2030. The Pirates will be buying out two years of free agency at $22 million per year, giving him the highest yearly salary in team history at that point. The AAV of $14 million slightly exceeds the AAV of Bryan Reynolds' record-setting contract extension, which was at about $13.8 million when he signed his extension prior to the 2023 season. 10/3 -- Gausman, Blue Jays cruise to victory; will advance to ALDS: Behind seven strong innings from Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays won by a 5-3 score, taking two-of-three from the Yankees to advance to the ALDS against another divisional foe in the Boston Red Sox. The ALDS and NLDS series are now set with the Blue Jays' win. The two sides exchanged goose eggs through the first two innings, with Gausman and the well-traveled Kenta Maeda matching wits. Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the third thanks to RBI hits from Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk; and from there the Blue Jays never trailed. The Yankees would counter with a run in the bottom of the third on Austin Wells' solo homerun, but the Jays would always seemingly have a counter to keep New York at bay. Maeda came back out for the fifth inning, but a walk and a hit finally chased him from the game in favor of Jonathan Loaisiga. The Yanks' bullpen held fast until the eighth inning, when the Jays struck for a pair of runs that included a solo homerun from Addison Barger. The relatively quick playoff exit for the Yankees again has fueled speculation about manager Aaron Boone's job, but both GM Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner family have both come out and said that Boone will return in 2026. He's actually signed through the 2027 season, and will make $5 million next season, while earning $5.5 million the following year. "I don't pay attention to that (stuff)," he said. "It's a tough way to end the season, and it's well short of our goal...but we're already looking forward to next year and getting back here."