The second day of the 2024 MLB postseason was the first day of possible eliminations, thanks to the best-of-three format in the wild-card round.
The Tigers, Royals, Mets and Padres all took a huge step toward the Division Series with Game 1 wins on Tuesday, and they were looking to get an extra day's rest ahead of the Division Series, which get started on Saturday.
The Tigers and Royals started the day with a sweep each, ending the seasons of the Astros and Orioles to advance to the ALDS. On the NL side, the Brewers became the first team to force a Game 3 in the wild-card round with a thrilling win over the Mets. The Padres then closed out the night with a third sweep, defeating the Braves.
Padres 5, Braves 4
The Padres looked like they were going to cruise to a sweep after a dominant start Wednesday, but it just wasn't that easy.
The Padres, who put up five runs in the second on a Kyle Higashioka home run and two-RBI hits from Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, held on down the stretch to claim a 5-4 win in Game 2 of their wild-card series. They had to fend off a late push from the Braves, who came within a run in the eighth on a two-run shot from Michael Harris, but that was as close as the Braves got.
The Padres, with the third sweep of the day, advance to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Brewers 5, Mets 3
Last year's wild-card round consisted of four sweeps. The first two series of this year ended in sweeps (see below).
Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell ensured that the Brewers didn't meet a similar fate. Chourio hit a leadoff home run, and then, with the Brewers down 3-2 in the eighth inning, he tied the game. A few batters later, Garrett Mitchell came through with a two-run homer to put his team on top in a 5-3 win.
The Brewers and Mets will meet in a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday in Milwaukee.
Royals 2, Orioles 1
The Royals scored three runs total in the wild-card series and swept the Orioles.
After taking Game 1 with a 1-0 win, the Royals again showcased their impressive pitching staff in a 2-1 victory to complete a sweep in Baltimore. The scoring: singles from Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. to offset a Cedric Mullins homer.
The game was arguably decided in the fifth inning, when the Orioles got on the board with the Mullins homer, then loaded the bases with no outs against Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo. Kansas City brought in Angel Zerpa, who struck out Colton Cowser and got an Adley Rutschman groundout to keep the game tied.
The Tigers struck first, with a Parker Meadows solo home run in the sixth inning, then survived a two-run Astros comeback in the seventh and broke out in the eighth to secure the win. After a series of missteps by Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader, Andy Ibáñez played the hero for Detroit with a bases-clearing double that gave the Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Astros' elimination snaps their streak of seven straight ALCS appearances. The Tigers, meanwhile, have their first playoff series victory since 2013.
The Padres hang on to grab a one-run win and complete the sweep. The Braves, who snuck into the playoffs with their win in a doubleheader on Monday, will head home.
Though the Braves put two on base in the inning, Tanner Scott came in to get the Padres out of the inning without any damage. Their 5-2 lead holds as we go to the bottom of the sixth.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: Brewers stave off elimination with 5-3 win
The first two wild-card series ended in sweeps. This one will not. Behind clutch home runs from Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell, the Brewers tie the series 1-1 and force a Game 3 on Thursday.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: The Mets threw the one pitch you're not supposed to throw to Garrett Mitchell
Garrett Mitchell's xSLG on four-seamers this season: .366
Sliders: .233
Sinkers: .192
Changeups: .280
Curveballs: .661
You can probably guess which pitch Mets reliever Phil Maton threw to Mitchell on that homer.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: Brewers take 5-3 lead on Garrett Mitchell HR
Garrett Mitchell blows the roof off American Family Field with a two-run homer to take the lead. This is playoff baseball.
Until Jackson Chourio tonight, only one player had hit multiple home runs in a postseason game before his 21st birthday: Andruw Jones in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series.
After a 1-2-3 seventh inning, the Brewers have six outs left to save their season.
Ryan Young
ATL-SD: Padres pulling Musgrove
Joe Musgrove's day is done. He's leaving the game with a trainer due to an apparent elbow injury. Bryan Hoeing will replace him now in the fourth.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: Brewers escape bases-loaded jam
The Mets had runners on second and third with two outs, then the bases loaded after an intentional walk of Francisco Lindor. The gamble paid off with a Joel Payamps strikeout of Jose Iglesias
Ryan Young
NYM-MIL: Brewers get one back
The Brewers cut into the deficit there in the fifth after a sac fly from Blake Perkins. The Mets lead 3-2 now headed into the sixth.
Make that two more for the Padres after a triple from Jackson Merrill that made it all the way to the center field wall. San Diego has completely broken this game open.
After Higashioka's home run, the Padres quickly loaded up the bases to set up a two RBI double from Manny Machado. That marked the fifth-straight two-out hit for San Diego.
After that first-inning Jackson Chourio homer, the Mets starter is going strong. He's at four innings, five hits, one earned run, no walks and four strikeouts on 68 pitches. Like Luis Severino in Game 1, any length for the Mets bullpen is good given how little time they've had off compared to their competition.
Ryan Young
ATL-SD: Braves escape
After letting the Padres load up the bases, Freid and the Braves somehow managed to escape without giving up a run.
They lead 1-0 now after the first.
Ryan Young
ATL-SD: Padres load up bases immediately
This isn't going well for Max Fried and the Braves. He's just seven pitches in, and the Padres have already loaded up the bases.
With a runner on second and two outs, the Brewers are pulling starting pitcher Frankie Montas for Trevor Megill. Montas' line: 3.2 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (one earned), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts on 60 pitches. He's still responsible for the runner on second.
Ryan Young
ATL-SD: Braves 1, Padres 0
The Braves strike first. After a double from Michael Harris to open the night, Marcell Ozuna hit him with a perfect sac fly to put Atlanta up 1-0.
The final game of the night is now underway. Joe Musgrove is on the mound for San Diego to try and close the series out for the Padres, while Max Fried is getting the start for Atlanta.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: Brewers fall short in the third inning
Milwaukee got a pair of baseunners with one out against Sean Manaea, but a William Contreras strikeout and Willy Adames flyout ends the inning.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: Francisco Lindor delivers a web gem
The Mets shortstop made a heck of a play to throw out Brewers rookie Sal Frelick by a fraction of a second.
NYM-MIL: Frankie Montas ends the 2nd inning, but he's struggled
Montas has allowed seven of his first 12 batters to reach base. Could be shaping up to be a de factor bullpen game for Milwaukee.
Jack Baer
NYM-MIL: Mets take another lead after Brewers error
Starling Marte reached base after Brewers pitcher Frankie Montas fumbled a throw to first, took third on a Tyrone Taylor single and scored on a Francisco Alvarez single. Then Francisco Lindor scores Taylor on a sac fly. It's 3-1 Mets.
The youngest player in MLB is having himself a series. After multiple RBI hits in Game 1, Jackson Chourio hits his first career playoff home run off Sean Manaea to the game 1-1.
NYM-MIL: Brewers end the inning on a Pete Alonso trip
The Brewers escape the first via Pete Alonso, who hit a double-play ball, then tripped over his bat running to first. Two easy outs, and to the bottom of the first we go.
Ryan Young
NYM-MKE: Mets up 1-0 early
Brandon Nimmo gets the Mets on the board right away with a quick RBI single into right field.
The Royals scored three runs total this series. It was enough, thanks to an excellent pitching staff and some timely hitting. The Orioles' season is over.
The Mets and Brewers are officially underway at American Family Field. Sean Manaea is on the mound for the Mets to try and end the series early, and Frankie Montas will get the start for the Brewers.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: No insurance runs for the Royals
The Royals will enter the bottom of the ninth with a 2-1 lead after going down in order. In comes Lucas Erceg to face Cedric Mullins, Ramón Urías and Gunnar Henderson.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: One more inning for the Orioles to make something happen
The Orioles are coming down to their last three outs. A not-insignificant part of the eighth inning: Austin Slater's two-out single means Gunnar Henderson is guaranteed an at-bat in the ninth.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: Another scoreless inning for Orioles
Anthony Santander hit a ball just shy of the warning track after a Jordan Westburg walk, but no further. The Orioles are now down 2-1 with two more innings to save their season.
KC-BAL: Colton Cowser out of the game with left hand pain
Colton Cowser is out of the game an inning after he took a pitch to the hand (and struck out). After a scoreless sixth, the Orioles are three innings away from that being his last at-bat of the season.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: Yennier Cano ends the inning with the bases loaded
Cano allowed a go-ahead single and walked Vinnie Pasquantino to load the bases, but he strikes out Salvador Perez to end the threat. Still 2-1 Royals, and the Orioles have four innings to save their season.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: Bobby Witt Jr. outruns the throw for the lead
Witt hits a grounder up the middle, which Jordan Westburg makes a great play on, but the speedy Witt juuuust outruns the throw to first for an RBI single. It's 2-1 Royals in the top of the sixth.
KC-BAL: Orioles go for their second pitching change of the inning
The Orioles brought in Cionel Perez with one out in the sixth inning, then brought in Yennier Cano after Perez allowed runners on the corners. Cano will face Bobby Witt Jr. with two outs.
Also worth noting: the Orioles had a trained visit Colton Cowser and had him play catch during the pitching change. Cowser took that pitch to the hands last inning, but is staying in.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: The Royals escape a bases-loaded, no-out jam
Rutschsman pulls a hard grounder, but Bobby Witt Jr. makes a great play and throws out the catcher. It is somehow still tied, and the Royals breathe a sigh of relief.
KC-BAL: Colton Cowser gets hit by a pitch ... and strikes out
With a 1-2 count, Colton Cowser swings at a way inside pitch and takes it on his hands. That's a strikeout, and only the beginning of the pain for the rookie.
That's two outs, and it will come down to Adley Rutschman.
That's one out for the Royals via an Anthony Santander pop-out (Santander wasn't happy when he saw where the ball went) and that will be it for Lugo. He will leave the game responsible for all three baserunners.
In comes Angel Zerpa.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: Orioles load the bases
It got real for Kansas City in a hurry. After the Mullins HR, Ramón Urías and Gunnar Henderson both reach base, then Lugo bobbles a potential double-play ball from Jordan Westburg. The O's have the bases loaded with no outs in a 1-1 game.
Jack Baer
KC-BAL: Cedric Mullins ties it for the Orioles
Cedric Mullins, at home plate, with the wood off a Lugo four-seamer. He worked the count full after falling behind 0-2 then crushed one 398 feet to right field. It's the first Orioles run of the series.
It was an incredible year in sports, which means 2024 saw a plethora of iconic images from around the world that captured the biggest moments from the Olympics, the Super Bowl and much more. Check out 10 of the best below: