It's time for a four-game Wednesday in the MLB playoffs!
With no sweeps in this October's division series round, all eight remaining teams will be in action for a pivotal round of MLB postseason action.
The schedule kicked off with the Detroit Tigers shutting out the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in a second consecutive game to take a 2-1 series lead in Motown. Elsewhere in the American League, the Kansas City Royals will also attempt to push the New York Yankees to the brink in Kansas City in their Game 3. In the National League, the New York Mets eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 -- and the San Diego Padres hope to knock out the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Dodgers.
We've got you covered with lineups, live updates and analysis as the games are played, followed by our takeaways after each final pitch.
Jump to: Lineups, matchups | Live updates | Takeaways
Live updates
Takeaways
Detroit Tigers 3, Cleveland Guardians 0
Tigers lead series 2-1
Game 3 at Comerica Park was historic in an unusual way -- the ALDS series between the Guardians and Tigers is now just the second in postseason history to feature a shutout in each of the first three games, according to ESPN Research. The latter two have gone Detroit's way, including Wednesday's 3-0 win. The Tigers used six different pitchers -- three came in mid-inning -- to produce their second consecutive shutout. Manager A.J. Hinch has been spot-on with almost every pitching move he has made this postseason, as evidenced by the fact that the Tigers are averaging 2.8 runs per game but are 4-1 so far. And they're doing it on the mound with essentially one star pitcher in Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, Cleveland is on a 20-inning postseason scoreless streak, a franchise record. It has put the Guardians in a hole in the series; they're now down 2-1 after taking a 1-0 lead over the weekend.
What to watch in Game 4: The Guardians have one thing going for them in Game 4 -- their hottest pitcher will take the ball in an elimination game for them. Tanner Bibee was outstanding in Game 1, even though he only went 4⅔ innings and had a 5-0 first-inning lead thanks to the offense. Nonetheless, Bibee looked great. Cleveland will have the pitching advantage on Thursday though Skubal looms for Game 5. But the Guardians have to get there first. -- Jesse Rogers
New York Mets 4, Philadelphia Phillies 1
New York wins series 3-1
You can hold down these Mets for only so long. The Mets loaded the bases twice in the first two innings of Game 4 against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez. They didn't score either time. The third time, against the Phillies' bullpen, was a different tale. With one out, Phillies manager Rob Thomson summoned his closer, Carlos Estevez, to face Francisco Lindor. Estevez's fourth pitch was a 99 mph fastball over the plate. Lindor smashed it into the visitors bullpen in right-center field for a go-ahead grand slam and his biggest hit as a Met. The blast ensured New York did not squander another strong start from left-hander Jose Quintana, who held Philadelphia to one run, two hits and two walks over five innings, and catapulted the Mets into the NLCS for the first time since 2015.
What's next: Now the Mets will wait to see if they're flying to San Diego or Los Angeles to continue this dream season.
The last time the Dodgers and Mets met, Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the crowd and the Mets called a players-only meeting after losing 15 of 19 games to fall 11 games under .500. That was May 29, and that day sparked New York's turnaround. Or was it Grimace throwing out the first pitch two weeks later? Who knows? But the Mets have been the best team in baseball since. The Dodgers posted the best record in baseball during the regular season. They have their star power in Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. But they also have significant questions. Freddie Freeman has been hampered by an ankle injury and the starting rotation is underwhelming. The Dodgers would have the bullpen advantage, but the Mets' lineup is deeper and their starting pitchers are more reliable. It would be an NLCS clash nobody would have expected at the end of May. But it might just happen.
Meanwhile, the Mets went 5-2 against the Padres during the regular season, sweeping them in a three-game series in New York in June and splitting a four-game set in San Diego in late August. Both clubs boast strong rotations and deep lineups. But the Padres would hold a significant edge in the bullpen department after adding Jason Adam and Tanner Scott at the trade deadline to strengthen the bridge to closer Robert Suarez. The Mets' pitching staff would have to figure out how to limit the white-hot Fernando Tatis Jr. But, then again, the Padres would have to figure out how to slow a team that continues defying expectations.
As for the Phillies, here is what is facing them as they head home early for the winter. -- Jorge Castillo
Today's matchups
* All times Eastern
New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals, 7:08 p.m.
Series tied 1-1
Pitching matchup: Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA) vs. Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.00 ERA)
Starting lineups:
Yankees
Gleyber Torres (R) 2B
Juan Soto (L) RF
Aaron Judge (R) CF
Austin Wells (L) C
Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 3B
Anthony Volpe (R) SS
Oswaldo Cabrera (S) 1B
Alex Verdugo (L) LF
Royals
Michael Massey (L) 2B
Bobby Witt Jr. (R) SS
Vinnie Pasquantino (L) DH
Salvador Perez (R) C
Yuli Gurriel (R) 1B
MJ Melendez (L) LF
Maikel Garcia (R) 3B
Adam Frazier (L) RF
Kyle Isbel (L) CF
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres, 9:08 p.m.
Padres lead series 2-1
Pitching matchup: Ryan Brasier (1-0, 7.71 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.47 ERA)
Starting lineups:
Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Mookie Betts (R) RF
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Teoscar Hernandez (R) LF
Max Muncy (L) 3B
Will Smith (R) C
Gavin Lux (L) 2B
Tommy Edman (S) SS
Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
Padres
Luis Arraez (L) 1B
Fernando Tatis Jr. (R) RF
Jurickson Profar (S) LF
Manny Machado (R) 3B
Jackson Merrill (L) CF
Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
David Peralta (L) DH
Jake Cronenworth (L) 2B
Kyle Higashioka (R) C