NLDS Upheaval: Phillies-Padres?
10/17/2022
By: Jeff Yoder
Phillies & Padres Advance to NLCS; Astros Sweep Mariners With 18-Inning Game 3; Yankees Force Game 5 Tonight
Three of the four Division series concluded over the weekend with a pair of NLDS surprises, but the Yankees and Guardians are heading to Game 5. Despite a 111-win season from the Dodgers and a return postseason visit from the defending champion Braves, both teams are going home via 3-1 upsets in the NLDS. It’s the Phillies and Padres who go head-to-head for the NL World Series bid. In the AL, the Astros completed a gutsy sweep over the Mariners, and a do-or-die Game 4 performance from the Yankees last night set the stage for Game 5 in the Bronx tonight (7:07 pm ET). Here’s everything that went down in the MLB Playoffs to get to where we are now.
Gm 4: Phillies def. Braves (8-3)
The defending champs have been defeated! After a major second-half surge to steal the NL East crown from the Mets, the Phillies have bounced the Braves in shocking fashion. Rhys Hoskins broke the series wide open in game 3 on Friday with a massive 3-run home run that set Philly fans ablaze. Philadelphia rode that momentum into game 4, as their bats stayed hot to take down Atlanta 8-3 to advance to their first NLCS since 2010. PHI Wins Series (3-1)
Gm 4: Padres def. Dodgers (5-3)
Another massive upset in the National League saw the Padres, who finished with 22 fewer wins in the regular season, rout the heavily favored Dodgers in four games. Game 4 was simply magical at Petco Park. After trailing 3-0, San Diego rattled off 5 runs in the seventh to take the lead. In the ninth, Josh Hader struck out Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman in succession to cap off the unthinkable upset. SD Wins Series (3-1)
Gm 3: Astros def. Mariners (1-0)
This may have been the most competitive sweep in MLB history, and game 3 was quite the exclamation point. Neither offense could get anything going for ages, literally. Both the Astros and Mariners went scoreless for about six and a half hours straight, until Jeremy Pena put Houston on the board in the 18th with a solo home run to center. The lone run was all that the ‘Stros needed, as ended Seattle’s cinderella run in the bottom half of the inning to advance to their sixth straight ALCS. HOU Wins Series (3-0)
Gm4: Yankees Def. Guardians (4-2)
After dropping Games 2 and 3 on Friday and Saturday, the Yankees turned back to their Game 1 hero with the season on the line Sunday in Cleveland. The Guardians swiped narrow wins to flip the series, but Gerrit Cole’s brilliance keeps the Bronx Bombers alive for one more night. Cole gave up just two runs in seven innings of work with eight Ks while the Yanks got early-inning run support via Harrison Bader’s two-run homer. The Astros await the winner of Game 5 tonight when Jameson Taillon and Aaron Civale take the mound. Series Tied (2-2)
MLB Playoff Schedule (Tonight)
ALDS Gm 5: Guardians at Yankees (7:07 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
Bleacher Report: NLCS Bracket 2022: TV Schedule, Early Odds, and Predictions
MLB.Com: 8 Wild Facts About the Astros-Mariners 18-inning Game 3 Nail-Biter
Photo: Drew Hallowell / Getty Images