Wild Card Wednesday Delivers Upsets and Drama
The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies turned a potential elimination into a winner‑take‑all Game 3 after a 10th‑inning homer by Alec Bohm.
Bryce Harper misplayed a ball in the seventh, allowing two Braves runs to score, but Harper and Schwarber answered with back‑to‑back homers in the eighth to tie the game.
Bohm’s 10th‑inning blast sealed a 5‑4 Phillies victory and forced a decisive Game 3 on Thursday.
White Sox Advance After Astros Collapse
Houston starter Hunter Brown exited after 36 pitches, surrendering five hits, four runs and two errors as the Chicago White Sox built a 4‑0 lead.
Chicago’s strikeout‑heavy lineup added 13 whiffs but rallied with a three‑run homer by Chase Meidroth in the sixth.
Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde combined for four innings to close the game, sending the White Sox to an ALDS showdown with division rival Cleveland.
Yankees Crush Red Sox, Set Up Rays ALDS
New York took a 2‑1 lead into the sixth inning of Game 2 against Boston, but the Red Sox imploded.
Garrett Crochet, returning from a late‑April absence, gave up a strikeout‑induced stolen base, a throwing error and a bunt single before being removed.
Cody Bellinger’s three‑run homer on a 1‑0 changeup extended the lead to 8‑1, and New York finished with a 9‑2 win.
Murakami’s Clubhouse Quote Sparks Laughter
White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami answered a postgame question with “100,” then added, “I’m drunk, I’m drunk. Yesterday, maybe hungover, you know?”
When corrected, he replied, “No, not yesterday, tomorrow. Sorry, I don’t speak English,” drawing smiles in the clubhouse.
Power Plays Define October
Analysts note that home runs, not small ball, are deciding the Wild Card series, as Chicago’s homers and Bellinger’s blast created decisive margins.
Even without Aaron Judge, the Yankees outscored Boston 17‑2, underscoring the depth of their lineup.
With two days off before the ALDS, New York will start Max Fried or Gerrit Cole in Game 1 against Tampa Bay, while the White Sox, Guardians and Rays prepare for matchups that could reshape the playoff picture.
Despite low payroll rankings—Chicago 28th, Cleveland 25th, Tampa Bay 26th—the three remaining AL teams retain hope of advancing to the World Series.
Saturday’s games in Cleveland and Tampa promise more excitement as MLB’s postseason intensifies.
Ian Miller is a writer at OutKick.
