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MLB InsidersESPN
It's win or go home time across the MLB playoffs Thursday on a day that could see as many as four teams sent packing -- or set the stage for a wild Friday of winner-take-all matchups.
From the day's opening Cincinnati Reds-Atlanta Braves matchup to the late-night Milwaukee Brewers-Los Angeles Dodgers Game 2 in L.A., here are the heroes, turning points and takeaways from each of Thursday's games.
Jump to ... CIN at ATL | CHW at OAK
0:35
Marcell Ozuna tacks on two insurance runs for the Braves heading into the ninth inning with a homer off Raisel Iglesias.
Atlanta Braves 5, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game 2 hero: Ian Anderson sparkled in his postseason debut, striking out nine in six sharp innings while adding to the Reds' offensive woes with every K.
What it means: The Reds were the favorite "upset" pick of the first round due to the strength of their starting pitching, but now we know why Trevor Bauer and Luis Castillo went a combined 9-10 this year -- the Reds don't hit, and they especially don't hit away from cozy Great American Ballpark. Bauer and Castillo allowed just one run over their outings, but that's one more than the Reds scored in two games. (You would think getting shut out in consecutive postseason games is rare, but it happened to both the Rockies and Braves in the 2018 division series.) The Reds had just one extra-base hit in the two games.
Credit the Atlanta pitching, however. In Game 2, rookie Ian Anderson looked every bit as dominant as he did during his six regular-season starts, when he posted a 1.95 ERA and allowed just one home run in 32⅓ innings. The right-hander threw 17 first-pitch strikes to the 22 batters he faced, but what was impressive is that he wasn't just pounding fastballs. Of those 22 first pitches, nine were four-seam fastballs, 12 were curveballs and one was a changeup. Anderson is just 22, but pitched with the command and poise of a seasoned veteran. We know the depth of the Braves' rotation is a problem and that will get tested in the next round, but Max Fried and Anderson look like a formidable one-two punch and they have a deep bullpen to chew up innings when the back of the rotation does start. -- David Schoenfield
Next up: The Braves will face either the Cubs or Marlins in the National League Division Series, but must wait an extra day to find out after Thursday's Cubs-Marlins game was postponed due to weather.
The Reds head to the offseason with some major questions to answer about their lineup struggles.
0:45
Chad Pinder drives in two as he slaps a single to center field to plate Sean Murphy and Marcus Semien to give the A's a 6-4 lead over the White Sox.
Oakland A's 6, Chicago White Sox 4
Game 3 hero: The Athletics got contributions from most of their roster on Thursday, but it was Chad Pinder's two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fifth that capped Oakland's comeback from an early 3-0 deficit. That put the A's ahead 6-4, and with the mighty Oakland bullpen wriggling out of one Chicago rally after another, Pinder's timely blow gave the relievers the kind of lead they've preserved all season.
What it means: Chicago's plan could have worked, and there might have not been a better option. Luck worked against the plan, to some extent. Still, while good results can follow from a bad design, a bad design is not something you strive for, especially in the postseason. The Chicago approach seemed to be to pull a pitcher as soon as he encountered trouble, beginning with replacing starter Dane Dunning in the first after he'd faced four batters. The problem is, that started a never-ending turnstile of pitching changes that pushed the outer bounds of Chicago's bullpen depth and set up a battle royale of relief pitching that in most cases is going to favor Oakland.
Still, it could have worked. Rookie phenom Garrett Crochet had to exit after replacing Dunning and striking out the only two batters he faced, going down with what was termed a forearm strain. After the game, White Sox manager Rick Renteria said the plan was try to get Crochet through at least two more innings. At the plate, Chicago's hitters got runners on against that mighty A's bullpen throughout, often setting the plate for the heart of the order. But the White Sox never got the big, late-inning hit that might have saved their season and made everyone forget the bullpen's struggles. The biggest disappointment was when MVP candidate Jose Abreu rolled into a double play with two on to end the eighth. That's a matchup you like, no matter who is on the mound. Still, if you're a Sox fan, you're going to fixate on the bullpen. Eight walks and six runs parsed out over a parade of largely faceless firemen -- too many faceless firemen.
But if you're an A's fan, you rejoice. It was a tight, tense game, the type of which a club has to survive over and over to play deep into October. It was the type of game the Athletics had not survived this century, over a span of a record nine consecutive losses in winner-take-all games. With a deep, versatile roster, one of the game's best bullpens and a lineup of boppers who can provide the big blow that decides so many tight playoff games, this ought to be the right kind of team for this kind of playoff setup. -- Bradford Doolittle
Next up: Oakland will begin a best-of-five division series against the Houston Astros on Monday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the young White Sox head home with some questions to answer after losing the first winner-take-all matchup in franchise history.
More Thursday games:
Game 2: Cardinals at Padres, live on ESPN
Game 2: Brewers at Dodgers, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN
Note: Marlins at Cubs postponed to Friday due to weather.
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October 02, 2020 at 06:00AM
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