By Will Menser, Contributing Writer
The Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs are underway. Things started with the Wild Card games; in the National League (NL), the Chicago Cubs were knocked out in a 13-inning thriller against the Colorado Rockies, who then advanced to play the Milwaukee Brewers. In the American League (AL) Wild Card game, the New York Yankees routed the Oakland Athletics to advance and play the Boston Red Sox. The other two divisional matchups were the Cleveland Indians against the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Since then, three divisional series have been decided, while one is still underway. The Astros swept the Indians, scoring 21 runs in three games. The Brewers took down the Rockies in three games, mustering an extra inning 3-2 win in Game 1 and tossing back-to-back shutouts in the two subsequent contests. The Dodgers topped the Braves in four games to advance to their 13th NL Championship Series in team history, a mark that is tied for best in the MLB.
As for the other divisional matchup, the Red Sox and Yankees have been keeping the battles close. The Red Sox won Game 1 at home but struggled in Game 2 in a 6-2 loss to the Yankees. Boston prevailed in Game 3, jumping out to a 10-1 lead the team wouldn’t relinquish. The Yankees will be at home for Game 4 with their backs against the wall.
The League Championships loom, and four teams are World Series hopefuls. The Astros await the winner of Boston vs. New York on the American League side while the National League has the Brewers and Dodgers. If Boston can find a way to steal another one away from the Yankees, the Red Sox will appear in the next round, finalizing what will surely be an exciting stretch of October baseball.
