Oct. 3 (UPI) — The Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals each swept their way through Wild Card Series to advance to the second round of the 2024 MLB playoffs and move just seven wins shy of World Series appearances.
The trio, which completed two-game series sweeps Wednesday, will join the No. 2 Cleveland Guardians, No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 1 New York Yankees — who earned first-round byes for respective best-of-five format second-round meetings.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who also earned a first-round bye, await the winner of the New York Mets-Milwaukee Brewers series. That best-of-three format National League Wild Card Series is tied 1-1.
The Tigers, who own the No. 6 seed in the American League, advanced with a 5-2 series-clinching Game 2 triumph over the No. 3 Houston Astros on Wednesday in Houston. They used seven pitchers, who allowed five hits and two runs over nine innings.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the eighth inning, pinch hitter Andy Ibanez smacked a three-run double to fuel the Tigers victory. Center fielder Parker Meadows recorded a 358-foot solo homer for the Tigers.
“This is how we’ve done it all year,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. “This isn’t a different style because we’re in the playoffs or chasing a win.”
The Tigers will meet the Guardians in Game 1 of an American League Division Series at 1:08 p.m. EDT Saturday in Cleveland. That game will air on TBS.
Later Wednesday, star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. helped the Royals beat the No. 4 Baltimore Orioles with a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the sixth inning in Baltimore. Witt went 2 for 5 in the 2-1 win. Royals starter Seth Lugo allowed five hits and one run over 4 1/3 innings.
Designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino drove in the Royals’ other run with a first-inning RBI single.
The Royals will play the top-seeded Yankees in Game 1 of the other American League Division Series at 6:38 p.m. Saturday in New York. That game also will air on TBS.
The Padres were the final team to advance out of Wednesday’s slate of first-round games. They trailed the No. 5 Atlanta Braves 1-0 entering the bottom of the second, but then recorded all five of their runs in the half inning and never looked back in the 5-4 win in San Diego.
Catcher Kyle Higashioka stoked that explosion with a 376-foot solo homer. Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Jurickson Profar singled in the next three at-bats.
Manny Machado plated Arraez and Tatis with a double on the next pitch. Jackson Merrill followed with a two-run triple for the Padres’ final runs of the night.
Padres starter Joe Musgrove allowed one hit and one run over 3 2/3 innings. The Padres bullpen allowed three runs and five hits over the final 5 1/3 to seal the victory.
The Padres will meet the Dodgers, the top seed in the National League, in Game 1 of a National League Division Series at 8:38 p.m. Saturday in Los Angeles. That game will air on FS1.
Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell helped the Brewers stave off elimination with two clutch home runs in the only other game of Wednesday’s slate.
The Brewers trailed the Mets 3-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning of the 5-3 victory in Milwaukee. Chourio started the rally with a 398-foot solo shot in the first at-bat of the half inning. Mitchell ripped a 390-foot, two-run laser to center field four at-bats later to give the Brewers the late lead.
Brewers closer Devin Williams retired the Mets in order in the top of the ninth to cement the triumph, which tied the Wild Card Series 1-1 and forced a decisive third game.
That matchup will be at 7:08 p.m. Thursday in Milwaukee and will air on ESPN. The winner will meet the No. 2 Phillies in Game 1 of a National League Division Series at 4:08 p.m. Saturday in Philadelphia. That series opener will air on Fox.
The best-of-seven game National League Championship Series will start Oct. 13 at the higher-seeded team’s stadium. Game 1 of the American League Championship Series will be Oct. 14 at the higher-seeded team’s stadium.
Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled Oct. 25 at the higher-seeded team’s stadium. That best-of-seven game series could run through Nov. 2.
