During this time of year, most people are looking forward to Halloween, and fall weather. As for baseball fans, they are excited for the up-and-coming World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Since April, all 30 MLB teams have been battling for a chance to land in the playoffs. Out of those teams, just 14 advanced to the playoffs.
On October 1st, the playoffs began with the AL and NL Wildcard games. The Tigers beat the Astros 3 to 1, The Royals beat the Orioles 1 to 0, the Mets beat the Brewers 8 to 4, and the Padres beat the Braves 4 to 0. On October 3rd, the last Wildcard game was played, and the four teams that advanced were the Royals, Tigers, Padres, and Mets.
Following the wild card games, the stress and excitement of the playoffs began on October 5th, when the division series kicked off. Eight teams now remained, all fighting for a spot in their conferences championship series. The Guardians were set to play the Tigers, the Yankees were playing the Royals, the Mets were playing the Phillies, and the Dodgers were playing the Padres. The Yankees and the Mets made quick work of their opponents in just 4 games, leading to them advancing to their conferences championship. “The ALDS series gave me tons of confidence in the Mets ability to win high pressure games,” said Jack Martin ‘27. The Dodgers-Padres series was more evenly matched, as they went on to a game five where the Dodgers edged it out 2-0 after solo home runs from Teoscar Hernandez and Kike Hernandez. After a go-ahead grand slam from Lane Thomas, the Guardians never looked back, beating the Tigers 7-3. With all four series coming to an end, the stage was set for the NLCS, and the ALCS.
For New York sports fans, these championship series games were a dream come true. Both the Mets and the Yankees had an opportunity to advance to the World Series for the first time in 24 years. After a depressing 9-0 loss in game one, Mets fans were beginning to think that their “Cinderella story” playoffs may be coming to an end. Fortunately for mets fans, the Mets are considered to be one of the most resilient teams in baseball.
After a lead-off home run from Fransico Lindor, and a grand slam from Mark Vientos, the Mets took game two. With hopes and aspirations high, the Mets flew back to New York with the series tied at 1-1. Sadly for mets fans, the Dodgers star-studded line up with big names including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman were just simply too good. They ended up taking the next two games by scoring a combined 18 runs. Game 5 was a huge game for the Mets that showed just how much fight this team has. After it seemed as though all hopes were lost, the Mets were able to beat the Dodgers 12-5. Pete Alonso hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 1st which set the tone for the rest of the game. Game 6 was played back in LA, and unfortunately the Mets’ season finally came to an end after losing 10-5.
The Mets’ season was truly an underdog story after they started the season 0-5 and played at a nearly .500 record during the duration of the regular season. Their postseason was disappointing as they did not end up making the World Series, but making the NLCS was impressive nonetheless.
The New York Yankees season can best be summed up as a rollercoaster full of high moments and low moments. The Yankees started their season off winning 14 of their first 20 games. They were leading the American League and Yankee fans had high expectations for what this team was capable of.
The Yankees were playing hot until July, when they ended up having their worst month, losing 16 of 22 games. Their relief pitching started to slide, and they were not able to put up runs. This rough stretch of the summer put a massive dent in the Yankees’ confidence, and ended up affecting their play for the test of the year. Thanks to their hot start, the Yankees were able to make the playoffs as the top seed in the AL. After making quick work of the Royals, the Yankees advanced to the ALCS, where they were set to face the Guardians.
Game one was a massive game that set the tone for the rest of the series. As they were the top seed, the first game was played in the Bronx, which gave the Yankees an advantage. Carlos Rodon pitched a very impressive game, holding the Guardians to just two runs in six innings. Soto and Stanton were both swinging a hot bat which helped propel the Yankees to a 1-0 lead in the ALCS. Game 2 was also a smooth victory for the Yankees after Judge hit a massive home run that broke open the game. Games 3, 4, and 5 were all set to be played in Cleveland. Game 3 was an extremely disappointing game for Yankee fans after David Fry hit a walk-off home run off of Clay Holmes to make the series 2-1. Game 4 came down to the wire, and luckily after a great save by Yankee relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle, the Yankees were able to take the game, 8-6, making the series 3-1. Game 5 of the ALCS ended up being a game that Yankee fans have been fantasizing about for over a decade. After a massive go-ahead run from Juan Soto, the Yankees won 5-2, which set the stage for the World Series.
Patrick Carlisle ‘27 sums up what every Yankee fan has been feeling, “The Yankees’ postseason has been fun to watch, and I am excited to watch the World Series since it’s the first time in my lifetime that I am actually going to get to watch the Yankees in the World Series.” The New York Yankees are set to play in the World Series for the first time since 2009 and they will be matched up against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Coast vs coast rivalry.
