The 2024 MLB Division Round

The Division round began last Saturday with all eight teams playing. The Mets continued their late-inning heroics. They had been blanked for seven inings by the Phillies superstar, Zach Wheeler, who allowed only one hit in the seven innings, and had enticed an incredible total of 30 swings and misses in his 111 pitches. The Mets' pitchers were almost as good, allowing only a leadoff homer to Kyle Schwarber. Then the Mets exploded for five runs in the 8th against the Phillies' relievers, and ended up with a 6-2 victory.

In the other games, the Padres lost to the Dodgers, the Royals lost to the Yankees, in a topsy-turvy game which saw the most lead changes (five) ever in a post-season game, and the Guardians shut out the Tigers.

Sunday saw the NL teams playing, wih the AL teams resting. The Padres evened their series by smashing the Dodgers 10-2, hitting six homers, two by Tatis.

The real drama on Sunday was again with the Mets-Phillies game, a game which Kyle Schwarber called "one of the greatest games I've ever played in". The Mets were up 3-0 in the 6th inning, but the Phillies tied it up on back-to-back homers from Harper and Castellanos, lending credence to the modern theory that a starter should not be allowed to go through a lineup a third time. The Mets responded with a go-ahead homer in the top of the 7th to make it 4-3. The Phillies went ahead with three runs in the 8th, but then the Mets tied it at 6 in the top of the 9th, setting it up for a walk-off hit by Nick Castellanos in the bottom of the 9th. Wow, what a game!

On Monday the Royals beat the Yankees and the Tigers beat the Guardians, leaving all three series tied at 1-1.

The four series played themselves out with the Yankees and Mets prevailing in four games, and the Dodgers and Guardians winning in five.