2022 MLB Postseason- Division Series Review & Championship Series Preview

After being absolutely abysmal during the Wild Card round with my picks, guessing each winner and the number of games wrong for all four series, I finally managed to get one right. While I was only 1/4 with the series winners, I at least predicted the Cleveland/New York series would go five games. Each league played out very differently. The American League was straightforward, with the higher seed winning, while the National League saw two huge four-game upsets, sending two more 100+-win teams home for the winter. It sets up an interesting dynamic for both the championship series that will carry into a David v. Goliath World Series regardless of who wins the ALCS and NLCS. 

American League

Houston Astros defeat the Seattle Mariners, 3-0

Game 1- Houston's first action in the postseason was more of a rude awakening than anything. Ace Justin Verlander took the mound for the Astros and the Mariners weren't phased at all. They jumped on Verlander for six runs in four innings as the Cy Young candidate was chased from the game early. Everyone in the Seattle lineup seemed to find their groove and they led 7-3 through seven innings. Alex Bregman would make the game a little tighter with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth as they turned the game over to Paul Sewald to try and close things out. He would allow two hits but got two outs to bring Seattle one out away from closing things out and the winning run stepping to the plate. With Yordan Alvarez stepping up, Robbie Ray was called from the bullpen to try and get the final out. That's not quite how things would end up going. Alvarez drove a pitch into the stands, giving the Astros the comeback victory and the series lead. 

Game 2- Things were a little bit tamer in the second game, but it would require another comeback for the Astros, this time of the smaller variety. Kyle Tucker gave the Astros an early lead with a home run in the second inning. Seattle would respond with two runs in the fourth inning off of Framber Valdez to take a 2-1 lead. Luis Castillo looked like he was rolling for the Mariners through five innings. He entered the sixth inning and faced a familiar problem. Yordan Alvarez smoked his second home run of the series, this time worth two runs, to regain the lead for the Astros. Houston would add one more run late in the game to secure a 4-2 victory and put the Mariners on the brink of elimination after allowing just five hits. 

Game 3- Seattle and Houston saw what the Rays and Guardians did during the Wild Card round and said "Hold my beer". With playoff baseball returning the Seattle for the first time in over two decades, the fans were treated to some history. Lance McCullers Jr and George Kirby went toe-to-toe with each lineup, refusing to break and allow a run. As the innings passed and no runs were scored, fans everywhere started to have a familiar feeling after last weekend. Where that came ended in the 15th inning with a walk-off home run, this game went even further. Nothing in the 15th. Still scoreless in the 16th. Nothing happening in the 17th. Jeremy Pena stepped up to start the top of the 18th and decided that enough was enough. He sent the pitch from Penn Murfee over the wall in left-center field to break the tie and put Houston three outs away from another series victory. Luis Garcia, in his fifth inning of work, set down the Mariners in order to end their run and send the Astros to the ALCS for the sixth season in a row. 

Series MVP- Yordan Alvarez (4-15, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR (both game-winners), 7 RBI)

New York Yankees defeat the Cleveland Guardians, 3-2

Game 1- It was business as usual for Gerrit Cole when he took the mound in Game 1. The Yankees ace threw 6.1 innings in the first game, allowing just one run and four hits while striking out eight. Steven Kwan and Harrison Bader got their teams on the board in the third inning with solo home runs during their team's respective at-bats. After that, the Yankees took control. A sacrifice fly from Jose Trevino in the fifth and a two-run home run in the sixth from Anthony Rizzo put the Yankees ahead for good, anchored by Cole's strong start and got the Yankees off on the right foot. 

Game 2- The Yankees got started early in the first inning against Shane Bieber as Giancarlo Stanton took him deep for two runs. From there, Bieber wouldn't allow much else. He and Nestor Cortes Jr held the opposing offenses to just two runs with similar stat lines, though Bieber struck out more Guardians. Amed Rosario's solo home run to tie things in the top of the fifth would be the final offense after nine innings, giving us free baseball in Game 2. Unlike waiting for 15 innings like in their last Game 2, the Guardians broke the tie quickly in the 10th on RBI hits from Oscar Gonzalez and Josh Naylor. Emmanuel Clase would close things out in the 10th to tie the series as the Guardians won their second extra innings game of the postseason. 

Game 3- Cleveland responded to New York's hot start in Game 2 by getting off to one of their own with the series returning to Progressive Field. Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan recorded RBI hits in the first two innings to give the crowd some good feelings. After that, the Yankees stormed back hard. Aaron Judge broke out of his slump with a two-run home run in the third and Oswaldo Cabrera added a two-home shot of his own in the fifth to take the lead. After Cleveland got one back in the sixth, Harrison Bader homered for the second time in the series to regain the two-run lead. Hope was running low for Cleveland as they look destined to go down 2-1 in the series. After getting the first out of the ninth, the Guardians got back-to-back hits to put runners on the corners with one out. Amed Rosario got one through the infield to bring home a run and with the bases loaded a few batters later, Oscar Gonzalez send one back up the middle, scoring two, and securing the comeback win to put the Yankees on the verge of another early summer.

Game 4- When you're facing elimination, it's never a bad thing to have Gerrit Cole going. Much like his good start in Game 1, Cole was even better this time around, going seven innings, striking out eight, and allowing just two runs. The Yankees would get all the offense they'd need in the first two innings, capped by a two-run home run from Harrison Bader in the second, his third of the series. For the second time in the series, Cal Quantrill was unable to beat Cole despite not having a terrible start. For everything the Yankees did, the night will likely be remembered for Josh Naylor hitting a home run to bring Cleveland back within one and rocking the baby while going around the bases. Cole seemed unphased by the act during his postgame press conference and he'd get the last laugh as the Yankees forced a winner-take-all game in New York. 

Game 5- The weather didn't want to cooperate as Game 5 was postponed a day, but a winner was crowned. Just like in the other games of this series, the Yankees got going early. Giancarlo Stanton's three-run home run in the first inning and Aaron Judge's solo home run in the second game the Yankees a very early 4-0 lead with their season on the line. Nestor Cortes Jr put together another great start for the Yankees, giving them five strong innings and allowing one run. There would be no comeback for the Guardians as the Yankees took the win 5-1 and the series 3-2 to return to the ALCS.  

Series MVP- Gerrit Cole (2-0, 13.1 innings, 10 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 16 K)

National League

San Diego Padres defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1

Game 1- Playing for the first time in about a week, the Dodgers didn't seem to have any rust. Trea Turner launched a solo home run in the first inning and after three innings the Dodgers were up 5-0. The Padres, who surprised many people with their Wild Card victory over the Mets, weren't going to roll over. A solo home run from Wil Myers to open the fifth inning sparked a three-run inning for the team, bringing them within two runs with plenty of time left. After five strong innings from Julio Urias, the bullpen from the Dodgers took over and pitched four scoreless innings to give them the win and a 1-0 lead in the series. 

Game 2- San Diego wasted no time getting into Game 2. Manny Machado blasted a solo home run with two outs in the first inning to give the Padres their first lead of the series. The Dodgers met that with solo home runs of their own in the first two periods from Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy off of Yu Darvish. Even after the Padres re-took the lead in the top of the third inning, Trea Turner responded with his second home run of the series. The Padres would take their third lead of the night on a single from Jurickson Profar in the sixth inning and when Jake Cronenworth added a solo home run in the eighth, the Padres would shut things down to even the series.

Game 3- It turns out that two runs were enough for the Padres in Game 3 as the series made its way to San Diego. Jake Cronenworth kept his momentum going with an RBI single in the bottom of the first innings and Trent Grisham found his magic from the Wild Card round, taking Andrew Heaney deep in the fourth inning for his third home run of the postseason. The story of the night would be the pitching from San Diego, led by 5.1 innings from Blake Snell. His lone blemish was a sacrifice fly from Mookie Betts in the fifth inning and the bullpen was nearly perfect for the final 4.2, allowing just one hit as the Padres took the series lead. 

Game 4- With their backs against the wall, the Dodgers came out hotter out of the gates. Freddie Freeman got the scoring started with a two-run double in the third inning to help aid a solid start from Tyler Anderson. The Dodgers' starter went five innings and put Los Angeles in a great position to send the series back to Dodgers Stadium. Will Smith helped the cause with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning as the Dodgers help a 3-0 lead with nine outs left. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Padres remembered how to hit a baseball. The first five batters in the bottom of the seventh reached base and the game was suddenly tied 3-3. The party didn't end there. After the Dodgers managed to get two outs, Jake Cronenworth would put the Padres ahead to complete the comeback, knocking a single up the middle that would score two runs to give them a 5-3 lead. Robert Suarez would sit the Dodgers down in the eighth and Josh Hader would strike out the side in the ninth to complete the biggest upset of the postseason over the 111-win Dodgers. 

Series MVP- Jake Cronenworth (7-16, 3 R, HR, 5 RBI)

Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Atlanta Braves, 3-1

Game 1- It was clear that the Phillies were hot because they really put it on Max Fried to begin the game. They scored runs in four of the first five innings, including multiple runs in the first, third, and fourth, chasing Fried from the game in the fourth inning. The action was led by Nicolas Castellanos (3-5, 2B, 3 RBI) and Bryce Harper (3-3, 2B, BB), combining for more than half of the team's 11 hits. Don't let the final score fool you because this game wasn't nearly as close as it would indicate. Matt Olson hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to bring the Braves within one run, but they couldn't tie it to fall behind 1-0 in the series.

Game 2- The most promising pitching matchup of the series, Kyle Wright and Zach Wheeler went head-to-head with the Braves behind in the series. Wright dominated the Phillies' lineup, pitching six strong innings, allowing just two hits and one walk. Wheeler didn't pitch terribly, but he ran into trouble in the sixth inning. The only offense of the game came all at once for the Braves, scoring three runs on three RBI singles from Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Travis d'Arnaud. The Braves bullpen then shut the Phillies down for three innings to even the series as the Phillies mustered three hits after their offensive onslaught in Game 1.

Game 3- Spencer Strider was terrific during the regular season but an injury sidelined him for about a month before making his return in Game 3. Suffice it to say, things did not go well for the Braves on this day. After two shutout innings, the Phillies broke the game open with six runs in the third, highlighted by the "bat spike heard 'round the world" after Rhys Hoskins hit a three-run home run and then Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run a few batters later. Aaron Nola threw six innings, allowing an unearned run and striking out six. Harper drove home one more with a double and Nicolas Castellanos added two with a single in the bottom of the seventh to push the lead to 9-1 and it would end that way to give the Phillies the series lead again.

Game 4- With their season on the line, the Braves needed to get something going fast, especially since they're on the road. Instead, Brandon Marsh drove a ball over the fence in the bottom of the second to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. Orlando Arcia got one back in the third with a solo home run, but JT Realmuto got it back with an inside-the-park home run. The Braves got another solo home run in the fourth from Matt Olson to give them some hope until the Phillies responded with three more runs in the sixth. With the game at 7-2, they would trade solo home runs from Travis d'Arnaud and Bryce Harper as the bell would toll on the Braves' season and ensure a new champion would be crowned this season.

Series MVP- Bryce Harper (8-16, 4 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)

Championship Series Preview

ALCS- Houston Astros v. New York Yankees

Season Series- The Astros won five of the seven games against the Yankees this season. They were originally set to play to open the season, but the work stoppage that postponed the start forced the series to be rescheduled. They played a four-game set in June at Yankee Stadium and the two teams split. They then met on June 30 in a one-off game, won by the Astros, and then the final two games were played as a doubleheader on July 21 right after the All-Star Break, which the Astros swept. There was a flair for the dramatic in this season set with three games ending in walk-off wins. 

Houston Player to Watch- Luis Garcia- Garcia's only action in the ALDS against Seattle was in relief in Game 3 when he went five shutout innings and earned the win in the 18th inning marathon. He faced the Yankees twice in the regular season, winning both starts and striking out 12 in 10.1 innings. With this being a best-of-seven, I wouldn't be surprised if we see him get a start early in this series. 

New York Player to Watch- Anthony Rizzo- Unlike Bader, Stanton, and Judge in the ALDS, Rizzo didn't show his power too much, just knocking one over the fence. However, he was still the Yankees' best hitter against the Guardians, leading the team in hits (5), batting average (.294), and on-base percentage (.429). While the other guys need to hit home runs to survive, Rizzo has been the glue of this team and might be even more important than the rest of them.

Prediction- Unlike in the National League, the two best teams from the regular season are facing off for the pennant. They've been on opposite trajectories for the last decade as franchises. The Astros are making their sixth straight appearance in the ALCS, have been to three World Series during that time, and won the World Series in 2017. The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2009 and have lost their last four appearances, including losses to the Astros in 2017 and 2019. The Astros won their three games against the Mariners in a different fashion, while the Yankees will have no rest and must travel to Houston for Game 1 on Wednesday. I don't think the travel part will matter too much since it's a normal part of the MLB season, but the lack of rest for the pitching staff could be a problem early in the series. This is going to be a tight series. The Yankees are hungry for a World Series, but Houston has a level of experience that New York can't replicate. They will lean on their experience and will make it to the World Series for the fourth time in six years. Houston over New York in six games.

NLCS- San Diego Padres v. Philadelphia Phillies

Season Series- The Phillies and Padres played seven times this season across two series. The Padres won two of three games in mid-May before the Phillies won three of four games in late June. A lot has changed for the two teams since June. In each of the Phillies' losses to the Padres, they were shut out, while Blake Snell lost both his starts against the Phillies, allowing seven runs over 9.1 innings. Outside of the final game of the four-game set in June, an 8-5 win for Philadelphia, none of the games were very high scoring. It was a very even series, which helps to add to the intrigue of it all. 

San Diego Player to Watch- Josh Bell- I've talked about how Bell has struggled since coming over from Washington. Those struggles have carried into the postseason through two rounds, hitting just .150 with a home run and two RBI, while striking out eight times. The Padres have managed to win despite his struggles, but they're about to face a red-hot pitching staff. Every man is going to need to step up if the Padres stand a chance of continuing their run.

Philadelphia Player to Watch- Kyle Schwarber- Like Bell, Schwarber has been struggling to start the postseason, knocking just two hits in 21 at-bats across seven games. After leading the NL in home runs this season, he's yet to record an extra-base hit and hasn't made much of an impact. The play of the other stars on the team has been more than enough to make up for his lack of offense. It's time for him to step up and find that magic again. 

Prediction- At the time I'm writing this prediction, Game 1 of the series is ongoing. For reference, it is 1-0 Philadelphia in the bottom of the fourth. This is not the series I expected we'd see in the NLCS as the two lowest seeds in the National League have outlasted three 100-win teams. The Padres have endured the toughest path to this point, beating the Mets and Dodgers and needing just six games to do it. The Phillies have defeated two division champions to do it, including the defending champions in the NLDS. There is no pitching staff as hot right now as the Phillies staff is and the Padres' lineup has been very hit-or-miss. That being said, I've said a lot of bad things about the Padres' odds in their first two series and they've proven me wrong. Even before the Phillies took a lead in Game 1, I really liked their odds. I think the Phillies are riding a heatwave right now that the Padres can't match. Philadelphia over San Diego in seven games.