Key Hits And Big Pitching Performances

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

A full slate of division series games made for a long and busy day for baseball. In the AL, the Rangers find themselves in a surprising position and the Royals fought back to even the series. The NL series’ opened up with two fantastic pitching matchups as the Cardinals won the battle of former rotation mates as John Lackey shutout the Cubs and Jon Lester and the Mets, behind blossoming ace Jacob deGrom, prevailed over perennial Cy Young candidate Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. Tomorrow should be an interesting day in the NL as teams look to take the advantage or fight back to even the series.  

Rangers Outlast Blue Jays 6-4

The place was sold out and the atmosphere was electric, but the hometown fervor at Rogers Centre couldn't stop the Rangers from riding a 6-4 victory over the Blue Jays in 14 innings to a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series on Friday afternoon. The best-of-five ALDS resumes on Sunday night in Arlington, and the Rangers need one more victory to advance to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2011. Since Division Series play began in 1995, teams that have gone up 2-0 have advanced 42 of 47 times.

Royals Edge Astros 5-4

Ben Zobrist singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning off Astros reliever Will Harris, scoring Alcides Escobar, and the Royals' bullpen tossed three scoreless innings in a pulsating 5-4 win on Friday at Kauffman Stadium as Kansas City evened the American League Division Series at 1-1. The Royals were the first home team to win this postseason, as the road teams won the first five games. The only other time that the road team won the first five games of a postseason was 1906.

Cardinals Shutout Cubs 4-0

Facing their archrivals from Chicago for the first time in postseason history, the Cardinals, behind the experienced postseason arm of John Lackey and a late rookie power surge, nabbed a 4-0 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium on Friday to open their best-of-five National League Division Series. Lackey outdueled good friend Jon Lester to boost the Cardinals to an early series lead that has proven pivotal in DS play. Of the 40 teams to win the first game of the NLDS, 36 have gone on to advance to the NL Championship Series.

Mets Down Dodgers 3-1

The roar from the Mets' postgame clubhouse was audible through a concrete wall, seeming to threaten Dodger Stadium's very foundation. The Mets had just upended the Dodgers, 3-1, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday, behind seven shutout innings from Jacob deGrom and key hits by David Wright and Daniel Murphy. In doing so, they had beaten Clayton Kershaw and grabbed home-field advantage back from their hosts -- proving that they are not, as a reporter suggested to general manager Sandy Alderson last month, simply "happy to be here."

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

American League Division Series

Kansas City and Houston tied 1-1

Game 3: Sunday, October 11, at 4:00 PM

Texas leads series 2-0

Game 3: Sunday, October 11, at 8:00 PM

National League Division Series

St. Louis leads series 1-0

Game 2: Saturday, October 10, at 5:37 PM

New York leads series 1-0

Game 2: Saturday, October 10, at 9:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

GM Search Underway – Andy MacPhail has said it would be ambitious to hire a new general manager before the end of the month, but it remains his goal. The incoming president seems to be making progress. MacPhail interviewed his first candidate last month, and according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, MacPhail has at least two more interviews scheduled. One is with Major League Baseball vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng, who has worked in front offices with the Yankees, Dodgers and White Sox. The other is with Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins. The club has not confirmed the report. Former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest already has interviewed. Ng is highly regarded in baseball. If hired, she would become the first female GM in baseball history.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 0-2-0 on this day.