LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chasing their first playoff victory since 2012, the Cincinnati Reds instead watched the season slip away Wednesday night.
The Reds were eliminated from the National League Wild Card round with an 8-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2. Cincinnati is 0-5 in the playoffs over the past 13 seasons.
Rookie Sal Stewart raised optimism with a two-run single in the first inning and three RBIs in the game, but his throwing error at first base in the sixth opened the door for four Los Angeles runs.
That the Dodgers’ big inning came after the Reds failed to score in their half of the sixth, despite loading the bases with no outs, only heightened the sting.
There remains plenty to savor for Cincinnati like eight victories over the final 11 games of the regular season to secure the final playoff spot in the NL. And there is a roster with plenty of young talent that suggests the best is yet to come.
For now, though, the Reds are left to sift through the rubble of their Game 2 defeat.
The Reds got to Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto early when Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch as the second batter of the game and Austin Hays reached base when Los Angeles right fielder Teoscar Hernandez dropped his fly ball along the right-field line.
Stewart, who made his major league debut Sept. 1 and was starting in his first playoff game, singled past Freddie Freeman at first base to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.
The Dodgers chipped away to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth, with the Reds poised to regain the advantage in the sixth against Yamamoto after TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer and Gavin Lux all opened the inning with singles to load the bases.
But the Reds failed.
YANKEES 4, RED SOX 3
Jazz Chisholm Jr. zipped all the way home from first base on Austin Wells’ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees extended their season Wednesday night with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series.
Unhappy he was left out of the starting lineup in the opener, Chisholm also made a critical defensive play at second base that helped the Yankees send the best-of-three playoff to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night in the Bronx.
In the latest chapter of baseball’s most storied rivalry, the winner advances to face AL East champion Toronto in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Saturday.
Ben Rice hit an early two-run homer and Aaron Judge had an RBI single for the Yankees, who got three innings of scoreless relief from their shaky bullpen after starter Carlos Rodón put the first two batters on in the seventh.
Devin Williams worked a one-hit eighth for the win, and David Bednar got three outs for his first postseason save.
Trevor Story homered and drove in all three runs for the Red Sox, who won the series opener 3-1 on Tuesday night behind ace lefty Garrett Crochet.
GUARDIANS 6, TIGERS 1
Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor homered during a five-run eighth inning and Cleveland evened its AL Wild Card Series against Detroit with a victory in Game 2.
George Valera also went deep as the Guardians forced a deciding game in the best-of-three series.
The winner Thursday faces the Seattle Mariners in a Division Series. No team has lost Game 1 of a Wild Card Series and advanced since the expanded round began in 2022.
Javier Báez had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 runners.
Detroit had the bases loaded with two out sin the ninth inning, but Cade Smith got Dillon Dingler to line out to first baseman C.J. Kayfus.
The game was tied 1-1 with one out in the eighth inning when Rocchio connected on a 99.9 mph fastball from losing pitcher Troy Melton and drove it 379 feet into the right-field stands for his second homer in three games. He had a three-run drive in the 10th inning on Sunday to give the Guardians a 9-8 victory over Texas Rangers in the regular-season finale.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan infielder has a .308 batting average (12 for 39) in 12 postseason games.
Daniel Schneemann added an RBI double before Naylor golfed a sweeper from Brant Hurter over the right-field wall for a five-run lead.
Jakob Junis got the win as the Guardians bullpen held Detroit scoreless over 5 1/3 innings.
Cleveland took the lead in the first when Valera drove a 94.1 mph fastball on the upper half of the strike zone from starter Casey Mize over the wall in center field. The homer came on a full count and the seventh pitch of the at-bat.
Detroit tied it in the fourth and nearly took the lead. Báez had a base hit up the middle to drive in Riley Greene and Dingler after Zach McKinstry appeared to beat José Ramírez’s tag at third on a great throw by Chase DeLauter, who was making his big league debut. A video review overturned the safe call by umpire Stu Scheurwater and Dingler’s run came off the board.
Detroit had runners at the corners with no outs in the seventh after Gleyber Torres was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Kerry Carpenter’s hit. Hunter Gaddis retired Spencer Torkelson on a shallow flyout, and Tim Herrin struck out Jahmai Jones and Wenceel Pérez.
PADRES 3, CUBS 0
Manny Machado hit a two-run homer, Mason Miller dominated again and San Diego beat Chicago, sending their NL Wild Card Series to a decisive third game.
Jackson Merrill hit an early sacrifice fly as San Diego avoided elimination after losing 3-1 on Tuesday. Dylan Cease struck out five in 3 2/3 innings before handing the ball to his team’s hard-throwing bullpen.
The finale of the best-of-three series is back at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
The playoff-tested Padres are looking for a repeat of 2020, when they dropped Game 1 in the special pandemic wild-card round before advancing with two straight victories against St. Louis. Machado also homered in Game 2 of that series.
Chicago finished with four hits. The franchise is making its first appearance in the playoffs in five years, and it hasn’t advanced since it eliminated Washington in a 2017 NL Division Series.
San Diego jumped in front on Merrill’s flyball to right off Andrew Kittredge in the first, driving in Fernando Tatis Jr. Kittredge started for Chicago as an opener, and the right-hander was replaced by left-hander Shota Imanaga in the second.
The Cubs threatened in the fourth, putting runners on first and second with two down. Adrian Morejon then came in and retired Pete Crow-Armstrong on a bouncer to first.
The Padres added two more runs on Machado’s 404-foot drive to left off Imanaga in the fifth. Tatis reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on a sacrifice ahead of Machado’s 12th career playoff homer.
The three runs were more than enough for San Diego’s bullpen, with Miller and Robert Suarez combining for 14 pitches of over 100 mph.
to score when Hays grounded into a force out at home, while Stewart and Elly De La Cruz struck out. Stewart’s costly throwing error followed a half inning later.
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