Padres Sweep Cubs
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets blasted a two-run homer, five Padres pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs out of the NL Wild Card Series with a 4-1 victory in Game 2. Xander Bogaerts drove in the first run for the surging Padres, who followed up their 8-0 victory in Tuesday’s opener with another dominant mound performance. The Cubs led the majors in runs and and the NL in homers this year, but they managed just eight hits over 18 innings against San Diego’s inspired staff. The Padres advanced to face the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in an NL division series.
Yankees Eliminate Red Sox
NEW YORK (AP) — Max Fried dominated Boston in the playoffs for the second straight year, Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr. homered, and the New York Yankees romped over the Red Sox 9-2 for a two-game AL Wild Card Series sweep. Clinging to a 2-1 lead after Willson Contreras homered to end Boston’s 26-inning postseason scoreless streak, the Yankees broke the game open with a six-run sixth after Spencer Jones reached on a wild pitch while striking out leading off — with the help of a video review. New York will face AL East champion Tampa Bay in an AL Division Series starting Saturday.
White Sox Pounce Early, Oust Astros
HOUSTON (AP) — From 100 losses to their first playoff series win in two decades, these scrappy Chicago White Sox just keep outdoing themselves. The White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday to sweep their AL Wild Card Series. It’s the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of Venable, the second-year skipper, and with a lettef of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.
Bohm 10th Inning Homer Forces Game 3
ATLANTA (AP) — Alec Bohm put Philadelphia ahead with a two-out homer in the 10th inning, and the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday to force a decisive third game in their NL Wild Card Series. The Phillies rallied with back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Harper in the eighth after trailing 3-1 in the seventh. Harper’s homer made up for a crucial fielding mistake an inning earlier. Andrew Painter (1-0), a starter in the regular season, saved the Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen with three scoreless innings to close things out. Painter stranded two runners in the 10th when he struck out Dominic Smith with a successful ABS challenge.