The opening day of Division Series action delivered everything baseball fans could ask for: a near no-hitter, a late-inning comeback, a power display in Los Angeles and a rookie’s breakthrough moment in Cleveland. Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Chicago all seized 1-0 leads in their respective best-of-five series.
Rasmussen Flirts With History as Rays Edge Yankees
Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through 7 2/3 scoreless innings, and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Austin Wells broke up Rasmussen’s no-hit bid in the eighth with a blast down the right field line. He was thrown out attempting to stretch a double into a triple, ending the inning.
That was the lone hit allowed by Rasmussen (1-0), who struck out 10 batters and walked two over eight innings. Right-hander Bryan Baker struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth.
Aranda connected for his solo homer off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole (0-1) in the third inning, one of five hits for the Rays. Cole permitted one run on five hits over five innings. Game 2 is Monday in St. Petersburg.
Contreras Powers Brewers Past Padres
William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run, lifting Milwaukee to a comeback victory over visiting San Diego in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Reliever Adrian Morejon (0-1) opened the seventh and retired the first two hitters before Contreras launched a 406-foot homer to center. Jackson Chourio also homered for the Brewers, his fifth career postseason home run, breaking the franchise record.
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Closer Trevor Megill escaped an inherited jam in the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth for the save, benefiting from a deep flyball that ricocheted off the roof and was caught in left by Chourio.
The Padres scored their only two runs in the second inning on an RBI single from Luis Campesano and a fielder’s choice to first. Robbie Ray allowed two runs on four hits over 2 2/3 innings. San Diego stranded the bases loaded in the seventh when D.L. Hall (1-0) induced a flyout, and left runners on the corners in the eighth. Game 2 is Sunday in Milwaukee.
Dodgers Ride Three Homers and Skubal’s Gem Past Braves
Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense, and Los Angeles opened its NLDS with a victory over visiting Atlanta.
Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep as the Dodgers began their quest to become the first National League club to win three consecutive championships and the first major league team to accomplish the feat since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000. Skubal (1-0) gave up one run on two hits in his first postseason start for Los Angeles.
Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies hit home runs for the Braves, who entered off a wild-card round victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Left-handed opener Dylan Dodd threw three scoreless innings for Atlanta before giving way to Victor Mederos (0-1), who surrendered Hernandez’s home run and recorded just one out in the fourth. Game 2 is Sunday evening in Los Angeles.
Murakami’s Blast Lifts White Sox Over Guardians
Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick, and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as Chicago beat host Cleveland in their ALDS opener.
Murakami, a 26-year-old rookie from Japan, hammered a 440-foot shot to right field off Messick in the fourth inning. His first postseason homer — and 36th overall this year — plated Miguel Vargas. Chicago extended its lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Colson Montgomery doubled just inside third base against Erik Sabrowski, bringing home Kyle Teel.
The White Sox have won three consecutive games to begin their postseason. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Monday afternoon in Cleveland. Chicago has won eight of the 14 meetings between the teams this season, splitting eight games at Progressive Field, the home of the AL Central champion Guardians.
