Baseball. A game so fine, it’s played on a diamond; and what girl doesn’t love a little bling? As of late, baseball seems to be a primary topic in the news as the season comes to a close and the remaining teams compete for the World Series title. Here’s what you need to know going into the semifinal round of postseason baseball.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
American League
Our postseason began with the wild cards. The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Oakland Athletics on Oct. 2 to advance to the ALDS (American League Division Series) against the Houston Astros. In a five-game series, the Astros took a 2-0 series lead in Houston but saw the Rays even the series out during their homestretch in Tampa. With the series tied at 2 apiece, the Rays and Astros faced off in a final Game 5 On Oct. 10, resulting in a 6-1 Astros victory and a ticket to the ALCS (American League Championship Series) against the Yankees. With their top seed from the regular season, the Astros have secured home-field advantage in the ALCS beginning Saturday, Oct. 12.
The other half of the American League saw a much less dramatic series, as the New York Yankees faced the Minnesota Twins and swept them in a 3-0 series victory in the ALDS. In their last encounter (a four-game series hosted at Yankee Stadium in June), the Yankees came away with a 3-1 series win but suffered a 0-3 series sweep in their last trip to Houston. The ALCS between these two powerhouse teams sets the stage for an epic rematch of the 2017 ALCS where the Astros advanced to the World Series after defeating the Yankees (4-3 series victory) in a deciding Game 7. With a lights-out bullpen and some of the biggest power-hitters in baseball, as highlighted by CBS Sports, the Yankees and Astros are sure to put on a great show.
Courtesy: United Press International (UPI)
National League
In more dramatic fashion, the National League has seen what could be the biggest postseason upset thus far in the 2019 season. With the Washington Nationals defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild card game on Oct. 1, they went on to compete against the No. 1 seed, the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a five-game series, they went neck-and-neck until the Nationals took home a 7-3 victory in an intense extra-inning Game 5. With this major upset, the Nationals have seemingly opened the door for any possibility in the National League as they knock out the leading competitor and take away the Dodgers’ chance at redemption from losing last year’s World Series to the Boston Red Sox.
Courtesy: Southside Sox
Speaking of dramatic and intense, the Braves and Cardinals NLDS didn’t disappoint. The St. Louis Cardinals came back from a 2-1 deficit to claim the NLDS title after putting up 10 runs in the 1st inning of Game 5 on Oct. 9, which according to ESPN, set a postseason record. Coming away with a 13-1 victory, the Cardinals advance to the NLCS to compete against the Nationals. These two teams will surely make for an interesting championship series, as the Cardinals last won the World Series in 2011, but the Washington Nationals have yet to hoist the Commissioners Trophy in the history of their franchise. Both teams have defeated the odds against them, but who will defeat their opponent for the coveted spot in the 2019 World Series?
With the seven-game championship series beginning this week for both divisions, there’s sure to be good competition and even better highlight reels. With a diverse mix in the final four standing (New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, and Washington Nationals), it’s refreshing and exciting to witness the possible bracket-busters to come in next week’s series. And it seems like the only diamonds these boys are after are the ones on that championship ring.
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