Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The MLB Division Series rolls into Saturday with four games on deck; The Philadelphia Phillies are up 2-1 over the Atlanta Braves, the Houston Astros are up 2-0 over the Seattle Mariners, the New York Yankees find themselves in a 1-1 tie with the Cleveland Guardians, and the San Diego Padres are currently up 2-1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 2:07 P.M.
Charlie Morton will take the ball for the Braves in what is shaping up to be a pivotal matchup between the two NL East clubs. The 38-year-old is 5-0 with a 0.73 ERA in postseason elimination games, and his five wins are more than any pitcher in Major League history.
Ex-Met Noah Syndergaard will toe the rubber for the Phillies. He owns a 2-1 record in the postseason and a 2.33 ERA. Syndergaard will be counted on in a big way in game four.
Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners, 4:07 P.M.
The Houston Astros are up 2-0 in this best-of-five series. They are a win away from advancing to their sixth straight ALCS appearance. Lance McCullers Jr. will take the ball for the Astros.
After sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round, including a miraculous 8-1 comeback in Game 2, the Mariners haven’t been able to notch a win. Cliche, yes, but this is a must-win game for the Mariners. George Kirby will pitch for the M’s with their season on the line.
Will the Mariners avoid elimination and force a game four?
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians, 7:37 P.M.
Luis Severino and Triston McKenzie will square off in game three, a game that can provide to be the turning point of the series. Severino was excellent in his last start on October 3, when he carried a no-hitter through seven against the Texas Rangers and was removed due to pitch count. The Yankees wanted to be careful with him with the playoffs looming.
McKenzie gave the Guardians an excellent season, going 11-11 with a 2.96 ERA. He logged 191.1 IP, shattering his previous career-high of 120 last year. McKenzie carried that into the postseason, pitching six scoreless and striking out eight in the Guardians’ 1-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rays on October 8.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres, 9:37 P.M.
And finally, is the west coast main event matchup between the Dodgers and Padres, two NL West rivals.
The Dodgers will send veteran southpaw Tyler Anderson to the mound to take on Padres’ star Joe Musgrove.
Anderson last pitched on October 2 against the Colorado Rockies. His last postseason start came in 2018 for the Rockies. His 2022 campaign was solid, going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA while tossing a dependable 178.2 IP.
Musgrove has elite stuff, as seen in his last start against the New York Mets, where he tossed seven scoreless en route to a 6-0 Padres win. Can Musgrove do the same against an elite lineup under the bright lights in Los Angeles?
