Major League Baseball: 2022 Season

[Blitz24]

"Quality" start is one of the dumbest stats. 3 runs in 6 innings, that's a 4.50 era, what's quality about that?

Funny you should mention that because even though the official definition of the statistic is 3 ER over 6 IP, it's not every common to see a pitcher actually do just that.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110704110629/http://207.56.97.150/articles/qstart.htm

Table 1. Summary of Quality Start data from 1984-1991

%QS Starts W L Pct IP ERA IP/Start
AL QS 49.3 8935 6184 2749 .692 67370.1 1.93 7.54
AL NQS 9195 2878 6313 .313 44578.1 7.65 4.85

NL QS 54.9 8522 5590 2927 .656 62767.1 1.89 7.37
NL NQS 7010 2170 4833 .309 33171.2 7.28 4.73

ML QS 51.9 17457 11774 5676 .674 130137.2 1.91 7.45
ML NQS 16205 5048 11146 .311 77750.0 7.50 4.80

Totals 33662 16822 16822 .500 207887.2 4.00 6.18
Note 1:
The 33662 Starts came in 16831 games, of which 9 were ties.
Note 2:
There were 989 quality starts in which the pitcher had exactly six innings pitched
and allowed 3 earned runs, for a "Klein percentage" of 5.7%.


There are three main points to make from this table.

1. The ERA of starting pitchers when they have a quality start is over five runs per game better than in games in which they do not have a quality start (1.91 vs 7.50 overall).

2. The winning percentage of the starting pitchers when they have a quality start is more than twice what it is when they don't have one (.674 vs .311 overall).

3. The innings pitched per start is also substantially different in quality start and non-quality start games (7.45 vs 4.80).

The conclusion seems clear that quality starts, taken in the aggregate, reflect much better than average performances, and that, in the aggregate, quality starts correlate with team winning percentage.

 

[JohnBM01]

Astros, O's, oh my! Baltimore's been hot this season. The Astros will try to ice the O's. Let's see if that worked...

* BAL Orioles at HOU Astros (3-game series)

[GAME 1] There was no score through five innings. That all changed when Baltimore struck first on a two-run homer in the Top of the 6th. O's up 2-0. The Astros had something going in the Bottom of the 9th, but how poetic that former Oriole, Trey Mancini, struck out to have the Astros lose a tough one at home?

[GAME 2] Three runs were hung on the Astros in the Top of the 3rd as Baltimore bombed two homers. The first one was to right on a two-run shot, then the other shot was a solo homer to left. Astros finally scored in the Bottom of the 7th on an RBI single by Yordan Alvarez that brought home Jose Altuve. The score at that point was 3-1, Baltimore after seven innings. That score would hold as the Astros' bats remained cold. At least this time, we scored.

[GAME 3] Justin Verlander had to leave this game with a right calf discomfort. There was no scoring at all through six innings by either team. The first team to break through was the Astros, with two-run RBI single by Yuli Gurriel in the Bottom of the 7th. On a high pitch in a full count with one out, Alex Bregman bombed a solo jack to put the Astros up 3-0 in the Bottom of the 8th. Baltimore averts the shutout in the Top of the 9th with an RBI single with two outs. This made it a 3-1 Astros lead. Thankfully, no further damage was done by Baltimore as the Astros averted getting swept.

GM1: (2-0; Baltimore)
GM2: (3-1, Baltimore)
GM3: (3-1; Houston)

NEXT: at TEX Rangers (2 games), starting on Tuesday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 82-47 record, still with a sizable lead on the AL West and still with the best record in the American League. The Astros will go on a quick 2-game set at the Texas Rangers followed by a three game series at the Los Angeles Angels. In between are off days on Monday and Thursday. So we'll end August 2022 up in Arlington, Texas.


Elsewhere/Off-Topic:

* I heard an unbelievable stat during Game 2 of this series. Hall of Famer and Astros great Craig Biggio once played an entire season without grounding into a double play. That's over 700+ at-bats back in 1997(?). Wow!

* The Detroit Tigers defeated the Texas Rangers 9-8 in Arlington, TX earlier today; but the comeback would have been epic. When I first saw the game on TV, Detroit was up 9-2 in the Bottom of the 8th. Texas couldn't complete the comeback as Detroit barely survived.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[Dolph Drago]

* I heard an unbelievable stat during Game 2 of this series. Hall of Famer and Astros great Craig Biggio once played an entire season without grounding into a double play. That's over 700+ at-bats back in 1997(?). Wow!

Pretty darn impressive. It reminds me of Joey Votto's pop out stats. It took 6,829 plate appearances before Votto popped up to 1st base...or 13 seasons. He didn't pop out to the pitcher for the first time until 3 years later, after 8,131 plate appearances. Insane.

It's pretty wild just how good those elite professional players are. How many guys pop out to these positions or hit into double plays multiple times in a single game?

 

[JohnBM01]

Losing the series against the Orioles stunk (unless you're a Baltimore fan). Let's see if taking on the Texas Rangers can get us back on track after averting a sweep...

* HOU Astros at TEX Rangers (2-game series)

[GAME 1] The Houston Astros struck first on some timely hits to go up 1-0 in the Top of the 1st. Jose Altuve had liftoff on a solo homer to deep left to put the Astros up 2-0 in the Top of the 2nd. The same inning would see the Astros record an RBI single with the bases loaded. It was 3-0 Astros until a solo jack from Texas put the Rangers on the scoreboard. A later homer in the Bottom of the 5th would give the Rangers another score to make the Astros' lead 3-2. In the Top of the 7th with no outs and the bases loaded, Texas walked in an Astros run to make it 4-2, Astros. With his 22nd straight quality start, he's not only tied for 2nd all-time in consecutive quality starts, he also set the MLB record for most consecutive quality starts for a left-handed pitcher. The score of 4-2 would hold as Hector Neris struck out the next three batters in the Bottom of the 9th.

[GAME 2] Not much turnaround time- from Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon. When I first followed this game, the Houston Astros were ahead 5-2 in the Bottom of the 5th. The Rangers would plate a run later in the game on an RBI single after a balk on Christian Javier. So by then, it was a 5-3 Astros lead. That score would hold as the Houston Astros have now topped the Texas Rangers for nine straight series.

GM1: (4-2; Houston)
GM2: (5-3, Houston)

NEXT: at LAA Angels (3 games), starting on Friday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 84-47 record, still with a sizable lead on the AL West and still with the best record in the American League. Remember when Houston had three straight 100+ loss seasons? Not so much anymore. Houston is really a baller franchise now. The Astros' road trip continues when they head to Anaheim to meet the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game weekend series. The most intriguing match for this series is Luis Garcia for Houston vs. Shohei Ohtani for the Angels. Astros and Halos this weekend in Anaheim.

As a side note, Justin Verlander was placed on the 15-day IL with right calf discomfort. Great news is that he won't miss too many games or (more importantly) be out for the season. People are saying the AL Cy Young is going to come down to Justin Verlander (HOU) and Dylan Cease (CHW).


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[JohnBM01]

Welcome to September, GTPlaneteers! Here is a standings update as we begin to look closer towards the postseason picture. Find your favorite teams here:

--- AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS (as of: September 1, 2022) ---
AL EAST: New York Yankees (79-52), TB (72-57), TOR (70-59), BAL (68-61), BOS (63-68)
AL CENTRAL: Cleveland (68-60), MIN (67-62), CHW (64-66), KC (53-78), DET (50-80)
AL WEST: Houston (84-47), SEA (72-58), TEX (58-71), LAA (57-74), OAK (49-82)
CURRENT AL WILD CARD (Top 3): TB, SEA, TOR

--- NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS (as of: September 1, 2022) ---
NL EAST: New York Mets (83-48), ATL (80-51), PHI (73-58), MIA (55-75), WAS (44-86)
NL CENTRAL: St. Louis (76-55), MIL (69-60), CHC (56-75), CIN (51-78), PIT (49-81)
NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers (90-39), SD (73-59), SF and ARI (61-68 each), COL (56-75)
CURRENT NL WILD CARD (Top 3): ATL, PHI, SD

Nobody has clinched anything as of yet. That picture of who's IN the playoffs will be filled out as this month progresses. So if your team still has some playoff hope, keep on fighting!


I figured I'll end this post with an assessment. From time-to-time I'll assess my beloved teams. You're free to assess if you like. But for now, here is my assessment of the Astros so far.

The Houston Astros are currently 84-47 on the season- best record in the American League. It seems amazing that a team that has had lots of futility is finally seeking some of its greatest success of late. From downward spirals to even three-straight 100+ loss seasons, the Houston Astros Baseball Club got it together. The 2022 season has seen a handful of feats accomplished for Houston. Everything from solid pitching and relief pitching, pounding five home runs in one inning, and pitching two immaculate innings in the same game have been highlights of the Astros so far. Justin Verlander has been an awesome pitcher for Houston, and Framber Valdez deserves plenty of love as well. The likes of Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena, and recently Trey Mancini have proven dividends on offense. As much as I am proud of my Astros, I know that if the Astros make it to the World Series again, I fear they are going to get trounced again. The 2017 World Series run was controversial, but losing to teams like Washington in 2019 and Atlanta in 2021 just make it seem harder to deliver a legit World Series championship. I believe in my Astros, but I am never overconfident my team will become champs because the unthinkable and unbelievable can happen. As we say- "you can't script October."

Care to assess your team(s)? Feel free to do so.


That's all from me. Enjoy this weekend's series and the rest of the 2022 season!

 

[JohnBM01]

The road trip continues for the Astros in our (as I'm told) final West Coast series of the season. So one more round of LATE GAMES! The Astros and Angels are sort of rivals. More so in division than with the Rangers. Time for the Astros and Halos to go at it once again.

* HOU Astros at LAA Angels (3-game series)

[GAME 1] The third inning saw the first score as the Houston Astros score on an RBI single. The same innings saw the Astros score on a sacrifice fly. So 2-0, Astros at the middle of the 3rd. The Angels walked in an Astros run on a Bases Loaded with one out in the Top of the 5th to make it a 3-0 Astros lead. They'd later walk in another Astros bases loaded run the same inning, only now with two outs to make it 4-0, Astros. The Angels got on the scoreboard in the Top of the 6th on a ground-ruled double with two on and nobody out. Los Angeles Angels cut the lead down to 4-1. Then in the same inning, a Sacrifice Fly brought home another Angel to make it 4-2, Astros. That was the final score- 4-2, Astros.

[GAME 2] Luis Garcia vs. Shohei Ohtani. That tells you all you need to know about Game 2 of this series. Houston struck first to go up 1-0. Then later in the game, the Angels tied it up at 1-1. Regulation solved nothing tonight, so bring on Extras. No scoring happened until M. Dubon was unable to catch a ball that led to the Angels walking it off. This was the final western late game of the season. Rubber Game later today (since it was after Midnight Central Time when the game ended).

[GAME 3} The Astros were gutted to lose last night getting walked off in 12 innings, so they did something about it to start Game 3. Even in the reported 110°F heat in Anaheim, the Astros were burning up going up 5-0 heading into the Middle of the 2nd. The Astros been hitting into one-pitch-one-out chains until Jose Altuve hit a two-run bomb to fairly deep left in the Top of the 7th. This made it a 7-0 Astros lead. Mike Trout hit a solo jack to center to break up the shutout in the Bottom of the 8th. The Halos cut the lead from seven to six after the Trout bomb. In the Top of the 9th, Yordan Alvarez pounded an RBI single to bring two Astros home with the bases loaded and no outs. The Astros led 9-1 at that point. 9-1, Astros was the final.

GM1: (4-2; Houston)
GM2: (2-1, 12 innings; Los Angeles Angels)
GM3: (9-1; Houston)

NEXT: vs. TEX Rangers (3 games), starting on Monday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 86-48 record, still enjoying both a sizable lead on the AL West and the best record in the American League. We are coming back home to host those boys up north- the Texas Rangers. Three-game set here in Houston.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[JohnBM01]

Methinks the Texas Rangers want to play some baseball against the Houston Astros, yes? Let's play some hard ball- Texas style!

* TEX Rangers at HOU Astros (3-game series)

[GAME 1] With Justin Verlander on the IL, Hunter Brown got his first Major League start after pitching for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (formerly the Sugar Land Skeeters, which I think is a cooler name). The Houston Astros struck first in their "Space City" City Connect uniforms on an RBI single by Martin Maldonaldo in the Bottom of the 2nd. It was 1-0 at that point. That would be the final score as Hunter Brown pitched six innings of shutout ball striking out five, allowing three hits, and allowing one walk.

[GAME 2] The Houston Astros eliminated the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers from AL division competition heading into tonight. Framber Valdez looked to continue his quality start streak. That streak was in serious jeopardy as the Rangers hung three runs on the Astros in the Top of the 2nd on an RBI double. It was a two-run RBI that got the party started for Texas followed by an error on a throw to 1st base that brought home another Ranger. Texas up 3-0. The quality start streak is still somewhat alive at this point with two earned runs. Astros cut into the Rangers' lead in the Bottom of the 2nd as a runner came home on an out. So it's 3-1 Texas now. The follwing inning saw José Altuve bomb a solo jack to right on the first pitch of his at-bat. Texas still leads 3-2 at this point. Houston tied the game at 3-3 the following inning on an RBI despite an Astro getting thrown out. Framber Valdez did go the six or more innings to have a Quality Start. A wild pitch with two outs led to the Rangers re-taking the lead 4-3 in the Top of the 7th by stealing home. Astros tied but couldn't come up with a lead. That would seal a dark fate for the Astros on this Tuesday night despite another Quality Start by Framber Valdez. The Rubber Game of this series is tomorrow night as the Astros fell 4-3.

[GAME 3] The Texas Rangers went up 1-0 in the Top of the 1st to start this Rubber Game. A solo jack by Nathaniel Lowe put Texas up ahead to start Game 3 of this series. Texas adds another run in the Top of the 3rd to go up 2-0 on an RBI, and they dropped another run in to make it 3-0 the same inning. The Houston Astros's side of the scoreboard finally lit up in the Bottom of the 4th when Yuli Gurriel brought Kyle Tucker home on an RBI single. So it's now a 3-1 lead for Texas. As Texas brought out John King to pitch in the Bottom of the 6th, he met King Tuck, and Kyle Tucker hit a two-run bomb to tie the game at 3. We couldn't settle our business in nine innings, so extra innings were needed for this one. The Houston Astros walked off the Texas Rangers thanks to a wild pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the Bottom of the 10th. That's a wild way to get your ninth straight series win against the Texas Rangers...

GM1: (1-0; Houston)
GM2: (4-3; Texas)
GM3: (4-3; Houston)

NEXT: vs. LAA Angels (3 games), starting on Friday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 88-49 record, still enjoying both a sizable lead on the AL West and the best record in the American League. We'll take Thursday off and then welcome the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim next. There's nothing to lose for the Angels, so I'm sure they'll try to put forth their best effort.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[JohnBM01]

Here are a few notes to pass along...

* YOU'RE ON THE CLOCK! Among the changes to rules in Major League Baseball for 2023, there will now be a pitch clock, and the shift will be banned.

* Last month or earlier this month, the MLB has considered having a South Korea tour. Korean baseball is huge, so it will be interesting seeing a tour of South Korea with the teams and stars of MLB.


My Astros will host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I'll have my series summary when that concludes. Enjoy this weekend's series!

 

[JohnBM01]

So, uh... the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim wanted to 'ball with the Astros. Cool. Let's do a three-game series here in Houston!

* LAA Angels at HOU Astros (3-game series)

[GAME 1] When I followed the game first, Jeremy Peña just blasted a solo jack to get on the board, down 2-1 in the Bottom of the 6th. This was Charity Night for the Houston Astros this past Friday night. The "Chasmanian Devil" (Chas McCormick bombed a two-run jack to score the go-ahead score. The Astros now take the lead at 3-2. A bases loaded walk with two outs let the Astros go up 4-2 in the Bottom of the 8th. Ward for LAA got himself a solo homer to make it a 4-3 Astros lead in the Top of the 9th. Astros still held serve despite giving up that 9th inning homer. So it was a 4-3 win for Houston.

[GAME 2] FOX wanted to air Game 2 on Saturday night. So methinks I tune into FOX to see this one. After I was watching some college football, Houston was trailing 5-1 against the Angels heading into the Middle of the 3rd. A guy named Shohei Ohtani was pitching for the Angels on this night. Houston saw the Angels score on them again in the Top of the 5th on an RBI by Matt Ford. The Angels now lead 6-1 after that RBI double. I later stopped caring and just stopped watching. The final was 6-1. Rubber Game tomorrow.

[GAME 3] Rubber Game time. When I first saw the game on TV, the Astros were down 2-0 at the Middle of the 1st. I didn't see the game again until it was in the Bottom of the 6th. By then, the Astros woke the heck up. The Angels put in one more run in the Top of the 2nd, but the Astros put nine unanswered runs to lead 9-3 in the Bottom of the 6th, including five runs in the Bottom of the 3rd. Yordan Alvarez pounded a ball that seemed to get off the wall to left center, but it was ruled a homer. So "Air Yordan" bombs one for the time in over a month. The big man gives the Astros a lead now of 10-3, 10 unanswered runs now. The same inning saw "King Tuck" (Kyle Tucker) hit a two-run jack to right to make it 12-3 and 12 unanswered. The Angels finally scored again in the Top of the 9th on an RBI double to make it 12-4. However, that's all the Angels could muster as the Houston Astros take this series. This is now five straight 90+ win seasons for the Astros and the 11th time the Astros have recorded a 90+ win season. Dusty Baker records his 12th season of 90+ win seasons for teams he coached (six other managers accomplished this feat).

GM1: (4-3; Houston)
GM2: (6-1; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
GM3: (12-4; Houston)

NEXT: at DET Tigers (3 games), starting on Monday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 90-50 record, still enjoying both a sizable lead on the AL West and the best record in the American League. Our "Magic Number" to get a postseason berth is now 6. We'll leave H-Town to go to MoTown and enter the Tigers' Den. It's a quick three-game set at Detroit before returning home to host the Oakland Atletics for four games.


Before I close this post, I want to note the key changes coming up for the 2023 season. Here goes:

• 20-second pitch clock with empty bases, 15-second pitch clock with runner(s) on base
• base size from 15 inches to 18 inches
• limit on a number of pick-off pitches
• shifts altered

This is a more detailed look at rules changes on Yahoo! Sports: https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-adding...nd-limits-on-the-infield-shift-164603647.html .


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[JohnBM01]

The Houston Astros are the first American League team to 90 wins, and we took our awesomeness to Detroit for a brief three-game series. So see how we did at the Detroit Tigers this time around. H-Town meets MoTown.

* HOU Astros at DET Tigers (3-game series)

[GAME 1] I mostly saw the first few innings and then nothing much since. I know we led 3-0 around the 3rd or 4th inning. Apparently, Framber Valdez got himself a complete game shutout and yet ANOTHER Quality Start. Touchdown Astros! We won 7-0 tonight. If this was the NFL, this would be the Texans defeating the Lions.

[GAME 2] Game 2 saw Yordan Alvarez have liftoff on a solo jack to right. The Houston Astros quickly went up 1-0 as "Air Yordan" bombed one into the evening air in Detroit. Hunter Brown (Detroit-area native) finally gave up his first run scored as a Major League pitcher as Detroit tied the game on an RBI in the Bottom of the 2nd. We were tied at 1 at that point. That tie wouldn't last too long because in the Top of the 3rd, Houston re-took the 2-1 lead on an RBI single. Then in the same inning, the Astros added to that lead on a two-run bomb to right by "King Tuck." The score was 4-1, Astros at the Middle of the 3rd. Detroit plated home a run in the Bottom of the 3rd on an RBI single to cut the Astros' lead in half at 4-2 now. Excuse Yuli Gurriel as he touches the sky- a two-run jack to Left puts the Astros up 6-2 in the Top of the 7th. Koby Clemens, son of the great Roger Clemens, bombed a solo jack to left in the Bottom of the 7th to cut the Astros' lead down to 6-3. The Astros won this one by that same score- 6-3.

[GAME 3] The Houston Astros struck first on a solo homer by Kyle Tucker in the Top of the 4th. The following innnig would see a sacrifice fly RBI scored for the Astros to make it 2-0. Detroit's Javy Baez would later pound a solo bomb to bring the Astros lead from 2-0 to 2-1 in the Bottom of the 7th. That homer allowed by the Astros ended Bryan Abreu's scoreless streak as a reliever. Houston sweeps the Tigers for this series and this season in a tight one.

GM1: (7-0; Houston)
GM2: (6-3; Houston)
GM3: (2-1; Houston)

NEXT: vs. OAK Athletics (4 games), starting on Thursday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 93-50 record, still enjoying both a sizable lead on the AL West and the best record in the American League. The "Magic Number" to clinch the AL West is now 7, and the "Magic Number" for a postseason berth is now 3. A quick series in Detroit means we're coming back home to host the Oakland Athletics. It's a four-game set here in Houston starting on Thursday. It will start our penultimate home stand of the season.

Here are some stats I heard from Game 3 of this series. Check this out. The Houston Astros are now 4818-4814 overall after today's game. That encompasses their history since 1962. They are currently the only team in the Expansion Era to have an overall record above .500. Prior to today, only once have the Astros gone four games over .500 overall, and that was back on May 4, 2006. Whatever that must be working for the Astros in this day and age... wow.


Elsewhere...

The Playoffs picture now comes into focus. Let's meet the "IN!" teams as of the time of this post:
...AL EAST champions...
...AL CENTRAL champions...
...AL WEST champions...
...AL WILD CARD 1...
...AL WILD CARD 2...
...AL WILD CARD 3...
...NL EAST champions...
...NL CENTRAL champions...
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions)
...NL WILD CARD 1...
...NL WILD CARD 2...
...NL WILD CARD 3...

Don't worry- more of these slots will be filled out as the season winds down. This list will be updated as the Postseason picture becomes clearer.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[Fezzik]

Aaron Judge now just 4 homers from tying the 60+ year old AL single season record.

 

[JohnBM01]

Back home for more Houston Astros baseball action. Let's go! Wait... who's that team on the same ballpark as us? Oh, that's the Oakland Athletics. Let's do a four-game set and see what we can do against the A's...

* OAK Athletics at HOU Astros (4-game series)

[GAME 1] Thursday Night was Roberto Clemente Day, and a number of players were wearing the number 21 in his honor. It was the Houston Astros that scored first on an RBI double in the Bottom of the 3rd. The Atheltics, meanwhile, did something about that lead in the Top of the 4th. How about hanging two runs? The Astros leveled everything again in the Bottom of the 4th with an RBI double. It was 2-2 at that point. The Houston Astros had liftoff on a two-run bomb by Aledmys Diaz in the Bottom of the 7th to go up 4-2. An RBI in the same inning brings in another Astro to make it 5-2. That was the final score in this one- 5-2, Houston. By the way... I forgot to mention that José Altuve didn't start in this game.

[GAME 2] It was 4-0, Astros in the Top of the 6th when I first followed Game 2. Justin Verlander returned to the lineup after having right calf issues. He pitched 5 innings of shutout baseball. Yordan Alvarez hit not one, but three homers in this game. "Air Yordan" having himself a night. Only two other Astros have had multiple 3-homer games in a season in franchise history. An RBI by the Astros put them up 5-0 in the Bottom of the 6th. Ryne Stanek, one of the Astros' relief pitchers has an ERA of about 1.15. No other Astros relief pitcher in franchise history has an ERA even below 1.50 besides R. Stanek. He's been solid in relief. Astros clinch a playoff berth for the 6th straight season with this win!

[GAME 3] Oakland lit the scoreboard early in the Top of the 1st on an RBI. Houston would homer three times in the Bottom of the 1st to take a 4-1 lead. A sacrifice fly by Oakland brought in a run to make it 4-2 in the Top of the 3rd. A solo jack by Oakland made it a 4-3 Astros lead in the Top of the 4th. Oakland then put on a three-run bomb in the Top of the 5th to re-take the lead at 6-4. I didn't keep track of the rest of the game, so I'll say Houston ended up losing 8-5.

[GAME 4] When I first followed the game, Houston was up 7-0 heading into the Top of the 6th. Oakland would put up two runs in the Top of the 6th on some RBIs to make it 7-2. The Astros would get in an RBI in the Bottom of the 6th to go up 8-2. The following inning, Martin Maldonaldo blasted a three-run jack to go up 11-2 in the Bottom of the 7th. The final score was 11-2 as the Houston Astros take the series 3 out of 4.

GM1: (5-2; Houston)
GM2: (5-0; Houston)
GM3: (8-5; Oakland)
GM4: (11-2; Houston)

NEXT: at TB Rays (3 games), starting on Monday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 96-51 record, still enjoying both a sizable lead on the AL West and the best record in the American League. We earned a Playoffs berth now. The "Magic Number" to clinch the AL West is now 7. Our final(?) road trip of the season takes us to the AL East. Three at Tampa Bay followed by four at Baltimore. AL East is a tough division, so trying to rack up as many wins as possible is going to be tough even though we're already in the postseason. I know that on the schedule next are at Tampa Bay followed by at Baltimore.


Let's update the Postseason picture (changes in italics):
...AL EAST champions...
...AL CENTRAL champions...
...AL WEST champions...
Houston (postseason berth)
...AL WILD CARD 1...
...AL WILD CARD 2...
...AL WILD CARD 3...
...NL EAST champions...
...NL CENTRAL champions...
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions)
...NL WILD CARD 1...
...NL WILD CARD 2...
...NL WILD CARD 3...

Don't worry- more of these slots will be filled out as the season winds down. This list will be updated as the Postseason picture becomes clearer.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!


[UPDATE] NEW RECORD! Framber Valdez' quality start today gives him 25 straight Quality Starts- a new MLB single-season record!

 

[Blitz24]

Houston Astros have clinched the AL West following their victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Monday.

Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched a first round bye following their victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday.

New York Mets have clinched a playoff berth following their victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Monday.

Following last night's games, the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.


The Atlanta Braves can clinch a playoff berth tonight with a victory AND a Milwaukee Brewers loss (which probably is not what they want to happen). They can clinch a playoff berth without help if they win 2 more games.

No team can be eliminated from playoff contention regardless of the results today.

 

[JohnBM01]

The Houston Astros have never played against the Tampa Bay Rays all season up until now. With Tampa Bay deep into the Wild Card race, you know the Rays will valiantly battle the Astros to try to keep their AL Wild Card hopes alive. The Toronto Blue Jays currently hold the AL Wild Card lead over Tampa Bay. The Astros' "Magic Number" to win the AL West is 1, and 8 to clinch home field advantage heading into Monday Night. Let's find out how the Astros did when they visited Tropicana Field, which is also called... The Trop.

* HOU Astros at TB Rays (3-game series)

[GAME 1] The party got started by José Altuve as he hit a solo jack into left. It was yet another leadoff homer, but this was about five pitches in. So 1-0 Astros to start this game. The Astros would go on to blank the Rays 4-0. Houston Astros win the AL West and clinch a 1st Round Bye in the Playoffs!

[GAME 2] Houston scored first on an RBI single by Kyle Tucker in the Top of the 1st. He knocked down his 100th career RBI on a deep shot to left. Jeremy Peña launched a three-run bomb to put the Astros up 4-0 in the Top of the 3rd. Peña has been balling for Houston. Later in the game (didn't see what inning), the Astros scored again to make it 5-0. Though Tampa Bay had the bases loaded in the Bottom of the 9th, Houston preserved the 5-0 shutout.

[GAME 3] The Houston Astros hit an RBI to go up 1-0 in the Top of the 1st. The Astros have scored in the first inning of all three games in this series. The Rays tied the game later in the Bottom of the 6th on an RBI groundout. So the 6th inning ended 1-1 as the Rays finally light up their side of the scoreboard in this series. Tampa Bay finally led with a solo jack in the Bottom of the 7th. It is now 2-1, Rays. Astros tied it up at 2 with an RBI by Aledmys Diaz in the Top of the 8th. Then the next batter was Kyle Tucker, and "King Tuck" bombed a two-run shot to right center. 4-2 Astros now. One Astro almost knocked one out of The Trop, but only to be caught by ex-Astro Jose Siri. Martin Maldonaldo, however, bombed a solo jack to left-center that Jose Siri couldn't catch. Astros now lead 5-2 in the Top of the 9th. This was the final score- 5-2. Never before have the Astros swept the Rays at the Rays until this series.

GM1: (4-0; Houston)
GM2: (5-0; Houston)
GM3: (5-2; Houston)

NEXT: at BAL Orioles (4 games), starting on Thursday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 99-51 record, and AL WEST CHAMPIONS! The Orioles will be next on the schedule, and they're fighting for their AL Wild Card lives. So they're surely going to give the Astros an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-handle buffet when H-Town goes to B-More for four. The Astros shouldn't have to go full song into this game, but they don't want to relax their guard too much to where the Yankees may threaten for the best AL record. We'll see how this next one goes.

An extra story is that Dusty Baker never managed a 100+ win team in his storied career. That may change on the next Astros' win.


Let's update the Postseason picture (changes in italics):
...AL EAST champions...
...AL CENTRAL champions...
Houston (AL West Champions)
...AL WILD CARD 1...
...AL WILD CARD 2...
...AL WILD CARD 3...
...NL EAST champions...
...NL CENTRAL champions...
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions)
~New York Mets (playoff berth)~
~Atlanta (playoff berth)~
...NL WILD CARD 1...
...NL WILD CARD 2...
...NL WILD CARD 3...

Don't worry- more of these slots will be filled out as the season winds down. This list will be updated as the Postseason picture becomes clearer.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[Fezzik]

Aaron Judge now just 4 homers from tying the 60+ year old AL single season record.

now tied for 8th on the single-season all time HR list.
leading in all AL triple crown categories.
only players in the 21st century with a better season in adjusted OPS + (so the performance in context vs the rest of the league) are Bonds and Soto.
playing most of the season out of position.

man is going to get PAID

 

[Blitz24]

Yankees clinched a playoff berth following their win last night. That means 5 teams have officially locked up spots (2 of them have locked up their division). 13 teams are still mathematically eligible for the playoffs, but realistically the number is 14 as Boston, Minnesota and San Francisco can be eliminated by Tuesday and Chicago (AL) is likely not going to catch up to either the division or Wild Card Race (meaning it's a near certainty Cleveland locks up the AL Central).

 

[cjr3559]

If Judge breaks Maris’s record the Yankees need to get Aaron one of these as a gift.

And I’m not taking about the T-shirt:

 

[JohnBM01]

I want to take a moment and congratulate Albert Pujols on knocking down 700 home runs in his career. I can see Pujols as a Hall of Famer, and he's been an exceptional player throughout his career.

Happy news for Pujols fans, but elsewhere, my Astros have had a rough go in Baltimore so far. I'll highlight all the action when the HOU at BAL series concludes.

 

[Dolph Drago]

As much as I loathed seeing him come to the plate and absolutely destroy the Reds year after year with the much hated Cardinals, Pujols was one of those players I still respected quite a bit. First ballot HOF for sure.

 

[JohnBM01]

The final road trip of the season and final road series is at Baltimore. The Houston Astros seek 100 or more wins on the season after this series. Let's see if the Astros could make that happen against a feisty Baltimore Orioles squad...

* HOU Astros at BAL Orioles (4-game series)

[GAME 1] Justin Verlander got the start in this one for the Houston Astros. An RBI single by Roughned Odor in the Bottom of the 2nd put the Orioles up 2-0. That was all the scoring they needed as the Astros dropped Game 1 of this series 2-0.

[GAME 2] I rarely followed Game 2, which was probably a good thing because the Astros lost 6-0 in Game 2.

[GAME 3] For the first time this series, the Astros finally scored thanks to a right-center bomb in the Top of the 3rd by Jose Altuve. Two runs scored on that blast. Baltimore tied the game with the bases loaded and nobody out on an RBI single. Tied at 2 in the Bottom of the 4th. Then, they took the lead on a groundout RBI. Now 3-2, O's. Framber Valdez was the starting pitcher for Houston, and so that Quality Start streak of his was in serious jeopardy in this game. It was gone... as was a two-run shot by Baltimore that ended the Quality Start streak by Valdez. So Baltimore now leads 5-2 as Valdez allowed his first homer by a leftie. Astros decided, "man, 🤬 this 🤬 ... we're going to do something about this." And they did- a two-run RBI double by the Astros brought the game to 5-4, Baltimore. Another RBI single brought home another Astro. So now we're tied at 5. Now it was the Astros who re-took the lead 6-5 on a sacrifice fly by Houston. Anthony Santander tied the game on a solo homer. Now tied AGAIN- this time, 6-6. Baltimore re-took the lead 7-6 in the Bottom of the 6th on an RBI single. This game is NUTS! An RBI by the Astros with two outs tied the game at 7-7 in the Top of the 8th. Once the Orioles punched in a two-run jack in the Bottom of the 8th, I stopped watching. As it turned out, the Astros WON Game 3 by a score of 11-10! Yuli Gurriel delivered some solid hitting for the Astros to survive this slugfest.

[GAME 4] Because of a family gathering, I was unable to watch this game live as it happened. The Houston Astros put a four-spot to ultimately sink the Baltimore Orioles, but we needed 11 innings to settle the score. Astros leave Baltimore with a series split.

GM1: (2-0; Baltimore)
GM2: (6-0; Baltimore)
GM3: (11-10; Houston)
GM4: (6-3, 11 innings; Houston)

NEXT: vs. ARI Diamondbacks (2 games), starting on Tuesday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 101-53 record and AL WEST CHAMPIONS! Our final Home series features three teams. A quick two-game series hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks is next in our immediate future.


Let's update the Postseason picture (changes in italics):

...AL EAST champions...
Cleveland (AL Central Champions)
Houston (AL West Champions)
~New York Yankees (playoff berth)~
...AL WILD CARD 1...
...AL WILD CARD 2...
...AL WILD CARD 3...
...NL EAST champions...
...NL CENTRAL champions...
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions, NL Home Field Advantage)
~New York Mets (playoff berth)~
~Atlanta (playoff berth)~
...NL WILD CARD 1...
...NL WILD CARD 2...
...NL WILD CARD 3...

We'll see more teams get in and maybe secure Divisions as time goes on and as the season winds down.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[JohnBM01]

So... some Snakes from Arizona invaded Houston recently. Our former NL foes, the Arizona Diamondbacks, came to H-Town to play a quick two- game set. Let's see how that ended up in our final home stand of the 2022 regular season...

* ARI Diamondbacks at HOU Astros (2-game series)

[GAME 1] Jose Altuve hit a leadoff homer to start this game. He tied George Springer for most leadoff homers in a season by the Astros with his 12th leadoff jack of the season. Astros lead 1-0 after Altuve's bomb. In the Top of the 3rd, Astros' starting pitcher Luis Garcia was taken deep on a solo homer by the Diamondbacks. Now tied at 1-1. The Astros re-took the lead on a sacrifice fly in the Bottom of the 4th to make it 2-1. The Astros scored twice in the Bottom of the 5th- first on an RBI single followed by an RBI on a Fielder's Choice. So it's now 4-1 the Astros lead by. Jose Altuve touched the sky again with another solo bomb. It was home run No. 27 for the Astros' No. 27. David Hensley banged in a homer of his own. Alex Bregman wanted to join the home run party, and he did! A-Breg with a Breggy Bomb to the train track in left to make it 8-1 Astros in this wild Bottom of the 6th for the Astros. Arizona went yard in the Top of the 8th to add their second run of the game. Houston now leads 8-2. Make that 10-2 in the Bottom of the 8th as Jeremy Peña bombed a two-run jack to go up 10-2. This homer makes Jeremy Peña the sixth-ever rookie in Astros history to hit 20 home runs in a single season. This game ended in a 10-2 victory for Houston. Good night for Houston, but they needed the Yankees to lose at the Toronto Blue Jays to secure home field advantage in the AL. NYY won 5-2 at TOR. Oh, well...

[GAME 2] Game 1 ended awesomely, Game 2 began substandard. The Astros seem to lose their next game a lot when scoring double-digits in the previous game. Justin Verlander gave up a double followed by some bad pitches. One of those, allowed a Diamondback to steal home on a wild pitch. Arizona led 1-0 in the Top of the 1st at that point. A sacrifice fly led to Arizona leading 2-0 the same innings. The Astros' side of the scoreboard finally lit up when Chas McCormick hit a two-run shot to right. The game was tied at 2-2 at this point. While Jose Altuve was not in the lineup, he did appear with the bases loaded and two outs in the Bottom of the 9th; however, he was unable to bring an Astro home. So regulation solved nothing- extra innings. Arizona went off on the Astros scoring three runs in the Top of the 10th. All the Astros did afterwards was basically concede. Arizona wins in 10 innings after poor pitching by Justin Verlander and limited offense by Houston.

GM1: (12-2; Houston)
GM2: (5-2, innings; Arizona)

NEXT: vs. TB Rays (3 games), starting on Friday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 101-53 record and AL WEST CHAMPIONS! Our final Home series features three teams. It's possible Houston could take on Tampa Bay in the postseason, so the Astros shouldn't take the Rays lightly when they come to H-Town.


Elsewhere...

* Congratulations to Aaron Judge on finally knocking down that elusive 61st home run. He cashed in on tying the single-season record for most homers in a regular season. The Yankees downed Toronto again, this time- 8-3 in Toronto.

* During the Marlins at Mets series, Richard Blieier became the first pitcher since 1988 to balk three times in one at-bat. After Don Mattingly went in to argue the calls, he was ejected. Then later, R. Bleiier himself was ejected. Miami still defeated the New York Mets 6-4 that game. The last time so many balks in one inning were called was back in 1988 when Jim Gott of the Pittsburgh Pirates committed three balks in an inning.

(source for all: Yahoo! Sports)


Let's update the Postseason picture again. Latest changes (changes in italics):

New York Yankees (AL East Champions)
Cleveland (AL Central Champions)
Houston (AL West Champions)
...AL WILD CARD 1...
...AL WILD CARD 2...
...AL WILD CARD 3...
...NL EAST champions...
St. Louis (NL Central Champions)
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions, NL Home Field Advantage)
~New York Mets (playoff berth)~
~Atlanta (playoff berth)~
...NL WILD CARD 1...
...NL WILD CARD 2...
...NL WILD CARD 3...

We'll see who else will make the postseason as this is the final weekend of the 2022 season.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[JohnBM01]

The devastation from Hurricane Ian means that the incoming Tampa Bay Rays will be playing for much more than trying to stay in the AL Wild Card race. The Astros and Rays play a weekend series to end September and begin October. So let's see how things ended up here in Houston...

* TB Rays at HOU Astros (3-game series)

[GAME 1] When I first followed this game, Tampa Bay was up 6-2 in the Top of the 6th. In the Top of the 8th, the Rays hit a solo jack to go up 7-2. Even though we failed hard, we needed the Yankees to lose at Baltimore (or win Game 1) to secure top seed in the AL Playoffs. So this night wasn't all that bad. Still- back-to-back losses ain't cool. Trying to bounce back tomorrow night on FOX.

[GAME 2] I was mostly watching Petit Le Mans, so I didn't follow this game. Houston won 2-1. Rubber Game tomorrow.

[GAME 3] I did not see this game, because I was watching my Texans fail (again). From my losing favorite football franchise to my winning favorite baseball franchise, the Astros took this three-game series today with a 3-1 victory.

GM1: (7-2; Tampa Bay)
GM2: (2-1; Houston)
GM3: (3-1; Tampa Bay)

NEXT: vs. PHI Phillies (3 games), starting on Monday

The 2022 Houston Astros now hold a 104-55 record and AL WEST CHAMPIONS! Our final series is at home against the Philadelphia Phillies in Interleague play. The Fighting Phils are playing for their postseason lives, so the Astros can't take the Phils lightly. If the Astros sweep the Phillies in a three-game set, they will tie their most regular season wins with 107.


Let's update the Postseason picture again. Latest changes (changes in italics):

New York Yankees (AL East Champions)
Cleveland (AL Central Champions)
Houston (AL West Champions, AL Home Field Advantage)
~Tampa Bay (playoff berth)~
~Seattle (playoff berth)~
~Toronto (playoff berth)~
...AL WILD CARD 1...
...AL WILD CARD 2...
...AL WILD CARD 3...
...NL EAST champions...
St. Louis (NL Central Champions)
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions, NL Home Field Advantage)
~New York Mets (playoff berth)~
~Atlanta (playoff berth)~
~San Diego (playoff berth)~
...NL WILD CARD 2...
...NL WILD CARD 3...

We have almost filled out the 12 slots for the 2022 postseason now. All that remains is who will win the remaining Division championships and then putting the seeding for the Wild Card teams.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!


[UPDATE] Houston Astros are now 104-55, not 104-53.

 

[JohnBM01]

I want to take this moment to congratulate Aaron Judge on finally knocking down home run No. 62 on the season at the Texas Rangers. He finally did it. Previously, he hit homers against every other team... except the Texas Rangers. He finally hit that magical home run against the Rangers to make history. Whereas people question the legitimacy of other home run records, this one's genuine as I'm told. So worry no longer about seeing your favorite programming get broken up by seeing if A. Judge would bang that history-making homer.

My series summary of the Phillies at Astros will be posted once the series concludes.

 

[JohnBM01]

The Philadelphia Phillies are battling for their postseason lives, so the Houston Astros better make sure the Phillies don't tame the Astros heading into the postseason. The final series of the regular season is coming up. Here's how my Astros did...

* PHi Phillies at HOU Astros (3-game series)

[GAME 1] I did follow some of the game, but didn't get the score. If the Phillies won tonight or if the Milwaukee Brewers lost, the Phillies are IN. Turns out... the Phillies won 3-0. Dang. And by the way, Milwaukee won at home against Arizona 6-5 tonight in 10 innings.

[GAME 2] The Houston Astros must have been angered from having cold bats last night that they decided to do something about it tonight with Justin Verlander dealing to the Philadelphia Phillies. First, Jeremy Peña hit a two-run homer to left to put the Astros up 2-0 in the Bottom of the 1st. Kyle Tucker ("King Tuck") in the same inning finally knocked down his 30th homer of the season with a three-run bomb to left. Houston up 5-0 early with nobody out. Where was this offense last night? The Astros weren't done with bombing balls, as Martin Maldonaldo jacked one to left to make it a 6-0 Astros lead on a solo shot. Touchdown Astros! Justin Verlander tied a franchise record for striking out eight batters in a row. He tied Todd Wilson and Jim DeShaies on that feat for the Astros. If the 6-0 lead was a touchdown, the Astros added an "extra point" in the Bottom of the 5th on a two-out RBI single to make a 7-0 lead. The Astros scored again in the same inning on another RBI single for an 8-0 lead. The Astros drove in a run in the Bottom of the 8th on an BRI single to make it 9-0. Another run crossed home plate in the same inning to make it 10-0, Astros. The Astros' combined no-hitter bid was broken up in the Top of the 9th with nobody out. They'd give up three hits to start the Top of the 9th. So they went from nearly no-hitting the Phillies to giving up three straight hits and loading the bases... with nobody out, mind you. Houston would later retire the next three Phillies to preserve the shutout. A no-hitter shut would have capped an impressive night, but it was still an excellent night of baseball for the Houston Astros. Rubber game tomorrow afternoon.

[GAME 3] The first score of Game 3 came on an RBI double by the Houston Astros in the Bottom of the 3rd. It was 1-0 at this point for the Astros. In the same inning, "Air Yordan" didn't bomb another homer, but the big man did drive in a run on an RBI single to make it 2-0. I didn't see the rest of the game, but we ended up winning 3-2. Ryne Stanek, one of the Astros' relief pitchers, recorded the lowest ERA in team history for relief pitchers with a 1.15 ERA.

GM1: (3-0; Philadelphia)
GM2: (10-0; Houston)
GM3: (3-2; Houston)

NEXT: American League Divisional Series! (1st Round Bye, will begin ALDS Tuesday)

The 2022 Houston Astros will finish the 2022 regular season with a record of 106-56 record and AL WEST CHAMPIONS!


Let's update the Postseason picture one last time. Latest changes (changes in italics):

New York Yankees (AL East Champions)
Cleveland (AL Central Champions)
Houston (AL West Champions, AL Home Field Advantage)
Tampa Bay (AL Wild Card)
Seattle (AL Wild Card)
Toronto (AL Wild Card)
Atlanta (NL East Champions)
St. Louis (NL Central Champions)
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions, NL Home Field Advantage)
New York Mets (NL Wild Card)
Philadelphia (NL Wild Card)
San Diego (NL Wild Card)

That's all. Congratulations to all Playoff teams! Better luck next season to all who failed to make the postseason.


Congratulations to all other series winners! Congratulations to all others who recently won!

 

[Dolph Drago]

After getting clobbered by the Cubs 15-2 today, the Reds finished managed to hit the 100 loss mark for the second time in franchise history. The start of the season was awful at 3-22, the middle of the season was mediocre, and the end of the season was awful as they lost 20 of 26. They went the final two weeks of the season without scoring more than 3 runs in any game. Since September 12th, they scored 4 runs once and 5 runs twice, never scoring higher. Hard to win with such feeble offense.

I'll give them some benefit of the doubt, as they grinded through to the end with Votto, Stephenson, Senzel, India, and Moustakas all finishing on the IL. And that doesn't take into account the multitude of pitchers who were no longer suiting up due to injury.

One strong point was that, despite all of them spending some time on the IL at some point, the rookie trio pitchers of Greene, Lodolo, and Ashcraft (discounting today's performance) had an excellent post All-Star break. Greene gave up a total of 2 runs in his final 5 starts. Both came in the same game, meaning 4 of his last 5 he wasn't scored upon at all. And it was only 4 starts, but fellow rookie Overton looked good as well before hitting the IL much earlier in the season. Oh, and Alexis Diaz, much like his brother Edwin in New York, is going to be an absolute stud of a closer.

If, and that's a big IF, the team can stay healthy, they stand a chance to have a good season next year or the following. I know it sounds crazy after losing 100 games, but the young arms have already shown what they are capable of. And the offense will be fine as long as they aren't being forced to start backups and third stringers. Hey, the Bengals made the Super Bowl after winning 4 games the prior season, and a whopping 2 before that. That's sports for ya'.

 

[JohnBM01]

We are done with the 2022 regular season of Major League Baseball! With the Wild Card series beginning this Friday, here are how all of the teams finished the regular season. Find your favorite team(s):

LEGEND:

• Playoff teams are in Bold + italics
• Division Champions with exclamation point (!)
• Division Champions and Home Advantage with two exclamation points (!!)

--- American League: Final 2022 Regular Season Standings ---
AL EAST: New York Yankees! (99-63), TOR (92-70), TB (86-76), BAL (83-79), BOS (78-84)
AL CENTRAL: Cleveland! (92-70, CHW (81-81), MIN (78=84), DET (66-96), KC (65-97)
AL WEST: Houston!! (106-56), SEA (90-72), LAA (73-89), TEX (68-94), OAK (60-102)

--- National League Final 2022 Regular Season Standings ---
NL EAST: Atlanta! and New York Mets (101-61 each), PHI (87-75) MIA (69-93), WAS (55-107)
NL CENTRAL: St. Louis! (93-69), MIL (86-76), CHC (74-88), PIT and CIN (62-100 each)
NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers!! (111-51), San Diego (89-73), SF (81-81), ARI (74-88), COL (68-94)


Here is the Playoffs alignment:

(3-game series, all games played at higher-seeded teams)

• SEA Mariners at TOR Blue Jays - series winner gets No. 1 HOU Astros in ALDS
• TB Rays at CLE Guardians - series winner gets No. 2 Yankees in ALDS
• SD Padres at NYM Mets - series winner gets No. 1 LAD Dodgers in NLDS
• PHI Phillies at STL Cardinals - series winner gets No. 2 ATL Braves in NLDS

Playoffs dates: (dates may change based on how long each series lasts)

• Wild Card series begin Oct. 7, 2022 and goes through Oct. 9
• Division Series begin Oct. 11; goes through Oct. 16 for AL and Oct. 17 for NL
• Championship Series begin Oct. 18 for NL and Oct. 19 for AL; runs through Oct. 25 for NL and Oct. 26
• World Series begin Oct. 28 and goes through Nov. 5

Enjoy the 2022 Postseason!

 

[JohnBM01]

Welcome to the 2022 postseason of Major League Baseball! Congratulations to all who made it (and better luck next season to those who didn't make it)! The Wild Card series begin today. Those fortunate enough to make it to the Wild Card rounds will be involved in three-game series at the site of higher-seeded teams. So the eight teams that got into this round will see four advance and four others have to settle for next season.

The Atlanta Braves are the defending Champions, and they'll await the winner of the PHI/STL series.


I almost posted this in the wrong thread, but otherwise, enjoy the Wild Card games!

 

[JohnBM01]

Wild Card series updates...

• The Seattle Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays and will get the Houston Astros in their ALDS match.
• The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays and will get the New York Yankees in their ALDS match.
• The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and will get the Atlanta Braves in their NLDS match.

San Diego vs. New York Mets still has to be settled. The winner of today's game will get the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.


The Divisional Series begins this Tuesday.

 

[JohnBM01]

By virtue of their 6-0 thrashing in Game 3 of their NL Wild Card match, the San Diego Padres ended the season of Blitz24's New York Mets.

So now, our Divisional Series matches are set. Here are the matches (all best-of-5):

• SEA Mariners vs. HOU Astros
• CLE Guardians vs. NYY Yankees
• SD Padres vs. LA Dodgers
• PHI Phillies vs. ATL Braves

One of these eight remaining teams will be hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy at season's end. Atlanta is the defending Champion. We're guaranteed a California team in the NLCS unless both teams forfeit for whatever reason(s). Who will be Champion of the 2022 season? Find out as the Playoffs go along! The Divisional matches begin tomorrow.

 

[JohnBM01]

Eight teams remain now as the Divisional Series begin today. The Divisional Series are best-of-5 with the series winners playing to compete in the Championship Series. Check my previous post for the ALDS and NLDS matches.

Since I provide series summaries, this may or may not be the last of the summaries for my Astros this season. I won't mention any other series or games unless I want to focus on them. I post based on series just to keep everything organized. So I'll post about my Astros until either they are eliminated or (granted they make it this far) how they did in the 2022 World Series.


If your favorite team(s) made it up to this point, congratulations! Enjoy the Divisional Series!