We could not have asked for a better way to kick off the 2025 postseason. Four games, three of them close (and hey, the Reds got the tying run on deck despite being down by five late), and phenomenal pitching performances across the board are what the playoffs are all about. Let’s do it again!
Guardians vs. Tigers, 10:08am PDT
The Tigers took Game 1 by a score of 2-1 on the back of an otherworldly outing by Tarik Skubal in which he racked up fourteen strikeouts, and the Guardians had the tying run on third base with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, but failed to score. They’ll look to even the three-game set behind righty Tanner Bibee, and while he posted a career-worst 4.24 ERA and 4.34 FIP in 2025, he finished off the regular season with a bang, allowing just two runs over 21 innings across three starts, including a rare complete game shutout against the White Sox on September 12th. Detroit will counter with former first-overall pick Casey Mize, who earned his first career All-Star berth with a strong first half. He stumbled a bit down the stretch, but finished off his regular season with a 6.1 inning, two run, and eight-K performance against the Red Sox.
Cubs vs. Padres, 12:08pm PDT
The Cubs triumphed over the Padres 3-1 yesterday on the back of solo shots from Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly. Curiously, they are opting for a bullpen day today, with former Mariner farmhand Andrew Kittredge getting the “start”. Chicago’s bullpen did cobble together 4.2 perfect innings after an early-ish exit from former Mariner Matt Boyd yesterday, but it will be curious to see who’s available given that Daniel Palencia got five outs yesterday. The Padres will send strikeout artist Dylan Cease to the mound, and while his ERA this year was pretty inflated at 4.55, the rest of his peripherals are in line with his career marks, so the Cubs should not expect a gimme.
Yankees vs. Red Sox, 3:08pm PDT
The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead yesterday with a score of 3-1, and Yankees fans were left heartbroken after a NOBLETIGER in the bottom of the ninth inning. They’ll look to bounce back by turning to veteran lefty Carlos Rodón, who set a new career high in innings pitched with 195. Boston will respond with young righty Brayan Bello, who improved his ERA from 2024 by more than a full run despite identical 4.19 FIPs. Also of note in today’s game is that this series will decide the start time Game 1 of the Mariners’ ALDS; John broke down the possibilities here.
Dodgers vs. Reds, 6:08pm PDT
Game 1 of this series played out basically how you would expect; the Dodgers thumped six homers – including two each from Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández – to put up double digits. Things did get a little interesting in the later innings as LA’s bullpen remained shaky, allowing the Reds to get the tying run all the way to the on-deck circle, but the homer barrage was too much to overcome and the final score stayed 10-5. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will look to punch the Dodgers’ ticket to the NLDS, while Cincinnati will send righty Zack Littell – another former Mariners minor leaguer – to prove the power of friendship can overcome anything.
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