Miami Marlins v Chicago Cubs (Marlins lead 1-0)
The Marlins and Cubs were supposed to play their second game on Thursday afternoon, but the game was postponed due to rain. Any schedule change can mess with starting pitchers. They tend to be so habitual that any change can get mixed results. But on Friday, it wasn’t the pitching that was the problem. Hits were held to a minimum for both teams. The Marlins’ rookie starter Sixto Sanchez (5IP 4H 0ER 2BB 6K 89PC) and Yu Darvish (6.2IP 5H 2ER 2BB 6K 94PC) were both locked in and laser-focused for their teams. The Marlins were eventually able to scratch out a couple of runs on Darvish, enough for their 2-0 victory.
St Louis Cardinal v San Diego Padres (Series tied at 1-1)
The Cardinals were one of the few teams to hold on to their ace for the third game in the wildcard round. Unfortunately, SP Jack Flaherty was not enough to overcome the offense or the plethora of pitchers used by the Padres. The Cardinals lost 4-0, and the Padres advanced to the next round. Flaherty (6IP 6H 1ER 2BB 8K 110PC 1L) did everything he could, but the offense couldn’t figure out any of the pitchers the Padres used in this elimination game. The Padres used a total of 9 pitchers (9IP 4H 0ER 3BB 8K 1W), to keep the Cardinals on tilt. The White Sox manager Rick Renteria might want to watch this game and take notes for next season.
Divisional Round Match-ups start on Monday, October 5
American League
- Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees
- Houston Astros v Oakland Athletics
National League
- Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres
- Atlanta Braves v Miami Marlins