October wasted no time delivering drama. Three of the four wild-card series ended in two-game sweeps on Wednesday: Cody Bellinger's three-run homer capped a six-run sixth as the Yankees routed the Red Sox 9-2, the White Sox stunned the Astros 7-3 in Houston for their first postseason series win since the 2005 World Series, and Gavin Sheets' pinch-hit two-run homer sealed San Diego's 4-1 win over the Cubs.
The numbers tell the story of October cruelty: the Cubs led MLB with 850 regular-season runs yet managed one run in 18 innings. The White Sox, baseball's great punchline for two decades, chased Hunter Brown in the first inning and never looked back. And the Yankees did it all without Aaron Judge, sidelined with a strained right calf.
Only one series survives. Alec Bohm's 10th-inning solo homer — after Schwarber and Harper went back-to-back in the eighth — gave the Phillies a 4-3 win and forced a winner-take-all Game 3 in Atlanta tonight. The winner visits the Dodgers. October, indeed.
