The final four teams are all in action today with NLCS Game 2 at Dodger Stadium while the ALCS kicks off in the Bronx.
If you’re a fan of teams with high payrolls, then this is the postseason for you. The big-budget Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees are all playing in the championship round, joined by the more modest spending Guardians. For Orioles fans, our rooting interests in the ALCS are clear. May the Yankees get thoroughly trounced by Cleveland and preferably not win a single game. In the NL, I’ll be pulling for the Mets, who seem like a fun team, but I won’t really care all that much if the Dodgers emerge victorious.
4:08 ET – Mets at Dodgers, Game 2, FOX/FS1 (LA leads 1-0)
Starting pitchers: LHP Sean Manaea vs. RHP Ryan Brasier
No amount of Grimace or OMG magic could save the Mets in Game 1, which quickly turned into a lopsided Dodgers rout. Yeah, giving up nine runs while scoring exactly zero generally isn’t a recipe for baseball success.
After Kodai Senga’s early exit in the opener forced the bullpen to cover a lot of innings, the Mets are hoping for a long, successful outing from Sean Manaea, who has pitched superbly in this postseason thus far. Manaea delivered a solid five-inning performance against the Brewers in the Wild Card Series, then dominated the Phillies in the NLDS with seven innings of one-run ball. Manaea faced the Dodgers once during the regular season this year, giving up two runs in five frames.
The Dodgers are countering with a bullpen game, which worked out excellently in Game 4 of the Division Series when they beat the Padres to stay alive, ultimately winning the series. Veteran righty Ryan Brasier will get the ball first, but expect another six or seven pitchers to follow him.
7:38 ET – Guardians at Yankees, Game 1, TBS
Starting pitchers: RHP Alex Cobb vs. LHP Carlos Rodón
Let’s go, Guardians! They finally felled the red-hot Tigers in a thrilling Game 5 of the ALDS, setting up a showdown between the AL’s two best regular season teams. Funny how that works out sometimes.
The Guardians’ starting rotation is not exactly a strength, and they’ll be opening the series with Cobb, who made only three regular season starts after missing most of the year with shoulder irritation. Cobb, as an ex-Tampa Bay Ray and Oriole, has faced the Yankees 19 times in his career but only once in the past four years. The Guardians and the stellar bullpen won’t be asking Cobb to go deep into the game.
The Yankees will start with Rodón, who got hit hard by the Royals in the ALDS last week (four runs and seven hits in 3.2 innings) and carries an 11.37 ERA in three career postseason appearances. The longtime Chicago White Sock has faced Cleveland more than any other team in his career — 21 games, 19 starts — but not since 2022. The Guardians, despite many of their key hitters being lefties, have hit better against southpaws (.751 OPS) than against right-handers (.685) this year.