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MLB InsidersESPN
On a Thursday that could have sent four teams home from the 2020 MLB playoffs, at least one team on the brink survived to play another day. The New York Yankees shut down the Tampa Bay Rays to force a winner-take-all Game 5 on Friday. Earlier, the Atlanta Braves completed a National League Division Series sweep of the Miami Marlins, and the Houston Astros followed by finishing off the Oakland Athletics. Will the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminate the San Diego Padres in the evening's final game?
Here are the stars, turning points and takeaways from each of Thursday's games.
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New York Yankees 5, Tampa Bay Rays 1
What it means: The Yankees outdid the bullpen experts to force a decisive Game 5 in the American League Division Series in San Diego. New York put together one of its more complete games of the postseason, holding the Rays' bats at bay, allowing only three hits, and taking advantage of the few opportunities Tampa Bay's elite arms afforded it. Meanwhile, left-hander Jordan Montgomery was able to wiggle in and out of trouble through four innings of work, allowing just one run. From there, the Yankees' bullpen, which has been suspect at times, worked like clockwork, with Chad Green, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman combining for five hitless innings, with Kyle Higashioka once again behind the dish, having earned the starting job over the struggling Gary Sanchez.
Southern California's marine layer, a stiff breeze that kicked up for Game 4, tried to push back any ball threatening to leave Petco Park, but massive swings by Luke Voit (a solo shot in the second) and Gleyber Torres (a two-run blow in the sixth) accounted for three of the Yankees' five runs.
All of the Yankees' relievers threw fewer than 25 pitches, which will be an advantage for their pen, as it will be all hands on deck for Game 5 on Friday night, with Gerrit Cole starting on short rest for the first time in his career. -- Marly Rivera
Next up: Game 5, with a spot in the American League Championship Series on the line, Friday night in San Diego.
Houston Astros 11, Oakland Athletics 6
What it means: The Astros didn't possess the pitching depth to match the A's going into this series. Their path to victory was obvious -- they needed to hit like the Astros of old. And they did just that. A decorated lineup that languished through the shortened season finally came to life at Dodger Stadium, which consistently provided warm day games that heavily favored the hitters.
Carlos Correa, George Springer and Michael Brantley each provided multihomer performances during the series and the Astros amassed 33 runs in four games. Eleven of those runs, on 14 hits, came in the Game 4 clincher, with Correa going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and one 427-foot home run. The dagger was provided by Jose Altuve, who struggled mightily during the regular season but crushed a 428-foot home run to straightaway center field in the seventh, his sixth hit in 15 at-bats this series.
The Astros will have their challenges in the next round, a seven-game series with no off days in between. Zack Greinke, who gutted through 14 outs in Game 4, is clearly not right. The rest of the rotation is nowhere near as accomplished. And the bullpen is composed of young pitchers who were mainly starters in the minor leagues. But those are problems for another day. The Astros -- hated by most of America and clearly determined not to care -- are heading to their fourth consecutive ALCS. -- Alden Gonzalez
Next up: The Astros will open the ALCS on Sunday in San Diego against either the Rays or the Yankees. The A's, meanwhile, begin their offseason with some questions to answer.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. is feeling good about the Braves' large lead in Game 3 of the NLDS vs. the Marlins.
Atlanta Braves 7, Miami Marlins 0
What it means: The gap between even two disparately matched teams doesn't always show up in a short series, but it sure did in this one. The Braves throttled the underdog Marlins in every way imaginable. Atlanta got airtight pitching, timely defense and an offense that kept the scoreboard clicking both with and without home runs.
The Marlins did not look ready for prime time, which really should have surprised no one. They were a 31-29 team during the season that was outscored by 41 runs. Miami has more work left ahead of it in its quest to construct a perennial winner. Still, from overcoming an early-season COVID-19 outbreak to rarely seeing their home ballpark in the opening weeks of the campaign, the Marlins overcame a lot to get this far. Better days lie ahead, and establishing an organizational identity as one of resilience is not nothing for a franchise that has for so long lacked an identity of any sort. Kudos to Don Mattingly and his squad.
Now Atlanta will move up in class after polishing off Cincinnati and Miami without breaking a proverbial sweat. By polishing off the Marlins in three games, now the Braves can make the short trip from Houston to Arlington, Texas, and enjoy three days off before the National League Championship Series begins Monday. Thus, manager Brian Snitker and his staff can set up their pitching plan however they see fit. The Dodgers and the Padres present a considerably more formidable test for Atlanta, but so far, the Braves appear to be more than ready for it. -- Bradford Doolittle
Next up: Atlanta's NLCS matchup with Los Angeles or San Diego will begin Monday night in Arlington, Texas. Miami heads into the offseason with questions to answer after a surprising run has come to an end.
More Thursday games:
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MLB playoffs 2020 -- Takeaways from all four of Thursday's division series games - ESPN
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