Schlittler and Rice torment hometown team as Yankees beat rival Red Sox 9-0 in playoff opener
NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Schlittler pitched another playoff gem against the Boston Red Sox, and Ben Rice also burned their hometown team with a late grand slam and six RBIs as the New York Yankees opened this Wild Card Series rematch with a 9-0 victory. With the Yankees minus star slugger Aaron Judge because of a calf injury, Rice homered twice, doubled and finished with four hits to power the offense. No. 9 batter Austin Wells drove in two runs for New York, and 21-year-old rookie George Lombard Jr. had three hits in his postseason debut. Rice and Schlittler were both raised among Red Sox fans in Massachusetts and went to college in New England before getting plucked by the Yankees out of Boston’s backyard in baseball’s amateur draft.
Austin Riley’s 3-run homer off Jhoan Duran rallies Braves past Phillies 5-3 in NLWCS opener
ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Tuesday in the opener of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series. Duran, who allowed just two homers in 61 regular-season games, gave up a single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch. Riley drove the go-ahead blast over the wall in right-center field. Harris had three hits. Braves ace Chris Sale dueled for much of the game against left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who was sharp after missing the last couple weeks of the regular season with left shoulder inflammation.
White Sox strike first in AL wild card, beating Astros 6-3 in Game 1
HOUSTON (AP) — Colson Montgomery hit a solo homer and Sam Antonacci drove in two runs to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros 6-3 in Game 1 of an AL Wild Card Series. The White Sox, in the postseason for the first time since 2021, made a remarkable turnaround this year to become the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth. They had lost 100 games three straight seasons, including 121 defeats in 2024, setting the record for most losses since 1899.
Padres rout Cubs 8-0 in emphatic Wild Card opener with Tatis’ leadoff homer, King’s no-hit bid
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff homer in Padres history on the Cubs’ first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory over Chicago in the NL Wild Card Series opener. Manny Machado also homered in the first inning before adding an RBI double in the third during an emphatic opening statement by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later. Nico Hoerner got the Cubs’ only hit off King with a one-out infield single in the seventh.