New York (AFP) – The New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox powered into the second round of the Major League Baseball playoffs on Wednesday as the Philadelphia Phillies produced a late home-run bombardment to stay alive against the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees wrapped up a 2-0 wildcard series over the Boston Red Sox with an emphatic 9-2 win at Yankee Stadium and will face top seeds Tampa Bay in the next round. The White Sox — who received a letter of support from lifelong fan Pope Leo XIV before their series with Houston — fended off a spirited Astros to win 7-3 in Texas.
Philadelphia meanwhile came from behind to snatch a 4-3 extra-inning victory over the Braves in Atlanta that squared their series at one apiece, with the decider on Thursday. Chicago’s defeat of the Astros was the latest stop on what has been a remarkable turnaround for the club, who suffered 100 defeats or more in three consecutive campaigns before this season. Chase Meidroth’s three-run homer sealed victory for the White Sox, who will face Cleveland in the American League division series. “That’s everything, man. Coming through for the guys, there’s no better feeling in the world,” said Meidroth.
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After racing into an early 4-0 lead, Chicago saw Houston close to within a run after solo homers from Jeremy Pena, Cam Smith, and Jose Altuve, each walloped solo home runs in the first, second, and fourth innings. But Meidroth’s three-run blast snuffed out the Astros’ fightback. The Yankees followed up their 9-0 defeat of Boston on Tuesday with another thumping win in the Bronx to set up their division series duel with Tampa Bay. Outfielder Cody Bellinger produced the moment of the match, launching a three-run homer in a six-run sixth inning that put the Yankees into an 8-1 lead.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia stayed afloat after their thrilling 4-3 defeat of Atlanta. In a dramatic comeback, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back homers in the eighth to equalize before Alec Bohm’s game-winning home run in the 10th inning. “I don’t really know what happened,” Bohm said. “I was trying to pull the ball to the foul pole and I hit it to right field so I’ll take it.” The series winner plays the reigning MLB champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five series starting Saturday.
Phillies outfielder Harper, who fluffed a routine catch in the seventh inning allowing Atlanta to seize the lead, found redemption in the eighth. Harper followed Schwarber’s homer off Dylan Lee with his own solo shot to level at 3-3, and the game went to extra innings. Harper said when he came to the plate he was thinking: “I’ve got to come up big.” “That ball in right field I probably should have caught obviously, so got to come through for my team right there,” Harper said. “Great win.”
In the dramatic 10th, Bohm blasted a two-out homer for the winning run. But it was not over, with the Braves yet to bat. Phillies relief pitcher Andrew Painter, in his playoff debut, allowed two singles as tension built but struck out pinch-hitter Dominic Smith to secure victory. Later Thursday, the San Diego Padres will aim to wrap up a series victory over the Chicago Cubs in California.
© 2024 AFP
