Today is a big day in the Major League Baseball postseason. Wednesday is the last time four playoff games are scheduled on the same day.
Four games means four opportunities for heartbreak.
With that, let’s take a look at the biggest MLB playoff upsets ever.
Sit down
The New York Yankees pitched fairly well in the AL Wild Card Series against a tough Boston Red Sox lineup despite Aaron Judge being unavailable due to a calf injury.
But with the exception of Ben Rice and Austin Wells, the Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff made easy work of Yankees hitters in the ALDS. Rice and Wells combined to go 4-for-6, but the rest of the Yankees are 1-for-52 in the ALDS. Fifty two to one! The hit was a 90.3 mph single off Cody Bellinger in Game 2.
If you want the series to go beyond Tropicana Field, it’s up to you, New Yorkers.
Wispy with RISP
When watching the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS, prepare to be disappointed if someone gets on base. Both teams’ hitting went 1-for-29 with runners scoring in the first three games of the series.
Mauricio Dubon knocked in the first run of Game 2 with an RBI infield single in the top of the 1st inning. He clocked in at 83.7 mph, but made a huge difference in the Braves’ 3-2 victory.
And it’s not like Shohei Ohtani hit a foul ball hard. He has a .205 expected batting average to go with a .258 expected slugging. The Dodgers said before the season that they liked how Ohtani was swinging the bat, despite having little opportunity to pitch in September due to injuries. Manager Dave Roberts could have tried to make everyone feel better.
Do you see Jose or not?
Cleveland Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez is 0-for-6 with three hits heading into Game 3 of the ALDS against the White Sox. Sample sizes don’t get much smaller than that, but this isn’t the first time he’s been hit during the playoffs: Ramirez is a .225/.313/.353 hitter in 198 career postseason plate appearances.
Something is brewing: something smelly
Even if you get up after the season, it feels like you’re walking on water. The Milwaukee Brewers will take the Padres to the brink again tonight, but their offense has yet to perform well in the NLDS. Milwaukee has put 38 runners on base in three games due to hits, walks, hits and errors, but they have scored just 10 runs and left 27 on base.
At least the players mentioned so far still have options to buy.
Those disappointments will have to wait until next year.
Pete Crowe-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs: He went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts against the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card Series and is 5-for-34 with 16 strikeouts and zero extra base hits in his postseason career.
The Cubs led the majors in runs scored during the regular season, but their lineup was neutralized by Padres pitchers. Cubs batters went a collective 8-for-62 (seven hits) with 19 hits and one run scored in two games.
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies: In 13 plate appearances against the Braves, he hit .091 with an expected batting average of .162 and an expected slugging percentage of .223.
The Phillies making big changes this offseason has already been discussed, and doing something about the top of the lineup should be at the top of the list.