Braves sweep Marlins, reach NL Championship Series
Not since the days of John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine had the Atlanta Braves pitched like this in the playoffs.
And even those future Hall of Famers didn’t throw the way these Braves have this postseason.
“What those guys did on the mound is almost mindblowing,” manager Brian Snitker said.
Rookie Kyle Wright dazzled for six innings in his postseason debut, and the Braves rode their superb pitching to beat the Miami Marlins 7- 0 on Thursday in Houston for a three-game sweep and their first trip to the NL Championship Series since 2001.
Marlins starter Sixto Sanchez (0-1) was pulled after three innings, charged with four runs on four hits.
Wright (1- 0) was sharp despite not pitching since Sept. 25, allowing three hits and walking two with a career-high seven strikeouts. A. J. Minter, Jacob Webb and Shane Greene finished the five-hitter.
Atlanta became the second team in history to throw four shutouts in the first five playoff games, joining the 1905 New York Giants behind Hall of Famers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity.
After two rounds the Braves have already pitched the most postseason shutouts in franchise history, besting the 1996 and 1991 teams that threw three each as both lost in the World Series. They are one shutout shy of tying the MLB record for most in a postseason set by the 2016 Indians over 15 games.
They will play the Dodgers or Padres in the NLCS starting Monday in Arlington, Texas.
YANKEES 5, RAYS 1 >> Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres hit home runs, Jordan Montgomery and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, and New York forced a deciding fifth game in their AL Division Series.
New York kept Tampa’s Randy Arozarena in the ballpark after the 25-yearold Cuban homered in each of the first three games. Aces Gerrit Cole of New York and Blake Snell of Tampa Bay are expected to pitch tonight. The winner will remain in San Diego to face the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series starting Sunday night. DODGERS 6, PADRES 5 >> Cody Bellinger homered and robbed Fernando Tatis Jr. of a go-ahead shot, and Joe Kelly got the final out with the bases loaded in a tension-filled ninth inning as Los Angeles held off San Diego late Wednesday night for a 2- 0 lead in their NL Division Series.
Bellinger nearly went to a knee to hit a long home run and then kept the Dodgers ahead with a spectacular, leaping catch at the centerfield fence.
The Padres were down one with a runner on and two outs in the seventh when Tatis hit a towering drive to center. Bellinger ran nearly 100 feet while watching the ball, then jumped and extended his gloved right hand above the 8-foot wall to make the catch.