Braves sweep Marlins to reach NLCS
HOUSTON » Rookie Kyle Wright dazzled for six innings in his postseason debut, and the Atlanta Braves rode their superb pitching to beat the Miami Marlins 7- 0 Thursday for a threegame sweep and their first trip to the NL Championship Series since 2001.
Atlanta had lost eight straight Division Series, including in each of the previous two seasons, before out scoríng the Marlins 18-5, including 11- 0 in the final two games. The Braves are 5- 0with a 0.92 ERA in the postseason, allowing five runs in 49 innings.
There were only a few scattered cheers as the Braves wrapped up the series in an almost empty Minute Maid Park, where the only fans allowed were players’ friends and families.
They will play the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego in the NLCS starting Monday in Arlington, Texas. They had not advanced to the NLCS since they were led by Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, a team managed by Bobby Cox.
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 to give the Braves four shutouts in five playoff games.
They’re the second team in history to throw four shutouts in the first five playoff games, joining the 1905 New York Giants.
Travis d’Arnaud doubled twice, with the first one driving
in two runs in Atlanta’s big third inning. The veteran catcher, who bounced around three teams in a tough 2019, helped steady Atlanta’s young starters, was 6 for 10with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs in the sweep.
The Marlins, who lost 105 games last season, were the feel-good story of this postseason after overcoming a coronavirus outbreak to reach the postseason for the first time since 2003. With a front office led by Derek Jeter and and a dugout headed by manager Don Mattingly, they entered confident after sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round. But the young team was overwhelmed and lost a playoff series for the first time after entering 7- 0 with titles in 1997 and 2003. YANKEES 5, RAYS 1 » Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres hit impressive home runs, Jordan Montgomery and three relievers combined on a three-hitter and New York beat Tampa Bay to force a deciding fifth game in their AL Division Series.
The Yankees bounced back from two straight losses against their AL East rivals to set up an expected showdown between aces Gerrit Cole of New York and Blake Snell of Tampa Bay on Friday night.
Cole, backed by four home runs, beat Snell 9-3 in the series opener Monday and will be pitching on short rest for the first time in his big league career.
The Game 5 winner will remain in San Diego to face the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series starting Sunday night.
The Yankees are trying to reach the ALCS for the third time in four seasons following eliminations by the Astros at that stage in 2017 and last season. The Rays are trying to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2008, when they made it to their only World Series.
Wearing their home pinstripes for a second straight night at neutral site Petco Park, the Yankees lived up to their Bronx Bombers nickname.