Padres, Royals, Tigers advance; Brewers force Game 3 | QB Power Rankings

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⚾ Good morning to everyone, but especially to…

WEDNESDAY'S MLB WINNERS

The Wild Card Series will not only feature competitions. Jackson Chourio And Garrett Mitchell I made sure of it. Chourio hit two homers – a first-out homer and the game-tying one in the eighth inning – and Mitchell later hit a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning brewer Beat that Mets5-3 to even the series.

Chourio and Mitchell have written an impressive story:

• Chourio (20 years, 205 days old) is the second youngest player with a multi-home run playoff game Andrew Jones.
• Mitchell joined the Hall of Famer Paul Molitor becoming the only player in Brewers history with a home run in the eighth inning or later of a playoff game.
• The Brewers were 0-26 overall in the playoffs when they trailed in the eighth inning.

Phew. Playoff baseball at its finest…unless you're a Mets fan. All three runs came about Phil MatonAnd Carlos Mendoza explained why he chose Maton above Edwin Diaz.

In the other NL Wild Card series is the Padres were able to fend off a late attack, but only just. San Diego held on 5-4 and closed out the game Brave.

After taking an early 5-1 lead, everything seemed clear… until the start Joe Musgrove left with tightness in the elbow. A number of Padres relievers did good work until the eighth inning Michael Harris II hit a two-run home run to cut the deficit to one. However, that was the maximum Atlanta could achieve Robert Suarez earn the save.

As far as the crime is concerned, Kyle Higashioka Home run for the second time in a row, and Manny Machado And Jackson Merrill drove two runs each. The Padres meet their NL West rivals Dodgers next.

In the AL, after a dominant outing by Tarik Skubal in game 1, tiger manager AJ Hinch promised “pitching chaos” in Game 2. Thanks to seven pitchers and some hitting chaos, his team caused chaos in the MLB playoffs. Detroit eliminated Houston in impressive fashion with a 5-2 victory.

In the eighth round he was behind 1:2 and staring into space Astros' outstanding bullpen duo from Ryan Pressly And Josh Haderthe Tigers didn't bat an eyelid. Kerry Carpenter scored the winning run on a pressed wild pitch. Four batters later, pinch hitter Andy Ibanez delivered a base-clearing double against Hader to take the lead. It was the first go-ahead hit by a pinch-hitter in franchise playoff history.

The Tigers were 10 games out of a playoff spot less than two months ago. They never stopped believing, not then and certainly not now. Maybe they're too young to know better, or maybe they just have the right stuff at the right time. Next are their AL Central nemesis Guardian.

The Royals made it to the Divisional Series for the third time with a 2-1 win over the AL Central Orioles. Kansas City, like Detroit, followed its established script, writes Mike Axisa. Seth Lugo And Angel Zerpa combined to get out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fifth and a half innings later, Star Bobby Witt Jr. secured the winning run for the second time in a row. The Royals Face The Yankees next.

😄 Honorable mentions

😣 And not such a good morning for…

THE LOSERS OF THE WILD CARD SERIES

And three seasons are already over.

We'll start with the Astros, whose seven-year ALCS streak is over.

As Matt Snyder notes, it is The season wasn't a complete failure. Playoff baseball shouldn't be taken for granted, especially given the injuries Houston has struggled with. But 88 wins were the fewest in a full season since 2016. Even though parts of a championship-caliber core have returned, There are big questionsincluding what happens to Alex Bregmanat first base and especially with the rotation.

So the Astros' streak is over. The Orioles can't end soon enough. Baltimore has lost 10 straight postseason games, the fourth-longest losing streak in MLB history. Franchise pillars Gunnar Henderson And Adleyrutschman combined to reach 1 in 15 in this series. The first five spots in the batting order overall went 3 for 36. Making matters worse is that Colton Cowser broke his hand.

A lot of people talk about the Orioles' bright future, but our Mike Axisa says It's now time to win. I completely agree.

The Braves just didn't have enough. Not many teams would do that. Early injuries Spencer Strider And Ronald Acuna Jr. Put a cap on the ceiling and Austin Riley's late injury, Chris Sale's even later injury and Monday's doubleheader proved too much to overcome. says RJ Anderson There are better days ahead.

😬 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Knicks make Karl-Anthony Towns trade now official

It took a while, but this Karl Anthony cities Deal with that Curtsy Is finally official. Here are the moving parts:

• Knicks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
• Timberwolves receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, Pistons' top-13 protected 2025 first-round pick (via Knicks)
• Hornets receive: Charlie Brown, DaQuan Jeffries, Duane Washington Jr., two second-round picks (via Knicks), one second-round pick (via Timberwolves)

The Knicks had to Avoid Town's questions during media dayas the deal had not yet been completed. Now that it's official, Brad Botkin tells the Knicks made an excellent trade.

• Botkin: “Cities will have the freedom to do what he does best – try pick-and-pop all night long and shoot as much of the ball as possible in an optimally distributed field without the burden of an offense to carry must. … It's simple: The perfect move at the perfect time for the Knicks – not because Towns is a savior, but because he doesn't have to be. No, this is a new day.

Sam Quinn investigated Aftermath of the deal.

🏈 NFL, College Football QB Power Rankings

It's hard to believe, but we're almost a quarter of the way through the NFL season. And if you had told someone this a month ago Patrick Mahomes were outside the top 5 of the first October issue of Cody Benjamin's QB Power Rankingsthey probably wouldn't have believed you. But it's true. Mahomes is sixth, behind…

1. Josh Allen (previously: 1)
2. Lamar Jackson (3)
3. Brock Purdy (4)
4. Sam Darnold (10)
5. CJ Stroud (5)

As surprising as Mahomes' struggles are, so are his rises Baker Mayfield (16th to 8th) and Jayden Daniels (18th to 9th) are equally impressive.

We have a new No. 1 pick again in college football and it's hard to argue with this pick: Jalen Milroe is above Tom Fornelli's list after his big game against Georgia. Here are the top 5:

1. Jalen Milroe (previously: 2)
2. Cam Ward (1)
3. Shedeur Sanders (5)
4. Nico Iamaleava (6)
   
5. Hajj-Malik Williams (not ranked)

Yes, that is the Hajj-Malik Williams who has taken over UNLV after Matthew Sluka'S Zero-based transfer. What a step up from the former Campbell Star who had 301 total yards and four touchdowns against him Fresno State.

⚽ Matchday 2 results of the UEFA Champions League

The second matchday of the UEFA Champions League has been decided, but not without a wealth of notable surprises.

• Lille stunned real Madrid1-0, with the reigning champions another wasteful daywrites Pardeep Cattry.
• Aston Villa crowned Bayern Munich1-0, with Supersub Jhon Duran grab a late winner for Unai Emeryis a great success and ends Bayern's 41-game unbeaten streak in the Champions League group/league. Villa manager Emiliano Martinez James Benge makes the headlines Champions League team of the week.
• Despite the reduction to 10 men, Juventus came back to bat RB Leipzig3-2.
• Benfica frolicked around Atletico Madrid4-0.

Pretty much the only powerhouse that looked like this Liverpoolwhat passed by Bologna2:0. Chuck Booth says Arne Slot has Liverpool's Champions League And Premier League hopes are thrivingand Chuck improved their results from fifth to second place Champions League power rankings.

📺 What we're watching on Thursday

⚾ NL Wild Card Series Game 3: Mets at Brewers7 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Texas State at Troy7 p.m. on ESPNU
🏈 Buccaneers at Falcons8:15 p.m. on Prime Video
🏈 Sam Houston at UTEP9 p.m. on CBS Sports Network