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Major League Baseball and its fans couldn’t have asked for much more in the first two games of the 2016 National League Championship Series.

The Chicago Cubs took a step toward ending their World Series curse in Game 1 when Miguel Montero hit a dramatic, game-winning grand slam in the eighth inning off the bench. The Los Angeles Dodgers answered in Game 2 with seven shutout innings from the dominant Clayton Kershaw to tie the series at a game apiece.

This NLCS of iconic locales now shifts from Wrigley Field to Dodger Stadium for Games 3-5.

With that in mind, here is a look at an updated schedule with broadcast information (courtesy of MLB.com) before delving into a series prediction.

Series Prediction

Chicago’s bats were invisible in Game 2, but there are still plenty of reasons to like the 103-win team moving forward in this series.

For one, the Cubs shouldn’t be intimidated playing on the road after they knocked out the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series champion San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the division series at AT&T Park.

They also have some favorable pitching matchups to rely on, which comes as no surprise for the team that led all of baseball in ERA this year.

Jake Arrieta will take the ball in Game 3. Last year’s National League Cy Young winner already has a no-hitter in his career at Dodger Stadium and will get some run support from his offense against lefty Rich Hill. The Cubs finished third in the league with 220 runs scored and second in the league with a .807 OPS against southpaws this season.

Elsewhere, Chicago’s John Lackey is a battle-tested veteran with 24 postseason appearances on his resume and a 3.22 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in those contests. The Cubs also have Cy Young candidates Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks available for later in the series after the two combined to allow two earned runs in 11.1 innings in the first two games.

Los Angeles’ Kenta Maeda will pitch at least one more time in this series, and Chicago already scored three runs against him in four innings in its Game 1 victory. He also allowed four earned runs in three innings in his division-series start against the Washington Nationals.

Despite some advantages on paper for the Cubs, Kershaw looms over this series.

He already proved he can shut down the Chicago offense on Sunday and demonstrated his mettle in the division series against the Nationals when he started Game 4 with the Dodgers’ backs against the wall and then came out of the bullpen to register the pressure-packed save in Game 5.

New York Times best-selling author Molly Knight put Kershaw’s Game 2 performance from this series into perspective:

Considering he has three Cy Youngs and a National League MVP on his sparkling resume, that is saying something about his outing that prevented the Dodgers from falling into a daunting 2-0 hole in the first two games at Wrigley.

In theory, he can start one or possibly even two more games in this series or be used as a weapon out of the bullpen if needed.

Still, the thought here is that some of the Chicago bats that have been hibernating will wake up enough during the rest of the NLCS against the other pitchers for the Cubs to clinch their first World Series appearance since 1945.

Anthony Rizzo was one of the best players in all of baseball this year and slashed .292/.385/.544 with 32 home runs and 109 RBI. However, he is mired in an abysmal 1-for-23 slump with six strikeouts in the postseason.

Catcher David Ross didn’t seem too concerned, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times: “People just need to stay positive—this is Anthony Rizzo we’re talking about. I told him I’ve seen David Ortiz not do well in the playoffs, and the next thing you know, he’s World Series MVP.”

Rizzo isn’t the only one the Cubs need to bust out of a slump. Addison Russell drilled 21 home runs and tallied 95 RBI from the shortstop position this year, but he is just 1-for-22 in the postseason.

If those two get going alongside an already red-hot Kris Bryant (slashing .333/.385/.625 in the playoffs) and Javier Baez (slashing .391/.417/.609 in the playoffs), Chicago will have enough of an advantage on the mound and at the plate when Kershaw isn’t pitching to win three of the final five games.      

Prediction: Chicago wins in seven games.

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The majority of the postseason drama in the division series came from the National League this year, but the American League has two teams that are a combined 7-0 in the playoffs set on a collision course with a spot in the World Series hanging in the balance.

The Toronto Blue Jays stunned the Baltimore Orioles in 11 innings in the American League Wild Card Game then proceeded to sweep the Texas Rangers in the next round. The Cleveland Indians swept the Boston Red Sox and will square off with Toronto in the American League Championship Series.

The winner will face the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.

The Cubs ended the San Francisco Giants’ even-year magic by scoring four runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 of their series the day after San Francisco won a 13-inning thriller, while the Dodgers and Nationals will play a do-or-die Game 5 on Thursday.

With that in mind, here is a look at the updated postseason bracket, remaining schedule (courtesy of MLB.com) and predictions for which teams will clash in the World Series.

American League Bracket

National League Bracket

Postseason Schedule

World Series Prediction

The American League representative in the World Series is more of a straightforward prediction at this point because the Cubs don’t yet know their opponent in the National League Championship Series.

Cleveland was impressive against Boston, but its starting rotation injuries will prove costly in the ALCS. Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com noted Danny Salazar has been out since Sept. 9 because of a forearm injury, while Carlos Carrasco is done for the season with a hand injury.

While Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Salazar threw a bullpen session and could pitch out of the pen against Toronto, that will still put plenty of pressure on Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin as the three starters.

They were able to carry the load in the short series with the Red Sox, but Toronto’s loaded lineup will get to them early and tax a bullpen that relies heavily on Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. 

Toronto leads the postseason in runs and finished fourth in the regular season with 221 home runs. Edwin Encarnacion (42 homers), Josh Donaldson (37), Troy Tulowitzki (24), Michael Saunders (24), Jose Bautista (22) and Russell Martin (20) all blasted at least 20 long balls during the regular season, and Bautista and Encarnacion have combined for five in just four playoff games.

What’s more, Encarnacion, Bautista, Donaldson, Martin and Tulowitzki are all right-handed hitters, which limits the impact the southpaw Miller will have late in the game.

Indians outfielder Coco Crisp still isn’t intimidated, per Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun: “When it comes to beating Toronto, just like Boston we’re going to have to come out there and relax and play our game.”

Despite the confidence, Toronto will wear out Cleveland’s pitching over the course of the longer series. 

There is also something to be said for experience, and the Blue Jays reached the ALCS last year and eventually lost to the Kansas City Royals. That won’t be the case this time around against Cleveland.

As for the National League, the Cubs’ dramatic comeback win on Tuesday was important for more than just the victory itself. Chicago earned three days of rest in between series to reset a formidable starting rotation that led all of baseball with a 2.96 ERA. 

That will prove crucial against the Dodgers, who pitched Clayton Kershaw on short rest Tuesday, or the Nationals, who will pitch Max Scherzer on Thursday.

The Cubs have a deep rotation with Jon Lester (2.44 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), Kyle Hendricks (2.13 ERA, 0.98 WHIP), Jake Arrieta (3.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) and John Lackey (3.35 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) that gives them a chance to win any given matchup. It says something about Chicago’s pitching that Arrieta won the National League Cy Young last year and is the No. 3 starter this season.

They also have a strong bullpen that can close the door behind the starters with fireballers Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman.

The lineup includes likely National League MVP Kris Bryant—who slashed .292/.385/.554 with 39 home runs and 102 RBI—Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and dynamic youngsters such as Javier Baez and Willson Contreras.

That group doesn’t have to score a ton of runs with the pitching and the best defense in baseball. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs defense was responsible for 82 total defensive runs saved above average this season, which was a full 31 above the second-place Houston Astros.

Chris Emma of 670 The Score in Chicago pointed out the bullpen and versatile defense are a perfect fit for manager Joe Maddon:

The opponent doesn’t matter—the Cubs have the formula to win in October.

World Series prediction: Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays

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The ninth inning of Tuesday’s Game 4 of a National League Division Series will long be remembered as a nightmare for the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants were in full control at AT&T Park with a 5-2 lead after a brilliant outing by starter Matt Moore, but the Chicago Cubs exploded for four runs against five different relief pitchers to earn a 6-5 win and clinch the series.

The sequence: Derek Law allowed a leadoff single to Kris Bryant, Javier Lopez walked Anthony Rizzo, Sergio Romo gave up an RBI double to Ben Zobrist, Will Smith allowed a two-run single to Willson Contreras and got Jason Heyward to bunt into a forceout, and Hunter Strickland gave up the game-winning single to Javier Baez.

Rachel Nichols of ESPN reacted to the rally after the Giants had won a 13-inning thriller in Game 3 on Monday:

Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cubs a spot in the National League Championship Series.

Perhaps the most incredible takeaway was the fact the Giants lost an elimination game in an even year, as ESPN Stats & Info highlighted:

San Francisco won the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series, but Stats LLC (h/t Fox Sports) noted Chicago starter John Lackey was the last active pitcher to beat the Giants in an elimination contest (Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, when Lackey was with the then-Anaheim Angels).

Lackey didn’t eliminate San Francisco on Tuesday, as he struggled through just four innings of work, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four.

His counterpart, Moore, was nearly unhittable through eight innings. The southpaw gave up one earned run on two hits and two walks and struck out 10. He appeared primed to add his own chapter to the Giants’ postseason legacy until the fateful ninth.

Conor Gillaspie—who tallied a go-ahead two-run triple in the eighth inning Monday and the decisive three-run home run in a victory over the New York Mets in the Wild Card Game on Oct. 5—nearly played the role of offensive hero again with four hits, a run and an RBI. He even drew “MVP” chants from the crowd. Moore, Denard Span, Buster Posey and Joe Panik also drove in a run apiece for the Giants.

San Francisco wasted little time jumping on Lackey, as Span doubled to lead off the bottom of the first, advanced to third on Brandon Belt’s fly out and scored on Posey’s sacrifice fly.

Anthony Masterson of Stats LLC pointed out the Giants’ lead was nothing new:

Chicago bounced back in the third when David Ross drilled a home run to left field. At 39, he became the oldest catcher and Cubs player to homer in the postseason, per Andrew Simon of MLB.com.

Lackey kept San Francisco off the board in the bottom half, but it was Baez who turned heads. The second baseman made an incredible diving stop and nearly threw out the speedy Span on a play that was reviewed. He then slapped a lightning-quick tag on the leadoff hitter to help catch him trying to steal second.

Baseball journalist Andrew Baggarly called the first play the best he’s ever seen by a second baseman, and Bob Nightengale of USA Today praised the 23-year-old:

Baez couldn’t do anything to stop the Giants in the fourth. Gillaspie and Panik singled with one out, and Moore came up with the bases loaded after Gregor Blanco walked. Moore smacked an RBI single on an 0-2 pitch, and Span made it 3-1 on a fielder’s choice.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post underscored how unlikely the pitcher’s RBI was:

The Cubs got one back in the next inning when Baez advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Crawford and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ross.

San Francisco appeared to break things open with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Hunter Pence singled, and Crawford blasted the ball off the top of the wall in right field. Pence didn’t score because he went back to re-touch second base, and Crawford ended up with a double.

SF Giants on CSN highlighted just how close it was to a home run:

Travis Wood came on in relief, but Gillaspie plated Pence with a single, and Panik scored Crawford with a sacrifice fly for a 5-2 advantage.

Chicago threatened in the sixth when Dexter Fowler drew a leadoff walk and Bryant dumped one into right field, but Pence charged the in-between ball and forced Fowler out at second. That was the last time the Cubs bothered Moore, who retired the Cubs 1-2-3 in the seventh.

The Giants reacted to his performance:

Moore struck out Ross and Fowler in the eighth to cap his night in style.

But as great as Moore was Tuesday, his showing will forever be a footnote thanks to Chicago’s offensive onslaught in the ninth. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy didn’t give the ball to Romo to start the ninth after the closer recorded a blown save Monday, and Law, Lopez, Romo, Smith and Strickland couldn’t get the job done.

Adam Amin of ESPN noted the meltdown was nothing new:

The Giants will have all winter to think about their bullpen shortcomings after Tuesday’s collapse.

What’s Next?

The Cubs advanced to the NLCS, which starts Saturday at Wrigley Field. They will face the winner of Thursday’s decisive Game 5 between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chicago can reset its rotation of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and Lackey, while its next opponent still has to register one more win and will likely be without its best starter until at least Game 2. The Cubs were 5-2 against the Nationals and 4-3 against the Dodgers this season.

Chicago reached the NLCS last year only to be swept by the Mets. One key difference this time around will be home-field advantage, as the Cubs will look to get off to a quick start in front of the Chicago faithful.

Postgame Reaction

Gillaspie summarized things from the Giants’ perspective, per Baggarly: “It’s hard. We pour our whole lives into this. To see it end like this, to be honest, I’m still shocked.”

Bochy said he didn’t want to put Moore back on the mound for the ninth, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area: “That’s a lot of work [120 pitches]. He did his job. We were lined up.”

Bryant noted the Cubs’ confidence level in the final inning, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times: “High. It’s always high. We’ve got a lot of guys on our team who have had unbelievable years.”

Baez talked about why he celebrated so much after his big hit, per Greenberg: “Their pitcher was staring at me for no reason.”

Rizzo said the Cubs have a larger prize in mind, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago: “You can’t take for granted what we’ve done last year and this year. But we got one mission, one goal in mind. That’s eight more wins.”

If they get those eight wins, Chicago will likely party until Opening Day next year.

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If the San Francisco Giants continue their even-year magic in 2016, they will likely look back on Monday as one of the craziest games in their journey. 

The 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series champions kept their dreams alive with a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs in a 13-inning thriller at AT&T Park. Chicago still leads the National League Division Series 2-1, but Joe Panik played the role of hero with a game-winning blast off the wall that scored Brandon Crawford. 

Fox Sports MLB pointed out that the Giants are nearly impossible to eliminate with their backs against the wall:

There were plenty of heroics to go around outside of Panik’s game-winner. Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant connected with a two-run homer in the ninth off Giants closer Sergio Romo with his team trailing 5-3 to force the marathon extra innings.  

ESPN Stats & Info noted the blown save was nothing new for San Francisco:

The Cubs likely would have won in nine were it not for another clutch performance from Conor Gillaspie. He drilled a home run in his team’s National League Wild Card Game victory over the New York Mets and saved San Francisco’s season with a two-RBI triple against Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning.

Chicago held a narrow 3-2 lead at the time, but Gillaspie drove the ball to plate both runners. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted how unlikely the moment was on the marquee stage:

Perhaps the most surprising thing was the fact that Madison Bumgarner was not the one who served as the postseason hero in Game 3. The southpaw started the game and allowed three earned runs and seven hits in just five innings and didn’t resemble the clutch performer who earned a shutout win in the Wild Card Game and won the 2014 World Series MVP.

The three runs he allowed came off a Jake Arrieta three-run homer in the second inning.

Chicago’s starter was solid on the mound as well and allowed two earned runs and struck out five in six innings of work. He did enough to win, but Chapman, Hector Rondon and Travis Wood couldn’t lock it down in the fateful eighth.

The Cubs wasted little time getting to Bumgarner when Arrieta hit that home run. Ryan Baker of CBS Chicago said it snapped Bumgarner’s streak of 24 scoreless postseason innings, while Amy Lawrence of CBS Sports Radio noted it was the first time the Giants southpaw allowed a single earned run in a playoff elimination game.

Chicago received two RBI from Kyle Hendricks and a solo homer from Wood in Game 2, and ESPN Stats & Info underscored how effective the pitchers have been at the plate:

The Cubs threatened again in the third with runners on the corner and a single out, but Bumgarner struck out Javier Baez and retired Miguel Montero. He kept the Giants within striking distance early by escaping trouble, and his offense rewarded him in the bottom of the frame when Denard Span doubled and scored on a Buster Posey single.

While the Giants still found themselves behind, Bumgarner settled in after a slow start and kept Chicago at three runs through five innings. His pitch count was elevated to 101, and manager Bruce Bochy elected to pinch hit Eduardo Nunez in the pitcher’s spot to lead off the bottom of the fifth.

Nunez grounded out, but the top of the San Francisco order did some damage. Span tripled and scored on Brandon Belt’s sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Arrieta bounced back and worked a 1-2-3 sixth, but he received some help on Baez’s spectacular backhanded play to retire Gillaspie. Anthony Rizzo’s foot appeared to come off the base on the throw, but the call stood after review.

Jonah Keri of CBS Sports described the sequence:

Despite the call, Derek Law kept the Giants within a single run with two scoreless innings, and Hunter Strickland added a shutout eighth for San Francisco and positioned it for the dramatic comeback.

Pedro Strop countered with two quick outs as the first Chicago reliever in the seventh. However, Wood allowed a single to Belt in the eighth, and Rondon walked Posey before Maddon turned to Chapman with two runners on and nobody out.

The fireballer struck out Hunter Pence but gave up the bases-clearing triple to Gillaspie and an RBI single to Crawford. By the time Chapman left the game, the Giants had a 5-3 lead and runners on the corners with just one out.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago raised an interesting point after Chapman’s struggles:

Justin Grimm kept the score at 5-3, which proved critical when Bryant connected with his game-tying homer. ESPN Stats & Info highlighted just how close the long ball was to not making it over the fence:

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports joked it was unusual to see a Chicago hitter outside of the pitchers come through at the plate:

Mike Montgomery forced extras with a scoreless ninth, but it only happened when Albert Almora Jr. made a diving stop on Posey’s sinking line drive and doubled off Belt from first base. 

Romo redeemed himself with a perfect 10th that included two strikeouts, but Montgomery matched him and pushed the back-and-forth affair to the 11th. The Cubs offense couldn’t do anything against Will Smith or Ty Blach in the 11th and 12th, but Montgomery continued to shut down the Giants and extend the contest.

Chicago threatened in the 13th with two runners on, but David Ross grounded into a double play. 

Montgomery’s scoreless streak came to an end in his fifth inning, as Crawford doubled and scored on Panik’s blast to keep San Francisco’s season alive.

What’s Next?

Game 4 is Tuesday in San Francisco.

The Giants have a chance to tie the series and send it back to Chicago for a do-or-die Game 5, where Johnny Cueto will likely start with Bumgarner as a possible option out of the bullpen. The Cubs will want to attack Matt Moore in Game 4 to avoid that scenario and will counter with veteran John Lackey.

Lackey has 23 postseason appearances under his belt and a solid 3.11 ERA in those games, but this will be his first in a Chicago uniform. If he turns in a noteworthy performance, the Cubs will find themselves in the National League Championship Series.

Postgame Reaction

Although things looked bleak for the Giants at various points throughout Game 3, especially when Chicago tied it in the ninth, Panik discussed the team’s never-say-die attitude following the crucial victory, according to ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon: “If we’re breathing, we’re still fighting.”

The Giants have been unbeatable in elimination games over the past several years, and Arrieta is well aware that it will take a massive effort to oust them, per MLB.com’s Chris Haft and Carrie Muskat: “This is October baseball. We know games are going to be very closely contested. [The Giants] are no slouch with their pedigree in the playoffs. We have our work cut out for us.”

While the loss was a disappointing one for a Cubs team that is trying to exorcise more than a century of postseason demons, Maddon remained upbeat following the defeat, according to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune: “Both sides should be somewhat exhilarated There’s nothing on our side to be ashamed of.”

Bochy also had a positive outlook on the game and was impressed with the manner in which his team dug deep to come out on top, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle: “It was one of the best, most exciting games I’ve ever been involved in. They found a way. The game had everything: pitching, timely hitting on both sides. It was just a fun game to be involved with.”

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The Cleveland Indians haven’t won the World Series since 1948, while the Boston Red Sox boast three championships since 2004.

Baseball fans would have never guessed it during their American League Division Series.

Cleveland finished its three-game sweep with a 4-3 victory at Fenway Park on Monday. Starting pitcher Josh Tomlin allowed just two earned runs with four strikeouts in five quality innings, and the bullpen combination of Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen closed the door.

Tyler Naquin’s two-run single in the fourth inning and Coco Crisp’s two-run homer in the sixth provided enough run support for the Indians bullpen, which allowed just one run in four innings.

ESPN Stats & Info noted it wasn’t the first time Cleveland handled Boston in October:

The Red Sox put two runners on in the ninth but couldn’t come through, as Travis Shaw flied out to end the game. David Ortiz had a sacrifice fly and two walks in the final game of his career, while Hanley Ramirez and Andrew Benintendi each added an RBI.

Boston starting pitcher Clay Buchholz lasted just four innings, allowing two earned runs, and Drew Pomeranz gave up the long ball to Crisp.

While it wasn’t the ending he wanted, Ortiz leaves the game with a remarkable resume:

Things started ominously for the Red Sox when Carlos Santana hit a towering pop-up down the third base line to lead off the game. The wind blew the ball into fair territory, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts couldn’t make the play. Buchholz, however, prevented any damage by retiring Mike Napoli and Jose Ramirez after Francisco Lindor singled with one out.

Boston put a runner in scoring position in the second, and Cleveland did the same in the third, but the two starters escaped trouble.

Nick Friar of CSNNE.com questioned the Red Sox’s offensive strategy against Tomlin:

The Indians broke through in the fourth. After Ramirez singled and Lonnie Chisenhall walked, Naquin drove them in with a single following Crisp’s sacrifice bunt. Cleveland may have scored more than two runs if Dustin Pedroia hadn’t made a diving stop on Roberto Perez’s hard-hit, one-out grounder.

ESPN Stats & Info noted Naquin was an unlikely run-producer given his recent struggles:

Boston manager John Farrell gave the ball to Pomeranz to start the fifth. He retired the Indians 1-2-3, and the Red Sox got on the board in the bottom of the frame.

After Bogaerts singled with one out, he scored when Benintendi drilled a double off the Green Monster. But Tomlin limited the damage to just one run by striking out Sandy Leon and inducing a groundout from Jackie Bradley Jr.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com praised the right-hander’s performance:

Pomeranz opened the sixth by walking Ramirez, and Crisp launched his two-run homer two batters later. Grant Brisbee of the McCovey Chronicles pointed out a dichotomy between the teams’ rosters:

After Pedroia singled to start the bottom of the sixth, Cleveland manager Terry Francona turned to Miller and his 1.45 ERA and 0.69 WHIP. The southpaw wasn’t his normal dominant self right away, as he allowed a double to Mookie Betts and sacrifice fly to Ortiz.

But Miller struck out Ramirez with Betts on second base to preserve the Indians’ 4-2 lead.

Joe Kelly pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for Boston, but Miller countered with a scoreless bottom half. Daren Willman of MLB.com illustrated how Miller kept the Red Sox lineup at bay and carried his team to within two innings of a sweep:

Koji Uehara did his part for Boston in the eighth thanks largely to a terrific over-the-shoulder catch by Betts and an impressive barehanded play by Bogaerts, and the Red Sox cut into the lead in the bottom of the frame.

Shaw entered and retired Pedroia and Betts but also allowed a one-out single to Shaw. Allen then came on and walked Ortiz on four pitches and gave up an RBI single to Ramirez. He held on to the lead, though, by retiring Bogaerts on a sharply hit line drive to second.

Bastian noted how close Boston came to tying the game:

In the bottom of the ninth, Allen surrendered a two-out single to Bradley and a walk to Pedroia before getting Shaw to end the game.

After the game, the Fenway Park crowd chanted “Papi! Papi!” and “Thank you, Papi!”

What’s Next?

The Indians will face the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series, which starts Friday in Cleveland.

The Blue Jays are a perfect 4-0 in the postseason with an 11-inning Wild Card Game win over the Baltimore Orioles and a sweep of the Texas Rangers in their ALDS under their belt. The Indians were 4-3 against Toronto in the regular season, including a 19-inning victory at the Rogers Centre on July 1.

Cleveland will have to deal with a loaded lineup that finished fourth in the majors in home runs and features Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista. If the Indians are going to reach their first World Series since 1997, they’ll need to limit the Blue Jays’ powerful bats—just like they did to the Red Sox.

Postgame Reaction

Betts noted that many of Boston’s outs were hard-hit, per Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal: “We’re producers, not directors.”

Ortiz saluted the crowd:

Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com said Ortiz was in tears, and the slugger addressed the moment, per MacPherson: “I’ve been trying to hold my emotions the best I can. That last second, I couldn’t hold it no more.”

Lindor described the journey as far from over, per Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 in Cleveland: “We’ve got a long way to go still. We’ve got a long way to go.”

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis provided a glimpse into Cleveland’s mindset, per Camino: “We think it’s our turn.”

It certainly was Monday.

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The Cleveland Indians are attempting to match the Cavaliers by bringing a championship to their city in 2016.

They took the first step Thursday at Progressive Field with a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Home runs by Roberto Perez, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor and a stellar performance from their bullpen powered the win. All three long balls came in the third inning, while an RBI single by Kipnis drove in what proved to be the winning run in the fifth.

Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer lasted just 4.2 innings for Cleveland, allowing three earned runs and six hits. But the combination of Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen allowed just one more run for the rest of the game. Miller was particularly impressive with four strikeouts in two clutch middle innings, and Allen earned a 1.2-inning save with four punchouts of his own.

ESPN Stats & Info noted it was Allen’s first five-out save of the season, while T.J. Zuppe of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland underscored how important the bullpen was Thursday:

Allen ended the night by striking out Dustin Pedroia, who failed to check his swing on a full count:

Boston starting pitcher Rick Porcello allowed five earned runs and six hits in 4.1 innings. Its bullpen was also effective, as Drew Pomeranz, Joe Kelly and Koji Uehara didn’t allow an earned run in 3.2 combined frames.

The Red Sox offense, which led MLB in runs scored, wasted little time jumping on Bauer. Pedroia doubled to lead things off and moved to third on Brock Holt’s single. They each appeared to score on Hanley Ramirez’s double, but Holt was eventually called out after a replay review.

Daren Willman of MLB.com praised the efficiency of Cleveland’s relay:

The Indians responded in the second, when Jose Ramirez doubled and scored on Lonnie Chisenhall’s single. Another review called Chisenhall out after he attempted to reach second base, but he did enough to drive in Cleveland’s first postseason run since 2007.

The offense continued in the third, but from unexpected sources. Each team’s No. 9 hitter drilled a solo home run. Andrew Benintendi gave Boston a brief lead in his first postseason at-bat, and Perez answered with a dinger of his own.

Cleveland was far from done. Kipnis and Lindor drilled back-to-back homers, and Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal pointed out how rare the feat was against Porcello:

The Indians noted it wasn’t the first time they had connected with three home runs in a playoff inning:

Sandy Leon continued the power surge with a long ball in the fifth to trim Boston’s deficit to 4-3. Bauer couldn’t finish the inning, and manager Terry Francona didn’t hesitate to give the ball to Miller. The southpaw allowed a double to Holt and walked Mookie Betts, but he struck out David Ortiz in a pressure-packed moment.

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe described why Ortiz was overmatched in the showdown:

Porcello didn’t last through the fifth, either, as Boston manager John Farrell inserted Pomeranz. He failed to strand Porcello’s runner, immediately allowing an RBI single to Kipnis. It would have been worse, but Mike Napoli’s drive down the line bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, forcing Kipnis to hold at third.

Chisenhall struck out with the bases loaded two batters later.

Miller and Pomeranz each settled in and kept the game at 5-3. Miller struck out two in the sixth and one in the seventh, while Pomeranz struck out the side in the sixth and recorded one strikeout in the seventh. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com pointed out Miller’s outing wasn’t all good news for Cleveland:

The Indians missed Miller in the eighth, when Shaw gave up a solo home run to Holt, who was just a triple short of the cycle. Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander noticed there was a pattern at Progressive Field:

Allen kept it in the ballpark in relief of Shaw, although he allowed a double to Ortiz. He escaped the jam by inducing a groundout from Ramirez and striking out Xander Bogaerts.

Allen didn’t appear fatigued when he took the mound in the ninth and struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. and Leon before Benintendi delivered a single to keep Boston alive. However, Allen struck out Pedroia to close out the victory. MacPherson noted the second baseman was “livid” with the call, as he was already on his way to first base because he thought he had checked his swing and earned a walk.

What’s Next?

Game 2 is Friday in Cleveland.

While the Indians earned the early lead in the series, the Red Sox are still one victory away from being in ideal position. Boston can steal home-field advantage with a Game 2 win before things shift to Fenway Park, but Cleveland could seize a commanding lead before it even leaves home with a win Friday.

Game 2 will be a showdown of aces, with David Price toeing the rubber for Boston and Corey Kluber doing the same for Cleveland.

Price faced Cleveland just once this season, allowing two earned runs and striking out 10 in six innings. Kluber faced Boston twice with mixed results. He gave up four earned runs and nine hits in 5.1 innings April 5, but he was better May 20, allowing only two earned runs and five hits in seven innings.

Postgame Reaction

Bauer said, “That was the coolest experience of my life,” when asked about the atmosphere, per Zuppe.

Zuppe shared more of the starting pitcher’s thoughts after the win:

Allen praised the Red Sox after the hard-fought save, per MacPherson: “They’re so relentless. … They put up professional at-bats after professional at-bats.”

On the other side, Pedroia talked about the umpire who called him out on the check swing, per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald: “I’ll apologize to Phil [Cuzzi] tomorrow for yelling at him.”

Ortiz had a positive outlook even after the defeat, per McAdam: “Hey, listen this is not over yet…I’m gonna bring my best tomorrow, and I’m sure my teammates will too. See you all manana.”

If the Red Sox do that, this series will be tied as it moves to Boston.

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The Toronto Sun reported on Thursday that Ken Pagan was charged with one count of mischief for throwing a beer can from the crowd at Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim during the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5-2 victory in Tuesday’s American League Wild Card Game.

The Toronto Police issued a news release saying Pagan was arrested and charged.

The Toronto Police also released a picture of Pagan on Wednesday and encouraged the perpetrator to turn himself in after throwing the beer at the Rogers Centre:

Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun noted Pagan talked to police Wednesday and arranged to do just that. According to Warmington, Pagan is an employee of Postmedia and an award-winning journalist.

The incident occurred in the seventh inning when Melvin Upton Jr. drove a deep fly ball to left. Kim caught it near the wall, where Pagan narrowly missed him with the beer can. Center fielder Adam Jones ran over to defend his teammate and yelled into the crowd, while manager Buck Showalter came out of the dugout to discuss the play with the umpires.

Jones voiced his displeasure after the game, per ESPN.com:

Someone threw a beer down at my player. That’s about as pathetic as it gets between the lines. You don’t do that. I don’t care how passionate you think you are. Yell, cuss, scream, tell us we’re horrible. We get that. We’re the opposition. We completely understand that. To throw something at a player, that’s as pathetic as it gets.

The Blue Jays offered a statement on their Twitter page, apologizing for the incident to the Orioles and Major League Baseball and ensuring they will use stricter security measures to increase the safety of the fans and players:

This is not the first time Blue Jays supporters have thrown debris onto the field in a pressure-packed postseason moment.

A number of fans threw bottles and garbage during Toronto’s Game 5 victory over the Texas Rangers in last year’s American League Division Series after Rougned Odor scored from third base when catcher Russell Martin hit Shin-Soo Choo’s bat with a throw back to the pitcher.

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The San Francisco Giants’ even-year magic continued Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets in the National League Wild Card Game.

Madison Bumgarner thwarted the Mets lineup with a complete-game shutout, and Conor Gillaspie shared the glory with a three-run homer in the ninth inning against New York’s closer, Jeurys Familia. San Francisco is attempting to add another World Series title to its resume after championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and the win in Citi Field was the first step.

Next up is a showdown with the Chicago Cubs in the Division Series.

Bumgarner already has a World Series MVP trophy to his name, and he added to his postseason legacy by outdueling Noah Syndergaard in a showdown between aces. Syndergaard went seven innings and didn’t allow a single run, but his 10 strikeouts drove up his pitch count to 108. He was forced to turn the ball over to the bullpen, and it didn’t deliver in the pressure-packed moment.

The Giants star finished what he started and allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out six. Trey Wingo of ESPN noted how incredible he has been in the playoffs:

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted the fact the Giants are nearly unstoppable with their backs against the wall:

Even though Bumgarner was brilliant, he needed some run support. Gillaspie had just six home runs all season, but Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball said unheralded players who come through in the clutch are nothing new for this team:

The game was billed as a pitcher’s duel, and that is exactly how it started. Bumgarner and Syndergaard combined to retire the first 12 batters through two innings, but Jon Tayler of Sports Illustrated noted the Mets were failing in their early aggression: 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was a career start for the San Francisco southpaw:

Bumgarner lost his perfect game when Rene Rivera singled to lead off the third, but he induced a double play from James Loney in the next at-bat. Syndergaard’s perfect bid ended in the fourth when he walked Denard Span, but Span was thrown out stealing during the next San Francisco at-bat.

While it appeared as if Span beat the throw, the out stood even after replay review. Ryan Baker of CBS Chicago reacted to the questionable call:

New York went scoreless in the bottom half of the frame, but it at least made Bumgarner work with 28 pitches after he threw 21 pitches in the first three innings combined.

The Mets again rallied in the fifth, but it was to no avail. T.J. Rivera doubled to lead things off, but Bumgarner escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a groundout. Syndergaard had the chance to help himself with two runners on and two outs, but he struck out to end the inning.

He helped himself on the mound with another scoreless frame in the sixth, but he lost his no-hitter when Span singled with two outs. He nearly lost the shutout on a towering drive from Brandon Belt after Span stole second, but Curtis Granderson made a spectacular catch as he ran into the center-field wall.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com underscored the play’s importance:

San Francisco threatened again in the seventh and put two runners on with a Brandon Crawford walk and infield single from Angel Pagan. However, Syndergaard induced a groundout from Joe Panik to escape trouble and maintain the scoreless tie.

As unhittable as he was, Syndergaard was lifted for Addison Reed to start the eighth. Inside Edge pointed out just how overpowering the fireballer was before exiting:

The first bullpen inning was filled with drama, as San Francisco loaded the bases with a Gillaspie single and walks from Belt and Buster Posey. Belt’s walk included a handful of borderline pitches that left Dallas Braden of ESPN suggesting there were four or five strikes in the at-bat, but Reed emerged unscathed with a strikeout of Hunter Pence.

Bumgarner threw another shutout inning in the eighth, and the Giants finally did some offensive damage in the ninth. Crawford doubled off Familia to start things off, and Panik drew a walk. That’s when Gillaspie drilled his home run and sent the Citi Field crowd into stunned silence. 

Jon Morosi of MLB Network pointed out how unlikely a journey it was for Gillaspie:

Bumgarner finished it from there and sent the Giants to the Division Series.

What’s Next?

Next up for the Giants is a clash with the 103-58 Cubs, who finished with the best record in all of baseball. 

Chicago does have something of a leg up in the starting pitching matchups because Bumgarner threw a complete game Wednesday. Cy Young candidates Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester anchor the staff alongside last year’s Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta, and will prove a formidable foe for San Francisco.

The Giants will also have to deal with a powerful lineup that includes potential NL MVP Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. If they do so successfully, they will be on track to win yet another World Series title in an even year.

As for the Mets, they will begin a long offseason after failing to live up to expectations following their 2015 National League pennant. Injuries were an issue, as they lost Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz for the season, so returning to health will be a priority. So will bringing back Yoenis Cespedes, who has a player opt-out clause in his contract, per Spotrac. 

Postgame Reaction

Syndergaard said, “Right now, it kind of stings,” when talking about the loss, per Marc Carig of Newsday.

Mets outfielder Jay Bruce put things in perspective despite the narrow defeat, per Carig: “That epitomized playoff baseball.”

The Giants shared footage of the team greeting Gillaspie in celebratory fashion:

Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area noted Span “said [the] game plan against Syndergaard became to get his pitch count up because he was ‘literally unhittable.’”

That plan worked, and Bumgarner delivered on the mound. Journalist Andrew Baggarly noted pitcher Jake Peavy “said [Bumgarner] was calm in a crazy dugout after [the] Gillaspie HR. [Bumgarner] simply walked up and said, ‘Conor, I appreciate the hell out of that.’”

Posey described his pitcher’s outing, per SportsCenter: “He’s got a focus that is hard to describe. To me, this ranks right up there with his postseason performances.”

The Giants will need that focus as they prepare for the Cubs, but they earned the right to celebrate Wednesday.

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If Tuesday’s drama-filled American League Wild Card Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles was an indication of what’s to come in the 2016 MLB playoffs, baseball fans are in for a treat.

Edwin Encarnacion played the role of hero with a three-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning, propelling the Blue Jays past the Orioles 5-2 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto and pushing them to a date with the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series.

MLB on Twitter shared video of Encarnacion’s long ball:

Mike Halford of NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk passed along an image of the Blue Jays celebrating:

While Encarnacion made headlines with his homer, the Toronto bullpen deserved plenty of credit. After starter Marcus Stroman pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out six, Brett Cecil, Joe Biagini, Jason Grilli, Roberto Osuna and Francisco Liriano shut down the Orioles, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com illustrated:

The Baltimore bullpen was also impressive until Ubaldo Jimenez allowed three hits on five pitches in the 11th, including the home run to Encarnacion. Starter Chris Tillman tossed 4.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four.

Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart, Brad Brach, Darren O’Day and Brian Duensing then combined for six innings of two-hit relief with seven strikeouts. However, stud closer Zach Britton didn’t make an appearance.

“Either Britton is hurt or we just saw the worst managerial decision in my lifetime,” David Cameron of FanGraphs said.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said there was nothing physically wrong with Britton and that he elected to use Jimenez instead because “No one has been pitching better for us than Ubaldo,” per Jayson Stark of ESPN.

Each starter threw a perfect first inning well before the bullpens took over, and Big League Stew wondered how the rest of the game could unfold:

The scoreless tie didn’t last long, as Jose Bautista drilled a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning. It was his fifth homer in 12 postseason games.

“This guy lives for the big moments,” Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com said.

While it was just one run, the deficit appeared more daunting with Stroman working quickly and effectively. He mowed through the first nine Orioles, leading Ryan Fagan of Sporting News to opine, “In Toronto’s Game 162, Aaron Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Stroman looks better tonight.”

He didn’t look better in the fourth when Mark Trumbo—who was 5-for-11 against the Blue Jays right-hander in the regular season—launched a frozen rope over the left field wall to give the Orioles a 2-1 advantage.

Toronto responded in the fifth. Michael Saunders and Kevin Pillar hit back-to-back doubles, though Saunders made a baserunning miscue and failed to score. He did, however, cross the plate on Ezequiel Carrera’s single, which drove Tillman from the game.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com bemoaned Michael Bourn’s failure to haul in Pillar’s double, which the right fielder seemed to have a bead on:

Givens limited the damage and maintained the tie by inducing a double play on his first pitch.

In the seventh, manager John Gibbons and the Blue Jays turned to the bullpen, and Biagini struck out both batters he faced after Cecil issued a one-out walk. Faizal Khamisa of Sportsnet shared a quote from the pitcher about pressure-packed moments:

The drama extended beyond the field in the bottom of the seventh when a fan threw a beer can at Baltimore left fielder Hyun Soo Kim as he tracked a fly ball. Adam Jones came over from center field to defend his teammate and angrily yelled into the crowd.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated suggested a punishment for the perpetrator:

Grilli and Brach pitched scoreless frames in the eighth, and Osuna took over in the top of the ninth, retiring Manny Machado, Trumbo and Matt Wieters with a groundout and two swinging strikeouts.

Brach—and not Britton—faced the heart of the Blue Jays lineup in the bottom half, and Josh Donaldson led things off with a double. Brach then intentionally walked Encarnacion and struck out Bautista before handing the ball to O’Day, who delivered in the marquee moment by inducing a double-play ball off the bat of Russell Martin.

Jesse Spector of Sporting News reacted to the Orioles’ decision not to use Britton, who entered the game with a 0.54 ERA and 0.84 WHIP:

Osuna retired Chris Davis in the 10th but then left the game with a trainer, per Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star. That’s when Liriano entered the contest.

The left-hander gave the Blue Jays a reliever who could pitch a number of innings, and he got four ground-ball outs and a strikeout before Showalter used a similar strategy, inserting Jimenez for Duensing with one out in the 11th.

“Did Britton not get through customs?” Brian Kenny of MLB Network asked.

Retired pitcher Dan Haren also weighed in:

Jimenez promptly surrendered singles to Devon Travis and Donaldson before allowing the walk-off blast to Encarnacion. Khamisa reacted to the towering home run:

Daren Willman of MLB.com pointed out the location of the pitch:

All it took was that poorly placed offering, and the Orioles’ season came to a screeching halt.

What’s Next?

The Blue Jays will face the Rangers in the American League Division Series in a rematch of last year’s five-game classic.

Texas won the first two contests, but Toronto came storming back with three straight wins that included Bautista’s memorable bat flip in Game 5. The Rangers, with the best record in the American League at 95-67, will look for revenge this time around.

Texas boasts a formidable lineup with Rougned Odor and Adrian Beltre and was fourth in the AL in runs scored and fifth in home runs.

Toronto will be playing from behind in the starting pitching department after using Stroman and Liriano, but it was 4-3 against the Rangers this season. Game 1 is set for 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday.

Postgame Reaction

Britton said he was fine and called watching the last inning “frustrating,” per Crasnick.

Jimenez described the final pitch, per MASNSports.com’s Steve Melewski: “Was trying to get a sinker down and get a double play. But it didn’t do anything. It stayed up.”

Jones commented on the fan who threw a beer at Kim, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun: “That’s just as pathetic as it gets. I hope they find the guy, and I hope they press charges.”

The Blue Jays shared their celebration on Twitter:

“That’s why I want to come back here—because that happened tonight,” said Encarnacion, who is set to be a free agent after the season, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Scott MacArthur of TSN reported “Osuna told me he felt tired and a bit of a stretch in his shoulder. His self-prognosis is to be good for ALDS.”

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Barry Bonds‘ tenure with the Miami Marlins is over after just one season.

The Marlins confirmed Wednesday that Bonds would not return next season after Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball cited sources on Monday who said the team elected to let the hitting coach go.

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald confirmed the report and noted the team was also getting rid of third base coach Lenny Harris and bullpen coach Reid Cornelius.

Craig Mish of SiriusXM reported owner Jeffrey Loria was previously the only one blocking the dismissal of Bonds, but that was “apparently no longer an obstacle.”

Mish pointed out there was a disconnect with the franchise’s premier offensive star, noting Giancarlo Stanton “tuned out” Bonds, who was critical of the slugger within earshot of his teammates at times.

Mish added that manager Don Mattingly called out Bonds during a road trip this season, noting the hitting coach’s commitment decreased over the course of the season.

While there were reportedly some issues with Bonds that go beyond the box score, one of the concerns was likely the lack of offensive production for the team. The 79-82 Marlins finished in third place in the National League East despite ranking sixth in the National League in team ERA.

The Marlins were an abysmal 27th in the major league in total runs scored with 665 and failed to capitalize on many of their impressive pitching outings.

Heyman acknowledged that some of the statistics were solid, and the Marlins improved their overall batting average by three points and their run total by 42 under Bonds’ tutelage. However, the lack of slugging and runs proved costly in Miami’s postseason push:

Bonds came to the Marlins with a head-turning resume as a player. The seven-time National League MVP, 14-time All-Star and 12-time Silver Slugger boasts the all-time records for career (762) and single-season home runs (73).

When the team hired Bonds, USA Today recognized his career was “tarnished by steroids,” but Bonds said, “I know hitting, and I know it better than anybody.”

The 2015 season wasn’t his first time working with younger players in a teaching role. According to USA Today, he served as a guest hitting instructor for the San Francisco Giants in spring training two years ago and previously tutored players on an individual level.

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