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The Kansas City Royals overcame an early three-run deficit to earn a 5-4 Game 2 win, evening the American League Division Series at 1-1.

It seemed like the Houston Astros were in great shape after winning Game 1 and scoring in each of the first three innings Friday, but the Royals offense totaled 11 hits and knocked opposing starter Scott Kazmir out in the sixth inning. Kansas City was then able to attack the bullpen, with Ben Zobrist hitting the go-ahead single in the seventh.

Zobrist, Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez each had two hits in the win, which ended a bizarre streak of five games to start the 2015 MLB playoffs, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Colby Rasmus, who hit a home run in each of the Astros’ first two postseason games, was the offensive star again with two extra-base hits and a walk in a losing effort.

According to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, this put Rasmus in the record books:

The outfielder kicked off the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning to give Houston an early lead. He added a solo home run in the third inning to extend the team’s lead to 4-1. ESPN’s J.A. Adande broke down the mistake pitch by Johnny Cueto:

It was not a good start for the All-Star pitcher, who also allowed a two-run bloop single by George Springer. With four runs allowed through three innings, many were all over Cueto for his poor showing. John Jastremski of CBS Radio explained how this could impact Cueto’s upcoming free agency:

Despite the complaints, the talented pitcher settled down and was able to match Kazmir for the rest of the game. Cueto pitched six innings while allowing just the four early runs, giving the Royals a chance at a comeback.

Manager Ned Yost explained after the game the change in the last few innings:

Kansas City took advantage of the opportunity by doing damage against the Astros bullpen. Oliver Perez struggled in the sixth while allowing two singles and a walk. Josh Fields then walked Salvador Perez with the bases loaded on four pitches to tie the game at 4-4.

The home crowd might have had something to do with it, as it finally approached the energy from last year’s playoff run, per Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star:

In the seventh inning, the Royals were able to take the lead for the first time in the series on a Zobrist RBI single that brought home Escobar. Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Radio noted the impressive hitting from the lineup:

At that point, eight of the team’s nine hits had gone to the opposite field, a sign of quality hitting throughout the game.

The lead was more than enough for the Kansas City bullpen, which looks as good as it did a year ago at this time. Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Wade Davis combined for three shutout innings, allowing just one hit, and sealed the 5-4 victory.

Yost once again had full confidence in his team pulling out the win:

After Saturday’s off day for travel, the series will resume Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET in Houston. Edinson Volquez will start Game 3 for the Royals after a solid first season with the team. Consistency had been a problem early in his career, but he topped 200 innings for the first time this year and could pitch deep into the game if things go well.

Of course, the Astros have to be extremely confident with Dallas Keuchel on the mound after the 27-year-old lefty shut down the New York Yankees for six scoreless innings in the AL Wild Card Game. Considering his 15-0 record and 1.46 ERA at home, Houston should feel good about its chances.

Even with a pitching advantage, though, nothing is guaranteed in the MLB playoffs, and the series isn’t over until a team wins three games. Expect both teams to come in believing they can win and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for more year-round sports analysis.

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Behind a brilliant outing from Jacob deGrom, the New York Mets opened their first postseason appearance in nine years with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

Tasked with matching Clayton Kershaw whiff for whiff, deGrom tossed seven shutout innings, compiling 13 strikeouts and no unintentional walks. Kershaw registered 11 strikeouts, but manager Don Mattingly pulled him in a 1-0 game after walking the bases loaded during a shaky seventh inning. David Wright promptly spiked a two-run double off of reliever Pedro Baez to give New York the deciding two runs.

Daniel Murphy also provided a solo homer, marking the second straight playoff start in which a left-handed hitter took Kershaw deep. The Mets will enter Game 2 of the NLDS with a 1-0 edge. They’ll send out another young ace, Noah Syndergaard, to face another Cy Young contender in Zack Greinke.

FINAL: Mets 3-1 Dodgers

W: Jacob deGrom (7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)

L: Clayton Kershaw (6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 11 K)

SV: Jeurys Familia (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB)

Scoring Summary

Daniel Murphy HR (Top of 4th)

David Wright Two-Run Single (Top of 7th)

Adrian Gonzalez RBI single (Bottom of 8th)

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It took 14 innings, but the Texas Rangers found a way to come out on top Friday and will head home with a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series.

A day after Rougned Odor hit a game-changing home run, the 21-year-old second baseman made a difference with his legs. He scored twice in the team’s 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, including the go-ahead run in the 14th inning off a single by Hanser Alberto.

Kevin Burkhardt of Fox Sports noted the difference Odor made:

A Delino DeShields infield hit that followed helped extend the lead to two runs, and Ross Ohlendorf struck out three in the bottom of the inning for the save.

The ending was not without controversy, however. Toronto was close to getting Odor at second base for the third out in the 14th inning, but he was ruled safe.

“From what we saw on the board, it looked like there might have been a little gap,” manager John Gibbons said, per ESPN.com’s Gordon Edes. “Whether enough to overturn or not, apparently not. So that’s the way it goes.”

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News shared his thoughts:

“I would like to hear an answer from the replay booth in New York on why they made that decision,” Jose Bautista said, according to Edes. “I know that’s not part of the protocol, and it seems to be convenient that it’s not.”

Odor ultimately came around to score on the following at-bat.

The loss puts the Blue Jays, one of the favorites to win the World Series, one game away from elimination. This is what happens when the best offense in the majors is shut down for the final nine innings of a game.

MVP candidate Josh Donaldson hit a home run in the first inning but finished 1-for-6 in the loss.

Afterward, Gibbons didn’t have any special answers for the current predicament:

In any case things must turnaround quickly after a second game in a row failed to go according to plan.

Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision despite going deep into the game. Cole Hamels battled through seven innings while allowing four runs (two earned) with no walks and six strikeouts. Marcus Stroman gave up four runs (three earned) while striking out five in seven innings.

Instead, it all came down to the bullpens closing out a wild, back-and-forth game.

After the Rangers’ 5-3 win in Game 1, the start of Friday’s game was a nightmare scenario for the Blue Jays. The first three batters of the game got hits off Stroman, helping the road team build a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Baseball Tonight broke down the ugly start for Toronto:

Donaldson got one run back with a home run in the bottom of the inning, but Odor came through on the basepaths to score the third run of the game for the Rangers. ESPN’s Jim Bowden cleverly summed up the second-year player’s impact:

Fortunately for Toronto, Stroman was able to settle down after a rough few innings and started to get easy outs. He retired 14 straight batters during the middle innings and kept the Rangers from pulling away in the game.

Former pitcher Dirk Hayhurst explained the difference as the game went on:

The Blue Jays also had early success against Hamels and tied things up with two runs in the second inning. They finally managed to go ahead in the fifth inning, when Ben Revere singled home Kevin Pillar. Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com described the atmosphere at the moment:

Although the 4-3 lead held until the eighth inning, a Mike Napoli pinch-hit single against Brett Cecil brought home DeShields and tied things up at 4-4.

This led to a battle of the relievers, featuring impressive showings from both sides. Jake Diekman and Shawn Tolleson each threw two shutout innings for the Rangers, while closer Roberto Osuna and Aaron Sanchez both pitched more than one inning of scoreless ball.

Tim Harper of the Toronto Star pointed out the importance of the bullpen as the innings piled up:

No one would get the big hit for a while, and as the game progressed, it started reaching historic levels, according to Sportsnet Stats:

While the hometown fans expected a walk-off home run, the Rangers came through with the clutch hits, using their speed over power.

The series will have a day off Saturday to account for travel before resuming with Game 3 on Sunday at 8:10 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas.

Unlike the series’ previous four starting pitchers, the two men who will be on the mound Sunday have been with their teams all year long. Marco Estrada will start for the Blue Jays after the best year of his career, tallying a 3.13 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.

The Rangers might have less confidence in Martin Perez and his 4.46 ERA, but the fact that he threw seven innings of one-run ball in his final start of the season has to be encouraging.

In reality, though, the series will come down to the offenses and their ability to come through in big moments. If the Blue Jays don’t start manufacturing more runs, this could wind up being a three-game sweep for the Rangers.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for more year-round sports analysis.

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The Kansas City Royals have ended the run of road teams winning in the postseason, rallying from an early 3-0 deficit to claim a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday.

The series is tied 1-1, with Houston taking first blood on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Ben Zobrist’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Alcides Escobar, who had opened the frame with a triple to right-center, for the go-ahead score. The royals had tied the game in the sixth with two runs on an RBI single from Eric Hosmer and a bases-loaded walk from Salvador Perez.

Perez also hit a solo home run in the second, the Royals’ first run after falling behind 3-0 for the second straight game.

Houston led 4-1 after three innings on Colby Rasmus’ solo homer, his second of the series and third of the postseason. Rasmus also had an RBI double in the first for the Astros.

Kelvin Herrera got the win for the Royals while Wade Davis picked up the save, helping his own cause by picking off pinch-runner Carlos Gomez after allowing a walk. The play was initially called safe, but after a replay review the Royals got the call overturned.

Game 3 is set for Sunday in Houston.

Scroll down for all of the updates, analysis, statistics, pictures, tweets and anything else worth noting from Game 2.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

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An early lead, insurance home runs and shutdown pitching from the bullpen after a solid effort from the starting pitcher made for the perfect formula for the Houston Astros to seize a 1-0 advantage over the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series with a 5-2 win in Game 1.

Collin McHugh fought through a 47-minute rain delay and pitched six innings of two-run ball Thursday. The Royals failed to put anything together against McHugh, other than two solo homers from Kendrys Morales, and the Houston bullpen did the rest of the work with three shutout innings.

Colby Rasmus and George Springer each hit a long ball for the victorious Astros, and Jose Altuve set the table with three hits, a run scored and an RBI at the top of the lineup.

ESPN Stats & Info noted this is the first time in the wild-card era (since 1995) that road teams have started the playoffs with four straight wins.

The Astros wasted little time playing road spoilers and silencing the raucous Kauffman Stadium crowd when they pushed two runs across in the first inning. Altuve started it with a single and eventually scored on a Rasmus groundout. Evan Gattis made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout of his own, and ESPN Stats & Info noted it was the first time since June 6 that Yordano Ventura had allowed multiple runs in the first inning.

ESPN Stats & Info also highlighted why falling behind early was not ideal for Kansas City:

Altuve extended the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single in the top of the second, but the Royals received a solo home run from Morales in the bottom half to get on the board. Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle pointed out that things were not going according to script:

A lengthy rain delay forced Kansas City to remove the struggling Ventura after he pitched two innings and allowed three runs and four hits. Chris Young took over and proceeded to strike out six batters in his first two innings of work. Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star described the incredible turnaround for the pitcher:

According to the team, Young set a Royals postseason record for strikeouts by a bullpen pitcher after he struck out the side in two straight innings (Young ended up with seven strikeouts in four innings).

Kansas City kept the momentum rolling in the bottom of the fourth with another solo homer from Morales, making it 3-2. Sports Illustrated highlighted the fact that he was single-handedly keeping his team’s offense in the game:

Baseball Tonight pointed out the slugger found himself among impressive company:

Springer ended Kansas City’s spurt with a solo homer of his own in the top of the fifth. Ortiz noted it was business as usual for Springer, who has three long balls in his last four games at Kauffman Stadium.

McHugh finally got the best of Morales in the bottom of the sixth, when he notched a 1-2-3 inning and held on to the 4-2 lead heading into the final three frames. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com took note of the starter’s ability to keep it rolling late in the game against Kansas City’s top hitters:

McHugh handed the ball to the bullpen in the seventh inning, and Tony Sipp retired the side in order. While Sipp did his job, Matt Lanza, a contributor to the Houston Chronicle and other publications, praised McHugh’s performance in the face of a weather delay and a strong Royals lineup:

The Astros received another boost in the top of the eighth, when Rasmus hit his second home run in as many games to stretch the lead to 5-2. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle pointed out it was nothing new for the outfielder:

Kansas City threatened in the bottom half of the eighth with two on and two outs for Eric Hosmer, but Oliver Perez induced a weak pop out to end the inning. Sports Illustrated noted Perez’s job is to get out difficult left-handers like Hosmer in those situations:

Luke Gregerson came in for the save and added some drama when he hit Mike Moustakas with a pitch, but he shut the door without allowing a base hit. Just like that, the Astros notched a 5-2 victory and stole home-field advantage in front of the Kansas City fans.

What’s Next?

Game 2 of the series will take place Friday in Kansas City, and it is a must-win for the Royals if they hope to avoid falling behind by two games before even traveling to Houston. As for the Astros, the pressure is off because the worst they can do is split on the road.

McCullough pointed out how critical Game 2 will be for Kansas City:

Scott Kazmir will start for the Astros, while Johnny Cueto will toe the rubber for the Royals.

Kazmir started the season with the Oakland Athletics and was more effective there than he has been since Houston traded for him at the July deadline. Kazmir posted a 2.38 ERA in Oakland, compared to his 4.17 ERA with the Astros, and he has won only two of 13 starts since the trade.

Like Kazmir, Cueto was better on his previous team than his current one this season. He started 2015 with the Cincinnati Reds and tallied a 2.62 ERA, but he turned in a disappointing 4.76 ERA in Kansas City after the Royals acquired him by trade July 26.

While the recent results are discouraging, both have proved throughout their careers that they are better than what fans saw down the stretch. Whichever starter reverts back to his old form and dictates the tempo of the game will likely come away with the critical postseason victory.

PostGame Reaction

One key to the game was McHugh’s ability to remain in as the starting pitcher despite the rain delay.

McHugh recognized how important it was that he continue to pitch and discussed what he did during the break, per Jeffrey Flanagan and McTaggart of MLB.com: “I never sat down. So I got in the clubhouse, and I think I was making people nervous because I was pacing around the whole time. I threw some heat on my arm and pretty much just paced and made sure I wasn’t going to let myself get tight.”

Another turning point happened after Springer answered Morales’ second homer with a long ball of his own. It silenced the crowd and gave the Houston pitchers some much-needed insurance. Springer reflected on his critical moment, per Flanagan and McTaggart: “I was happy to kind of extend our lead some. I mean, obviously, they had just hit another homer…and we’re kind of needing something right there. Jose [Altuve] got thrown out on a stolen base. So it was just I was glad to kind of extend our lead there and help the team.”

Despite the difficult loss at home, Kansas City manager Ned Yost was not ready to give up on the series, per McCullough: “It’s not a death sentence to lose Game 1.”

That is true, but it will be a death sentence if the Royals cannot find a way to win in the next couple of contests. Catcher Salvador Perez suggested as much, per Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star: “Yeah, we have to win tomorrow. We have to win Sunday in Houston. We have to win.”

The Royals will get their chance to even up the series Friday.

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Two of the hottest lineups in baseball are slated for a showdown Thursday, as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series starting at 3:37 p.m. ET.

The Jays used a consistent attack and a successful trade deadline as fuel to skyrocket themselves to the top of the AL East for the past several months. Toronto accounted for a 48-23 record in the second half. Its offense averaged 5.5 runs per game and led the majors in home runs (232).

The Rangers spent much of the season trailing the Houston Astros in the AL West but also used a strong second half to steal the division in the season’s final weeks. Texas won 46 games in the second half and finished as the third-best offense in the league, averaging 4.6 runs a game.

Each team brought in players at the trade deadline who have had significant impacts. One of those players, David Price (18-5, 2.45 ERA), will toe the rubber for the Jays today. Pitching Game 1 in a playoff series is exactly why Toronto brought him in, and Price will be looking to end his streak of five consecutive postseason losses.

The Rangers will send Yovani Gallardo (13-11, 3.42 ERA) to the mound with the hope of stealing one from Canada’s favorite baseball team. He allowed no runs in 13.2 innings and picked up two wins against the Jays this year.

The Blue Jays won the season series over Texas 4-2, taking three of four in two of those series—one in Toronto and one in Texas. Can the Rangers figure out a way to quiet Toronto’s offense? Can the Jays shut down the Rangers at the plate in front of Toronto’s raucous home crowd? We’ll soon find out. 

Starting Lineups

TEXAS RANGERS

Delino DeShields CF

Shin-Soo Choo RF

Adrian Beltre 3B

Prince Fielder DH

Mike Napoli 1B

Josh Hamilton LF

Elvis Andrus SS

Rougned Odor 2B

Robinson Chirinos C

Yovani Gallardo P

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

Ben Revere LF

Josh Donaldson 3B

Jose Bautista RF

Edwin Encarnacion DH

Troy Tulowitzki SS

Justin Smoak 1B

Russell Martin C

Ryan Goins 2B

Kevin Pillar CF

David Price P

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FINAL SCORE: Cubs 4-0 Pirates

The Cubs are moving on.

In a game that had pitcher’s duel written all over it, Jake Arietta answered the call and helped lead the Chicago Cubs to a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game on Wednesday night.

Arrieta was masterful, twirling a complete-game four-hitter while striking out 11 Buccos. He worked through the game unscathed until the Pirates rallied the bases loaded in the sixth inning. However, Starling Marte ripped into a double play to end the threat.

Arrieta got some early help from the top of Chicago’s lineup, courtesy of Kyle Schwarber and Dexter Fowler. After driving home Fowler with a single in the first inning, the lefty rookie slugger Schwarber blasted a 449-foot home run to right field that drove in Fowler again and put the Cubs ahead, 3-0, in the third.

Not to be outdone, Fowler added a solo shot in the fifth to put Chicago up, 4-0. It would prove more than enough for Arrieta, as the only drama he encountered after the sixth was a bench-clearing brawl in the seventh.

He was plunked in his at-bat and had some words with Tony Watson, which emptied both benches in the process. The lone ejection was Sean Rodriguez, who took out some frustration on the water cooler. Arrieta responded to the chaos by stealing second base and getting through the seventh inning with help from a nifty Kris Bryant double-play turn to end the threat. 

Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole finished the night having given up four runs on six hits and tallying four strikeouts in five innings. The two home runs proved to be the difference, with the Pirates unable to find an answer on offense.

For the second straight year, Pittsburgh was held scoreless on its home field in the Wild Card Game. In those two games combined, the Bucs had just eight hits, nine baserunners and struck out 21 times.

The Pirates end their season with 98 wins, the second most in the majors. That won’t make losing two years in a row feel any better, and winning the division becomes that much more important in 2016.

For Chicago, tonight marked 14 consecutive wins in games Arrieta has pitched. The victory also ended a nine-game postseason losing streak.

The Cubs will now travel to St. Louis to play the Cardinals, whom they’ve faced 19 times this year but never in the playoffs. Chicago went 8-11 against St. Louis this season.

First pitch is slated for Friday at 6:45 p.m. ET.

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The Houston Astros live to fight another day. Behind a gem from Dallas Keuchel on three days’ rest, the Astros blanked the New York Yankees, 3-0, to win the American League Wild Card Game.

Keuchel silenced the Yankees through six frames, and the bullpen followed with three hitless innings. While Masahiro Tanaka avoided major damage, home runs from Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez proved enough.

The victory marks Houston’s first playoff win since 2005, when it reached its only World Series in franchise history. The club will now travel to Kansas City to face the Royals in the ALDS, which commences on Thursday. 

FINAL: Astros 3 – 0 Yankees

W: Dallas Keuchel (6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)

L: Masahiro Tanaka (5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR)

HRs: Colby Rasmus (1), Carlos Gomez (1)

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Somehow a five-month, 162-game MLB season always boils down to the final day.

With all 30 teams simultaneously playing games ripe with playoff implications, Sunday will close the season in beautiful pandemonium. Keep track of the madness here for live updates across the league.

Playoff Picture 

American League

Wild Card: Houston Astros at New York Yankees

ALDS: Astros/Yankees at Kansas City Royals

ALDS: Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays

National League

Wild Card: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates

NLDS: Cubs/Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals

NLDS: New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers

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Following a two-year postseason absence, the New York Yankees guaranteed they’ll be playing playoff baseball in October again thanks to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. The victory was also the 10,000th in franchise history.

According to the New York Times‘ Tyler Kepner, the game’s final out was also historic:

With the wild-card berth, New York has now made 23 more postseason appearances than any other team in MLB history, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The Yankees’ official Twitter account celebrated the evening’s other big milestone: 

Following the on-field celebration, the Yankees took to the clubhouse to pop champagne, per Baseball Tonight:

Shortstop Didi Gregorius posted a video of the festivities: 

While the Yankees got off to a modest 26-25 start, they hit their stride during the dog days of summer. After going 15-12 in June, New York walloped the competition to the tune of a 17-7 mark in July. During that stretch, the Yankees batted a season-best .275 with a collective .344 on-base percentage while ascending to the top of the American League East.

A 14-14 August that coincided with the Toronto Blue Jays‘ 21-6 post-trade-deadline explosion brought the men in pinstripes down a peg, but they stayed competitive and banged down the postseason barrier. 

Buoyed by stellar power, New York has been one of baseball’s elite teams when it comes to pushing runs across the plate.

Back from a season-long performance-enhancing-drug suspension, Alex Rodriguez assumed vintage form and provided a jolt by crushing more than 30 home runs for the first time since 2010. In July, A-Rod spoke to Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci about his comeback:

One thing I’ve been this year is consistent. Even in my really good years, I’d have some periods—two, three weeks—where I just looked terrible. It was always because of tension, trying too hard. Now I’m just happy and relaxed. I’ve been more consistent because of that.

Mark Teixeira also boosted the Yankees’ offerings at the plate before a right shin fracture ended his season early. In 111 games, Teixeira batted .255 with 31 home runs—his most since 2011. However, the Yankees were able to plug Greg Bird into the lineup and receive more than 40 dingers combined from their starting first basemen.

Coupled with Carlos Beltran’s improved production during his second season in pinstripes, the team evolved into an offensive powerhouse.

Entering the postseason, the Yankees’ primary concern will be their ability to keep the runs flowing while finding sources of consistency on the mound. Manager Joe Girardi’s club ranks around the league average in ERA, and shaky, injury-riddled seasons from CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka have left the team without a true starting ace.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi started to look like a workhorse after the All-Star break, but elbow inflammation cut his regular season short. Now the Yankees hope the 25-year-old can return in time to offer stability in some capacity.

And even if question marks abound, the Yankees and their fans can celebrate a return to the postseason as they prep for a wild-card showdown next Tuesday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN).

A trip back to the American League Championship Series may fall on the optimistic end of the spectrum, but with a power-packed lineup that can put up runs in a hurry, New York has the raw talent to pull off a stunner.

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