Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer during a six-run sixth inning and finished with four RBIs as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 9-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and a two-game sweep of an American League wild-card series.
The Yankees led 2-1 entering the sixth before taking command with the big inning, which was capped by Bellinger’s homer off Garrett Whitlock. Luis Garcia Jr. also homered for New York, which got six strong innings from left-hander Max Fried (1-0), who gave up one run on three hits over six innings.
Despite the absence of Aaron Judge, who has a strained right calf, the Yankees scored 18 runs on 26 hits in the series and begin their AL Division Series against the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Red Sox starter Sonny Gray (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings before the bullpen crumbled. Garrett Crochet allowed four runs and recorded no outs in his first action since April 25 after missing time with a shoulder ailment. Willson Contreras and Nick Sogard homered to provide the only runs Boston scored in the series.
White Sox 7, Astros 3
Chase Meidroth hit a backbreaking three-run home run in the sixth inning to help Chicago make a big early lead stand up in a victory over host Houston that capped a two-game sweep of their AL wild-card series.
The White Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, chasing Astros starter Hunter Brown (0-1) before he could conclude the first inning on RBI singles from Kyle Teel, Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters. With the sweep, Chicago earned the franchise’s first postseason series victory since its sweep of the Astros in the 2005 World Series. The White Sox will face the Cleveland Guardians in a best-of-five AL Division Series that begins Saturday in Cleveland.
Houston’s Jeremy Pena, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve each hit solo homers off of Chicago starter Sean Burke, who allowed three runs and four hits while recording eight strikeouts over four innings. Trailing 4-3, the Astros left the bases loaded in the fifth immediately before Meidroth provided the insurance.
Padres 4, Cubs 1
Gavin Sheets ripped a pinch-hit, two-run homer and San Diego clinched its National League wild-card series with a victory over visiting Chicago in Game 2.
The Padres’ bullpen combined to give up two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings as fourth-seeded San Diego swept the best-of-three series with consecutive victories. Xander Bogaerts had two hits and an RBI while Jackson Merrill and Ty France each registered two hits and a run for the Padres. San Diego advances to play the top-seeded Brewers in a best-of-five NL Division Series that begins Saturday in Milwaukee.
Nico Hoerner had two hits for the Cubs, including an RBI single for the team’s lone run in the series. Chicago led the majors with 850 runs in the regular season. Chicago stars Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman each went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Game 2. The duo finished a combined 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts in the series for the fifth-seeded Cubs.
Phillies 4, Braves 3 (10 innings)
Alec Bohm cracked a solo homer with two outs in the 10th to lift visiting Philadelphia to a win over Atlanta to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday in Atlanta.
With Atlanta clinging to a 3-1 lead, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back homers leading off the eighth against Braves reliever Dylan Lee. Bohm poked his game-winning opposite-field shot off Didier Fuentes (0-1). Rookie Andrew Painter (1-0) threw three innings of scoreless relief in his postseason debut. Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez gave up three runs over 6 2/3 innings.
Matt Olson drove in two runs for the Braves, who could not make Tyler Mahle’s strong start pay off. Despite suffering an abdominal pull during pregame warmups, Mahle allowed one run and six hits over seven innings.
