With three of the four LDSs going 5 games (only the Dodgers over the Cardinals in 4 being the exception), including the Rays vs Mariners, I'm giving these Games 5 their own post.
October 13:
This was a matchup of aces in Mike Soroka and Mackenzie Gore but neither were around when the game was decided. The Padres got 3 off Luke Jackson (maybe the Braves miss Jasseel De La Cruz - or maybe they don't after Game 1 of our ALDS) to break a 3-3 tie in the 9th, but the Braves nearly tied it or won it, scoring 2 runs and loading the bases in the ninth off Padre reliever Ryan Weathers with one out after a Willy Adames RBI single. But Cal Raleigh flew to shallow center, and Johan Camargo struck out, and the Braves are denied a fourth straight trip to the NLCS as the Padres complete the comeback from being down 2-0 in the series. Instead it will be the Padres and Dodgers, who last met in the 2020 NLDS with the Dodgers winning that series 3-1.
Game 5: (Playoffs aren't stupid, they're fun!)
The Rays picked up where they left off in Seattle in Game 4, scoring 8 runs in the first 4 innings to beat the Mariners 8-3 in the decisive Game 5 of their American League Division Series and complete the comeback from 0-2 down. Rafael Devers blasted a 3-run HR with one out in the first after Vidal Brujan and Austin Meadows had singled, and Yusniel Diaz singled in Keibert Ruiz who had doubled to make it 4-0 after 1 to chase Seattle starter Justus Sheffield. In the bottom of the 3rd a Mike Brosseau error helped Alec Bohm drive in Meadows with a sac fly to make it 5-1, and in the 4th Rylan Bannon led off with a HR and later in the inning Meadows hit a 2-run shot and it was 8-1. Daulton Varsho and Jarred Kelenic hit solo shots off Noah Syndergaard, who was good but not great, to make it 8-3 and Thor finished with a 7.2 9 3 2 1 6 line before Shane McClanahan and Will Smith finished off the game as the dogpile was extra-enthusiastic considering the playoff frustrations this team has had. In fact this is the first time in 15 years that the Rays won a playoff series (wild-card games aren't a "series"), with the last one being the 2008 ALCS over Boston. As you can see from the game story above Vidal Brujan was named series MVP, and well-deserved. Now we await the winner of the Twins-Angels Game 5.
And it's the Angels the Rays will be facing, after they took a page from the Rays' book today and scored early and often to win Game 5:
We'll have a preview of the Rays-Angels ALCS in the next post.