National Baseball League

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MLB HoF

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1922 MLB Standings

“Alright, let’s get to it here. Couple of things jump out at you right away. In the American League, the Indians — Cleveland — absolutely ran away with it. 113 wins, best record in baseball in the AL. That’s dominance, folks. The Yankees were terrific too, 101 wins, they cruise in the East, never challenged. And then in the West, Seattle edges out Texas by two games, Houston grabs a wild card spot at 87 wins. So your AL wild card: Houston vs. Texas, White Sox vs. Seattle. Lotta intrigue there.
Now, over to the National League. And here’s the big story: the Mets. An historic season. 122 wins, .753 winning percentage — folks, that’s one of the greatest regular seasons you’ll ever see. They lapped the field, won the East by 44 games. In the Central, Milwaukee takes it by a game over Pittsburgh, with Cincinnati right there too. Out West, the Dodgers, steady as always, 97 wins, best in that division. So the wild card matchups line up: Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh, Milwaukee vs. St. Louis.
So, quick snapshot: Cleveland, Yankees, Seattle, Dodgers, Mets — your big dogs. The Mets the team to beat, Cleveland not far behind. Wild cards loaded with rivalry games: Texas and Houston, Cincy and Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Classic baseball matchups.
That’s your October, folks. Lotta juice here. Mets, Indians on a collision course, but ya gotta play the games.”

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL — HOUSTON ASTROS AT TEXAS RANGERS, OCTOBER 4, 1922
“On a crisp October afternoon in Arlington, the postseason began in earnest. And for the Texas Rangers, it could not have started more emphatically.
In front of over 48,000 at Globe Life Field, the Rangers rode the right arm of Vinny Luevanos, who delivered not just a performance, but a statement. Eight and two-thirds innings, five hits, one lone run. His workmanlike 101-pitch effort was the anchor of the day. He wasn’t overpowering, but he was relentless. He made his pitches when he had to — and in October, that’s what matters.
Meanwhile, the Texas bats provided all the margin anyone could have asked for. A seven-run first inning buried Houston almost before they had taken off their jackets in the dugout. Catcher Mike Walden was the star of the afternoon — four runs batted in, including a booming home run in the sixth that turned the game from comfortable to commanding. Add in a triple from Michael Petesch and a timely double by Tony Guerrero, and the Rangers’ lineup played like a team intent on staying awhile in October.
For Houston, the story was grim. Starter Ryan Grater faced ten batters, retired just one, and left with seven runs already in. His ERA for the day — an astronomical 189.00 — tells the tale. The Astros, to their credit, steadied things afterward, but the damage was long since done.
In the end, it was Texas 11, Houston 1. A rout, yes — but also a reminder of what playoff baseball so often provides: the chance for a previously unsung figure, like Vinny Luevanos, to seize the spotlight and etch his name, if only for a night, into the larger story of the game.
The Rangers now stand one win away from advancing, and for the Astros, tomorrow brings not just another game, but the urgency of survival.”

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL — CHICAGO WHITE SOX AT SEATTLE MARINERS, OCTOBER 4, 1922

“In Seattle, the postseason opened with a game that carried all the hallmarks of October baseball — drama, tension, and the sense that every pitch could tilt the balance of the series.
On this night, it was the Mariners who prevailed, edging the White Sox 6–5 at T-Mobile Park. But if this was merely Game 1 of the Wild Card, it felt more like a game that could have been played in the middle of a League Championship Series.
For Chicago, right fielder Christian Villa was nothing short of spectacular. Twice he homered, once in the fifth, once again in the seventh, driving in three runs, scoring two more, and almost single-handedly willing his team back from an early deficit. His was the kind of performance that, even in defeat, lingers in the memory.
Yet, in the end, the Mariners found just enough answers. They struck quickly — two runs in the first, two more in the second — and held off Chicago’s charge until the eighth inning, when shortstop Ben Bol stepped into the spotlight. His solo home run, slicing through the cool Seattle night, provided the margin that would stand up until the final out.
Pitching, too, told its tale. Xavier Carter bent but did not break, striking out six in his five-plus innings. And after the bullpen wavered, it was Benito Aguilera who delivered calm when it was most needed, retiring all six men he faced to lock down the victory.
The Mariners, then, walk off with a 1–0 series lead. For the White Sox, the sting of a missed opportunity is real, but so too is the knowledge that Villa’s bat may yet carry them forward. For Seattle, it is one more night in October where the faithful, gathered in 38,000 strong, went home believing this might finally be their year.”

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Just like last year with the AL West, the National League Wild Card round will be featured with NL Central teams.

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL — CINCINNATI REDS AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES, OCTOBER 5, 1922
“Baseball, like life itself, often provides a sense of symmetry. Just a year ago, it was the Pirates who stunned Cincinnati in the Division Series, sending the Reds home with the bitter taste of unfinished business. Now, in the autumn of 1922, the Reds arrived at PNC Park with a chance to turn the tables. And in Game 1, they did just that.
The final score: Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 5. But the box score alone doesn’t tell you the whole story.
The Reds’ offense attacked early, putting up runs in each of the first three innings. Pittsburgh countered, their bats lively in those same frames, and by the end of the third, the game was tied 5-5. It felt, for all the world, like a continuation of last October’s upset — the Pirates poised to strike again.
But then came Ruben Soto. In the seventh inning, with the score tied, Soto delivered the swing of the game — a thunderous two-run homer to right-center off reliever Mike Hodgson. It was the kind of moment that tilts not just a game, but sometimes an entire series. For the day, Soto drove in four runs, a performance that will be remembered in Cincinnati as one of the signature efforts of this postseason, however long it lasts.
On the mound, A. Miranda was gritty if not brilliant, working seven innings despite three hit batsmen and five earned runs. What mattered more was that he held the line after the third, giving his team the chance to rally. And in the bullpen, T. Plascencia was unflappable, retiring six of the seven batters he faced to lock down the save.
The Pirates, for their part, had their moments — D. Verni’s home run in the third, a pair of hits from J. Gonzales — but after the fireworks of those early innings, their bats fell silent. Six straight scoreless frames to close the night proved too much to overcome.
And so, the Reds stand one win away from exorcising the ghosts of last October. For Pittsburgh, the path is narrower now, the margin for error gone. But as baseball teaches us, one day’s triumph is tomorrow’s challenge — and nothing is guaranteed, especially in October.”

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS
October 5, 1922 — American Family Field
Tonight in Milwaukee, the Brewers didn’t just win Game 1 of their Wild Card series against the St. Louis Cardinals — they announced themselves. A 12–4 victory, resounding in its authority, powered by a lineup that seemed relentless from the opening inning on.
And at the center of it all — right fielder Fernando Cruz. Three hits, including a thunderous home run in the seventh, three runs driven in, two scored, and a presence that turned every at-bat into theater. If the Brewers are to make a deep run this October, history may remember tonight as the evening when Fernando Cruz placed his stamp on the postseason.
The Cardinals, for their part, found themselves undone by both shaky pitching and untimely miscues. Twelve hits were not enough to offset three errors, each one costly, each one seized upon by a Milwaukee team that refused to squander an opportunity. Their starter, Chris Nelson, could not survive the third inning, tagged for six runs. By the time St. Louis regrouped, the deficit had grown too large to overcome.
Milwaukee’s own starter, Rich Alvarado, was not perfect — far from it — surrendering nine hits and four runs over six and two-thirds. But he was sturdy where Nelson was fragile. And with a comfortable lead, sturdiness was all that was required.
The contrast between the clubs was striking. St. Louis left ten men stranded; Milwaukee left fourteen, and still pushed across a dozen runs. That, in essence, is the game: chances converted, mistakes magnified.
So, after one game in this best-of-three, Milwaukee holds the upper hand. Tomorrow, the Cardinals will try to extend the series, to find some measure of redemption. But tonight, in front of more than 46,000 fans on a rainy, windswept evening at American Family Field, it was the Brewers’ night.
And the October narrative — the one baseball has been writing, in its elegant, unhurried way, for more than a century — has a new chapter. Its title? Cruz, Milwaukee Open WC Strong with 12-4 Win.

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
HOUSTON ASTROS AT TEXAS RANGERS
October 5, 1922 — Globe Life Field
On a crisp autumn afternoon in Arlington, the Texas Rangers didn’t just defeat the Houston Astros — they ended a series, and in many ways, a season. A 9–1 victory to complete a sweep, and with it, a ticket punched to the Division Series against Cleveland.
From the very first inning, this one carried the feel of inevitability. Houston, proud and accomplished, looked weary, as though the long grind of the season had caught up at precisely the wrong moment. Texas, meanwhile, looked loose, sharp, and entirely unbothered by the stakes.
The star, and fittingly, the series MVP, was Danny Martinez. A .600 batting average in the two games, a .667 on-base percentage, and today, the exclamation point — a towering two-run homer in the seventh. Six runs driven in over the course of the Wild Card Series, four runs scored, and countless moments where his presence seemed to tilt the field. October baseball often provides unlikely heroes, but sometimes, it simply elevates the best player on the field.
He was not alone. Kelly Brunke collected three hits, including a ringing double and a triple, driving in two and scoring three times. The Rangers lineup, one through nine, had the look of a club eager to pile on. By day’s end, eleven hits, nine runs, and precious few wasted chances.
And then there was pitching. Jon Tucker, not flashy but resolute, carried the weight of the afternoon. Eight and a third innings, seven hits scattered, just one run allowed. He threw 107 pitches, 67 of them for strikes, and when the game was fully in hand, he exited to a well-earned ovation.
Houston managed a late rally in the ninth — a double here, a run-scoring sac fly there — but by then, the outcome was long decided. For the Astros, there will be long months ahead to wonder how a season of promise unraveled so abruptly. For the Rangers, there is only forward.
Next stop: the Cleveland Indians. A team rested, waiting, and favored. But on nights like this, with momentum, with confidence, and with an MVP in full stride, the Rangers cannot be dismissed.
So it is Texas that moves on, 9–1 the final, their October story still being written.

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX AT SEATTLE MARINERS
October 5, 1922 — T-Mobile Park
On an autumn afternoon in Seattle, with the crisp air hinting at October’s promise, the Mariners sent a message — not just to the White Sox, but to the Yankees, and to all of baseball. A 9–3 victory, a sweep of the Wild Card Series, and a berth in the Division Series.
The story begins with pitching. Cole Galindo, perhaps not a household name outside the Pacific Northwest, delivered a performance that was equal parts grit and command. Seven innings, six hits allowed, eight strikeouts, and the kind of presence that steadied the Mariners whenever Chicago threatened to stir. There were moments of turbulence — a home run surrendered to Angel Pena, a pair of errors behind him — but Galindo met each test with poise. By the time he handed the ball over, the game, and the series, had tilted firmly toward Seattle.
But this afternoon was not only about the man on the mound. It was about the balance and depth of a lineup that looked, for nine innings, like a club ready for October. In the fourth inning, the game swung sharply. A triple into the alley by catcher Gaetano Papasogli, a blast over the wall by Alex Ojeda — suddenly, four runs were home, and the Mariners were in flight.
By the end of the day, Ojeda had driven in two, Jonah Waring — named series MVP — had laced two more hits, including a ringing double, and Papasogli, with a flair for the dramatic, had added two hits of his own. Seattle’s approach was steady, methodical: ten hits, nine runs, and opportunism at precisely the right moments.
For Chicago, there were bright spots even in defeat. K. Centeno’s two hits and daring stolen base, Peña’s long ball, and E. Ruvalcaba’s run-scoring knock all showed fight. But the White Sox, saddled with strikeouts, errors, and a bullpen stretched thin, could not match the Mariners’ pace.
In October, sometimes the script is familiar: the steadier team, at home, seizes control early and never lets go. And yet, even in its predictability, there is drama. Because for Seattle, a franchise so often waiting for October relevance, this was no ordinary win. This was a declaration.
The Mariners now advance to face the New York Yankees, the defending American League Champions — rested, historic, and formidable. The challenge will be daunting. But in this moment, under the clear skies of a fall afternoon, Seattle can savor the truth: they are not just participants in October. They are contenders.
Final: Seattle 9, Chicago 3.
The Mariners move on, their story still unfolding.

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
CINCINNATI REDS AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES
October 6, 1922 — PNC Park
On a cool October afternoon in Pittsburgh, with the Allegheny and Monongahela converging just beyond the ballpark’s sightlines, the Cincinnati Reds put together the kind of crisp, confident performance that turns a Wild Card series into a coronation. By nightfall, it was Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 2, and the Reds — not the Pirates — who would move on to face the mighty New York Mets.
The contest began with a hint of drama. Pittsburgh scratched across a run in the opening frame, the crowd of nearly 50,000 stirring with belief. But the Reds’ answer was swift and emphatic. In the second inning, Ruben Soto, the second baseman whose bat has been as timely as it has been powerful, watched a fastball ride in, and with a short, violent swing, turned it into a souvenir. The two-run shot tilted the game, and the series, toward Cincinnati. Soto would later add another long ball in the fifth — his second of the postseason — cementing his role as the series MVP.
Around him, a supporting cast flourished. J. Dunham doubled twice and drove in two. R. Saucedo launched a towering home run of his own and finished with a pair of hits and two RBI. A. Liotta chipped in three total bases, and eight different Reds reached safely on the afternoon. Eleven hits, eight runs, and a lineup that showed patience as well as power — six walks in total — gave the impression of a team playing with clarity of purpose.
On the mound, Johnny Landaverde was equal to the moment. Six and two-thirds innings, just three hits allowed, and though he issued six walks, he bent without breaking, striking out three and limiting Pittsburgh to scattered opportunities. When the Pirates briefly stirred in the sixth — a double from Oscar Macias, an RBI from D. Verni — Landaverde steadied himself, and the threat subsided. B. McCarthy closed it out with 2.1 innings of spotless relief.
For the Pirates, there was frustration in missed chances. Only four hits, sixteen men left on base, and the errors of I. Pruneda and J. Gillard proved costly. This was a team that all season long had leaned on timely hitting and an underrated rotation, but in October, against a Reds club that refused to yield, it was not enough.
And so, the Cincinnati Reds — resilient, opportunistic, and led by Soto’s bat and Landaverde’s arm — claim the series, two games to none. Next, they head to New York, where the 122-win Mets, historically dominant, lie in wait. The challenge will be steep. But for one night in Pittsburgh, the Reds could celebrate, their October still alive.
Final: Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 2.
A clean sweep, a decisive statement, and the promise of more baseball still to come.

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On a crisp October afternoon in Milwaukee, where the wind carried just enough bite to remind us that autumn baseball is not for the faint of heart, the St. Louis Cardinals answered back. A 5–0 victory over the Brewers at American Family Field, and with it, a best-of-three Wild Card Series now tied at a game apiece.
The story, quite simply, was Steve Coiley. Tall, deliberate, unhurried—he pitched with a kind of timeless economy, the sort of effort that would’ve been at home in 1922 or 2022. Seven innings, three hits, not a run allowed. The Milwaukee bats, so lively just a day ago, tonight rendered still, almost reverent.
At the plate, it wasn’t one man who carried St. Louis, but a chorus. Bang Wang doubled twice, scored once, and drove in another. J. Phelps, steady as ever in center, delivered three hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. Around them, timely contributions: Gutierres, Burrill, Arispe. Enough to build and then to cushion the lead.
For Milwaukee, frustration. A lineup that found no rhythm, no answer. Tidwell’s late triple only a fleeting gasp, smothered quickly. Their starter, Simonson, worked into the sixth but never quite wrestled command of the strike zone, each missed pitch a chance the Cardinals did not waste.
And so, the stage is set. A decisive Game 3, tomorrow, again here in Milwaukee. One team will see its October dreams flicker and fade, the other will march on. That is the beauty and the cruelty of October baseball.
Tonight, though, it belongs to Steve Coiley—his teammates smiling, his words measured: “I’ll let my guard down,” he said, “as soon as someone puts a big, fat championship ring on my finger.”
A pitcher’s resolve, a city’s hope, and another chapter written in baseball’s eternal autumn theater.

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Baseball, more than any other game, has a way of reminding us that nothing is ever truly over until the last out is in the books. And on a crisp October afternoon in Milwaukee, the St. Louis Cardinals were one out away—just one—from pulling off what would have been a monumental upset.
Leading 7–5, the Cardinals had the Brewers teetering, 47,000 fans holding their breath, and the shadows growing long at American Family Field. But then, with the count in his favor, Juan Flores—big, broad-shouldered, patient in the box—turned on a pitch and sent it screaming into the night. A two-run homer, majestic in flight, arcing toward right, and suddenly the game was tied. The ballpark, quiet a heartbeat earlier, roared back to life.
And just like that, the inevitable feeling crept in. For as baseball so often does, it shifted from near-certainty to chaos, from heartbreak to elation. Moments later, Fernando Cruz, who had been a steady hand for Milwaukee all series long, laced a double into the gap. Flores crossed the plate, arms raised, and the Brewers had walked it off—8–7, winners not only of the game, but of the series.
For St. Louis, anguish. For Milwaukee, jubilation. And for those of us watching, a reminder of why October baseball holds such a singular place in the American imagination. One pitch away from despair, another from ecstasy—and on this day, both belonged to the Brewers.
Next, Milwaukee will move on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series. But long after this postseason has faded into the archives, Cardinal fans will remember the sting of being one out away, and Brewer fans will remember the moment when Juan Flores turned October into magic.