National Baseball League

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1922 MLB Division Series

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Listen, folks, we got four really interesting Division Series this year. Lotta history here, lotta storylines. Let’s go through ’em.

First, you got Texas and Cleveland. Now, the Rangers, listen, they’ve been around the block. They got to a World Series back in 1918, but recently? It’s been a lotta frustration. Three straight years, they go to the ALDS, and every time—five games, and they’re out. Every single time. Ninety-three wins this year, good ballclub, second in the West. But they’re goin’ up against Cleveland, and Cleveland right now is a machine. They came outta nowhere, shocked everybody, in ’19 and ’20, back-to-back World Series titles. Since then? They’ve been a powerhouse. This year—113 wins. Best record in the American League. That’s a monster team. That’s a brutal draw for Texas.

Now, you look at Seattle and the Yankees. Seattle, they win the West with 95 wins. They’ve had some moments, okay, they’ve been to the ALCS three times, but they’ve never gotten over the hump, never gotten to the World Series. That hangs over the franchise. And now they gotta play the Yankees. And the Yankees are the Yankees, folks. They’re the defending American League champs, 101 wins this year, four pennants overall, two World Series titles. They’ve been there, they’ve done it, and they know how to win in October. Everyone thinks they should have beaten the Mets in the World Series last year, but the bullpen blew three straight games. That’s a tough matchup for Seattle.

Over in the National League, Cincinnati and the Mets. And lemme tell ya, everybody knows the Mets are the story. The Mets had maybe the greatest regular season we’ve ever seen—122 and 40, absolutely off the charts. They’re the defending champs, the big favorites again. But don’t forget—two years ago, Cincinnati knocked them out in the NLDS. So there’s history there. Reds are a proud franchise, they got one championship, but you gotta go all the way back to 1903. They’ve been waiting a long time. They’ll play hard, but it’s a tall order against this Mets team.

And then finally, Milwaukee and the Dodgers. Brewers, 95 wins, they take the Central. This is a franchise that’s had a little bit of October heartbreak—they’ve been to two World Series, 1904, 1909, lost both of them. Still searching for that breakthrough. And the Dodgers—look, we know the story. Eleven playoff appearances, only one pennant, and that was way back in 1902. Never won it all. For a franchise with that many chances, still no rings, it’s kind of amazing. Ninety-seven wins this year, they win the West again, they got the pieces, but until they win the big one, people are always gonna doubt ‘em.

So that’s where we’re at. Lotta history, lotta baggage, lotta opportunity. The Mets are the clear favorite, Cleveland right behind them, but October has a way of flipping the script. We’ll see who steps up.

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“Hello everybody, Harry Doyle here, along with my partner—whoever the hell that is—welcoming you to Jacobs Field where the Indians open the Division Series. Beautiful day for baseball, 56 degrees, wind blowing out to left, and about 35,000 suckers, er, fans, in attendance.
We’ll pick it up in the 4th—1-1 tie, and here’s Juan Contreras. Niccolai deals, aaand it’s a high drive to right—forget it! That ball’s long gone, two-run shot, and Texas takes a 3-1 lead. Fans not happy here in Cleveland. I can’t blame ‘em—beer prices went up another quarter this postseason.
Move ahead to the 6th—Mike Walden at the dish, two on, one out. Niccolai kicks and fires—aaaand that ball’s hammered to deep left! Kresse just turns and watches. Home run, Walden. Six to five Rangers. And I gotta tell ya folks, it’s looking like another one of those long October nights for the Tribe.
But don’t turn that dial just yet! Bottom of the 7th, bases loaded, two down, Cleveland down a run, Chris Alfonso at the plate. The pitch—line drive to center! Base hit! Two runs will score, Indians back on top! Fans on their feet, and Alfonso might not have to pay for a drink in this town tonight.
Couple innings later, here’s Pat Kresse. Already three hits on the day, he gets a fastball right down Broadway—aaand kiss it goodbye! Two-run blast to right, Indians pile on, and Cleveland takes Game 1, 11-6.
Final line: Indians, 11 runs, 12 hits, one error. Rangers, 6 runs, 8 hits, no errors. Winning pitcher: Niccolai. Save to Garcia. Player of the Game? Pat Kresse. Four hits, four RBIs, and a free steak dinner at Manny’s Chophouse.
So Cleveland draws first blood in the best-of-five. We’ll be back here tomorrow, same time, same channel, probably the same lousy jokes.
This is Harry Doyle saying—Indians win it, 11-6. Bottoms up, Cleveland.”

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“Good afternoon, everybody! This is John Sterling, along with Suzyn Waldman, and we welcome you to Yankee Stadium on this beautiful October day, where the Yankees open the Division Series against the Seattle Mariners. And Suzyn, you couldn’t ask for better playoff weather!”
[2nd inning]
“Here’s Alejandro Rivera, who has been red hot down the stretch. The pitch—swung on, line drive into the gap in right-center, it splits the outfielders, rolls all the way to the wall! Rivera motoring to third—he slides in with a triple! Ohhh, what a way to start his postseason!”
[3rd inning]
“Now Sung-hyo Kim at the plate, two on, two out… here’s the 1-0. Swung on and there it goes! Deep to right field, way back… it is high! It is far! It is GONE! A two-run home run for Sung-hyo Kim! He Kim’d it! Yes, he Kim’d it! And the Yankees take a 4–0 lead!”
Suzyn: “John, that ball was absolutely crushed. And Rivera was dancing off second base like he knew it was gone the second it left the bat.”
[6th inning]
“Seattle’s creeping back, Papasogli with another home run—his second of the game—and suddenly it’s 6–3. But folks, this is Yankee Stadium, and these Yankees, they answer right back.”
[8th inning]
“Here’s Rivera again, four hits already, what a night! The pitch—swung on and drilled to deep right… it is high! It is far! It is GONE! Ohhh, Rivera! He is the River of Power! Alejandro Rivera goes yard, and the Yankees now lead it 8–3!”
Suzyn: “John, he’s just doing everything tonight. Four-for-four, a walk, a home run, a triple—he’s unstoppable!”
[Final]
“And the Yankees win! Thuhhh Yankees win! They take Game One of the Division Series by the score of 8 to 4, led by Alejandro Rivera, who was simply magnificent. The Yankees draw first blood in this best-of-five, and the crowd of 43,845 is heading home happy.”

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“Well, hi everybody, Ralph Kiner along with Bob Murphy here at Shea—I mean Citi Field—and the Mets win it today, three to nothing over the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of this Division Series.
And you talk about pitching, you can’t say enough about Bobby Colon. Seven and a third innings, no runs, just four hits… he had the Reds guessing all afternoon. That’s the kind of start you want to see if you’re gonna make another run at the World Series.
The Mets didn’t do much early—couldn’t solve Denhart, who was terrific—but finally in the seventh, J.J. Stacks with the double down the line, and that set the stage. Then in the eighth inning, Alex Peña comes up, and he hits one high and far into the right-field seats for a two-run homer. That was the big blow, and that gave the Mets the cushion they needed.
Rey González came in out of the bullpen, and he finished it off with the save. So the Mets go up one game to none, and you know, Bob, when you win the first game in a short series, that’s always a big advantage.”
Bob Murphy (imagined): “That’s right, Ralph. You get the momentum, you get the crowd into it, and now Cincinnati has to find a way to beat a very confident Mets ballclub.”
Ralph again:
“So the final score once again, the Mets three, the Reds nothing. We’ll be back with Game Two tomorrow afternoon right here at Citi Field. And we’ll be back with the happy recap in just a moment.”

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“On a crisp Monday, October the 9th, 1922—yes, they were calling it Dodger Stadium even then—the Milwaukee Brewers came west to face the Dodgers, and it was a pitcher’s duel for much of the afternoon.
Willie Chavez, the left-hander for Los Angeles, was magnificent. Seven innings, no runs, just four hits, and seven strikeouts. Calm as you like, never flustered. If ever there was a performance that matched the California sky, it was his.
The first five innings went by quietly, but in the sixth, the Dodgers finally broke through. Willie Cortez, who had been waiting all day, sent one deep and gone—solo home run, Dodgers up 1-0. A classic case of patience rewarded.
Then came the eighth inning, the kind of inning that lingers in memory. Brierton doubled, Cimabue followed with another extra-base hit, and suddenly Chavez’s work was gilded in gold. A triple by Rudeseal brought them all home, and just like that, the Dodgers had three more, stretching the lead to 4-0.
Meanwhile, the Brewers could never quite solve Chavez. A double here by Rodriguez, a single there by Tidwell, but the door would close each time. And when Chavez finally turned it over, Kovach finished it off—two innings, three strikeouts, no problem.
And so, in just two hours and twenty-two minutes, the Dodgers opened the Division Series with a 4-0 victory. For Willie Chavez, a memory to savor. For the Dodgers, a 1-0 series lead.
It’s a funny game, baseball. On the line score, it all seems neat and tidy: four runs, eight hits, one error. But the story is in the rhythm—the long silence of five innings, then the sudden music of a home run, and at last, the orchestra swelling in the eighth. That’s baseball, always with a twist, always with a surprise.”

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“On a cool October afternoon in Cleveland, with the wind blowing gently out to right, the Texas Rangers squared the Division Series at a game apiece, defeating the Indians 4–1 at Jacobs Field.
The tone of the game was set by Vinny Luevanos, the Texas right-hander. Over seven innings, he scattered six hits, allowed only a single run, and struck out four. He wasn’t overpowering, but he was resourceful, almost professorial in his approach—changing speeds, working both sides of the plate, and keeping Cleveland hitters just enough off balance.
Cleveland struck first. In the bottom of the opening inning, a double from Satiago, followed quickly by another from Kresse, put the Indians up 1–0. For a while, it felt as though that slender lead might loom large.
But baseball has a way of turning its storylines on the smallest hinge. In the sixth, Josh Norwood, the Texas designated hitter, changed the complexion of the afternoon with a long, arcing home run to left. It was the kind of swing you remember—not violent, but precise. In the seventh, with the score tied, Norwood delivered again, this time with a single through the right side to drive in Guerrero.
From there, Texas slowly tightened its grip. A Walden double in the eighth, followed by a Contreras single, padded the margin. Cleveland’s bats, meanwhile, fell silent. Against reliever Jason Gates, the Indians went quietly in the final two innings.
The box score will tell you: Rangers 4 runs on 10 hits, no errors; Indians 1 run on 6 hits, one miscue. But what it won’t fully capture is how the game seemed to tilt once Norwood’s bat awoke, or how Luevanos calmly handed the ball to Gates, who finished things off with a tidy two-inning save.
And so, what began with Cleveland striking first ended with Texas asserting control. The series, now tied at one, shifts to Globe Life Field in Arlington. The Rangers, buoyed by their resilience, and the Indians, still confident but aware of missed opportunities, will both take the field Wednesday with the season poised delicately in the balance.
This is what October baseball is about: tension, redemption, and the sense that every inning writes a new line in the story.”

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On a gray October afternoon in the Bronx, the ghosts of Yankee Stadium watched something rare: the Seattle Mariners, a franchise forever in search of October validation, wresting a 2–1 victory from the mighty Yankees to even this Division Series at one game apiece.
It was, in so many ways, a classic postseason game—defined less by offensive fireworks than by tension, resilience, and one moment of brilliance. That moment belonged to Alex Ojeda, Seattle’s quiet cornerstone, who last season led the American League in wins above replacement. In the top of the eighth inning, with a man aboard and the score tied, Ojeda lashed a double into the gap—driving home the go-ahead run and, perhaps, momentarily tilting the balance of this series.
Xavier Carter, Seattle’s starter, was not dominant in the way the box score might someday suggest. He scattered five hits, he walked four, he even threw a wild pitch. Yet, pitch by pitch, inning by inning, he bent without breaking—delivering six hard-fought frames that kept the Mariners in striking distance. From there, a bridge of relievers—Willie Landeros and the steely Benito Aguilera—held New York scoreless across the final three innings.
For the Yankees, the story was frustration. Mikel Deming pitched with poise, surrendering just a single run across seven innings. But when the bullpen door opened in the eighth, the Mariners seized their chance. And for all the Yankees’ history, for all the pinstriped lore that has defined this ballpark for generations, this day belonged to Seattle.
The Mariners, who have never set foot on a World Series stage, will return home to the Pacific Northwest with hope renewed and a series tied. For the Yankees, champions so many times before, the challenge now is to remind themselves—and the world—who they are.
Game 3 awaits on Wednesday night in Seattle, where the Mariners’ faithful will fill T-Mobile Park with the roar of possibility.

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Ohhh my God… Mets fans, can you believe this? Can you believe this? They do it again! The Amazins’, the defending champs, they come back in the bottom of the ninth at Citi Field and just rip the heart outta the Cincinnati Reds. Six-five, the final. The Mets now take a 2–0 stranglehold on this best-of-five.
And lemme tell ya somethin’, bro—this was vintage Mets October baseball. Not perfect, not clean, plenty of nervous moments—you had Pineda givin’ up nine hits, five runs in six innings, you’re sweatin’ it out, the bullpen’s gotta bail ‘em out—but in the end? In the end the Mets show why they’re the best team in baseball, maybe one of the best ever, bro.
And Ricardo freakin’ Contreras—can I say enough about this guy? Three hits, the walk-off double in the ninth. Place is goin’ bananas, bro! This guy is an absolute stud. You can’t pitch around ‘em, you can’t get ‘em out, he’s been unconscious all postseason.
And how about the Reds? They had this game. They trailed 2-0 and 4-2, they come back in the sixth and seventh to take a 5–4 edge, and you’re thinkin’ “Okay, here we go, maybe we’ve got a series.” And then the Reds bullpen… I mean, Plascencia comes in, gives it up in the ninth. I mean, you just knew it. You just knew it, bro. They had no shot once Contreras came up.
So now the Mets head to Cincinnati up two games to none. It’s over. It’s over. I don’t wanna hear it—it’s over, bro. The Reds had their chance today, they blew it, and now this Mets team is rollin’.
Mets fans… enjoy it, baby. Another magical October night in Flushing.

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“Well hey, how about that one, huh? Brewers get it done, 4–1, out in Dodger Stadium. I’ll tell ya what—Rich Alvarado, he was dealin’. Seven innings, five hits, nine strikeouts… I don’t think I ever struck out nine guys in my whole career combined. Most of my innings were one pitch, two pitches, maybe a loud souvenir into the upper deck. Not this guy. He was terrific.
And then Josh Tidwell—oh baby. Eighth inning, big three-run homer to put Milwaukee up for good. That was his only hit, but ya know what? That’s why they put his name in the lineup. One swing and he’s the hero.
Brewers only had five hits all day, Dodgers had five too, so I guess it’s even—except, uh, the Dodgers forgot you need more runs. Can’t win if ya don’t score more than one. That’s some high-level analysis right there.
And hey, Dodgers pitcher Antonio Hernandez was pretty good too—seven innings, one run—but then they went to the bullpen, and, well… if I had a nickel for every time I gave up a three-run bomb outta the bullpen, I’d have… well, a lotta nickels.
So we head back to Milwaukee tied up at one apiece. American Family Field’s gonna be rockin’. The bratwurst will be hot, the beer cold, and the Brewers have life in this series.
I’ll tell ya—October baseball. Nothin’ better. Unless you’re the guy gettin’ hit in the ribs by a fastball. Adrian Roach left after that one. That happened to me once… except I wasn’t lucky enough to get taken out, they left me in the game. The other team liked hittin’ me too much.”

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A Lone Star punch to the powerhouse
ARLINGTON — You know what makes October baseball so unpredictable? The team that wins 113 games can walk into your ballpark, and before the popcorn machine in the concourse has even warmed up, they’re already trailing 3-0.
That’s exactly what happened Wednesday at Globe Life Field, when Tony Guerrero turned on a Dustin Cranmer fastball and deposited it into the left-field seats for a first-inning, three-run exclamation point. It was the kind of swing that changes an entire best-of-five series. And sure enough, it did.
Texas 4, Cleveland 1. Rangers lead the series, 2 games to 1.
The big story
This was supposed to be Cleveland’s series. The Indians, remember, won 113 games — the best record in the American League. They’re the two-time champions from 1919 and 1920, the team that hasn’t lost a Division Series in this entire dynasty run. And yet here they are, one loss away from elimination.
Meanwhile, the Rangers? All they’ve done the last three Octobers is exit in the Division Series in five games. And yet, suddenly, they’re one win from finally breaking through.
The pitching matchup you didn’t see coming
You don’t need me to tell you who Jon Tucker is, because you’ve probably never heard of him. But if you want a stat to file away: Jon Tucker has now allowed one run or fewer in both of his postseason starts this year. Seven innings. Four hits. One run. Five strikeouts. No fear.
Compare that with Daniel Cranmer, who’s now allowed three home runs in his last two postseason starts. The pitch to Guerrero? Right down Broadway. Guerrero didn’t miss.

Numbers that tell the story
The Indians had four hits all game. Two of them belonged to leadoff man Max Holdcraft. The rest of the lineup? A combined 2-for-26.
Meanwhile, the Rangers stole five bases. Five! You don’t see that against a Cleveland team that prides itself on controlling the running game.
Cleveland has now scored a grand total of two runs in the past two games in this series. For a team that scored over 900 during the regular season, that’s staggering.

What’s next
So now here we are: the Rangers, one win away from flipping the American League upside down. Game 4, same park, same crowd, same pressure. If the Indians lose again, the best team in the AL goes home.
Baseball is weird. Baseball is unpredictable. And on this night in Arlington, baseball reminded the mighty Cleveland Indians of all of that.

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Michael Kay:
"Well, Paul… if you were looking for a statement game from the Yankees, you got it tonight in Seattle. Behind a brilliant outing from Steven Janczak, the Yankees blanked the Mariners 5–0, and they now lead this Division Series two games to one. And I have to tell you, Paul, Janczak was masterful."
Paul O’Neill:
"Yeah, Michael, it’s one of those games where you could see right away — he had everything working. Fastball command, breaking stuff on the corners… and he just looked comfortable. Eight and a third innings? That’s postseason pitching right there. He really set the tone."
Kay:
"And the offense gave him a cushion right from the start. First inning, Nate Moser with a two-run shot, and you just felt the Mariners crowd get taken right out of it. Then in the fifth, Sean Nicholson adds a solo homer… and Paul, when you get power like that to back up dominant pitching, you’re in business."
O’Neill (grinning):
"Well, Michael, you love those home runs. But I liked the little things, too. Shackford with the double, Rivera with the two-out RBI… those are big hits. You can’t just wait around for the long ball in October. And it’s not just the runs, it’s when you score them. Janczak had the lead and he went right after hitters."
Kay:
"Absolutely. And you mentioned Rivera — he’s been red-hot this series. Another two-hit night, drove in a run, and his defense up the middle has been sharp as well. The Yankees had eleven hits, five different players drove in runs… it was a complete effort. And, Paul, you always talk about keeping pressure on the other team. The Yankees did that all night long."
O’Neill:
"Yeah, and you could see it on the Mariners’ side. Galindo, their starter, had to work. He got some strikeouts, but the Yankees made him throw a lot of pitches. By the time you get to the middle innings, he’s leaving balls up and guys are taking advantage. That’s what good lineups do — they make you pay for mistakes."
Kay (building up to his close):
"So the Yankees, with a 5–0 shutout victory, move within one win of the American League Championship Series. Game 4 is tomorrow night here at T-Mobile Park. If the Yankees win, they advance. If the Mariners win, we go to a decisive Game 5 in the Bronx. For now, though, Steven Janczak will be the story — eight and a third innings of postseason brilliance."
O’Neill (playfully):
"Michael, I know you love your big-game pitchers. You might want to make room on that list for Janczak after this one."
Kay (smiling):
"Oh, I think he’s already on it. Yankees win it, 5–0. And folks, the Yankees are one step closer to October glory."

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New York Mets: 5th NLCS appearance
1903 1904 1917 1921 1922

On a gray October afternoon in Cincinnati, the defending World Champion New York Mets reminded us once again why October baseball so often belongs to the resilient.
Down 3–1, and later 4–3, the Mets—calm, steady, almost expectant—found a way. In the top of the ninth, they rallied for two runs to take a 5–4 lead. And in the bottom half, with the Reds faithful on their feet, hoping for one last reprieve, closer Rey Gonzalez walked a tightrope. Two singles put the winning run on base. But in a moment that will linger in Mets lore, pinch hitter Ramon Ocasio rolled into a double play, ending the series, ending the Reds’ hopes, and sending New York on to the National League Championship Series.
It is the fifth NLCS in franchise history for the Mets—a team whose story continues to be written in bold October chapters. Just two years ago, it was Cincinnati who stunned them in this very round. Tonight, the Mets returned the favor, completing a sweep, as if to declare: the champions are not yet done.
Rey Gonzalez, the southpaw with the calm demeanor and a steely edge, was named series MVP. Two wins, a 1.93 ERA, and the kind of postseason performance that turns a pitcher into more than just a name in a box score—it turns him into a character in the continuing narrative of this remarkable franchise.
And so, the Mets wait. Will it be Milwaukee, seeking their first World Series crown after more than two decades of pursuit, or the Dodgers, still chasing the same elusive dream? Whichever team emerges, they will face a Mets club that, once again, has shown the rarest and most enduring quality in October baseball: the ability to bend but not break.
From Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, the Mets move on, still very much alive in their quest to repeat.
This… is Major League Baseball.

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🎤 “Yo, check it—October 12th, 1922, we in Milwaukee, American Family Field. Dodgers rollin’ deep, and they came out bangin’.
Top of the first, it’s all L.A. Bobby Cimabue steppin’ to the plate, bases loaded—BOOM, clears ‘em with a triple. Four runs right out the gate, that’s straight West Coast dominance. They hang five in the first, add a lil’ extra heat later, and before you know it, Dodgers up 8–4 on the Brewers.
Now let’s talk about the real star of this track—Francisco Aviles. Man was on fire, 3-for-5, two bombs and a double. That’s 10 total bases, three RBI, two runs scored. That’s not just stats, homie—that’s platinum performance.
Milwaukee tried to clap back—Tidwell dropped a solo shot, Roach went deep too—but the Dodgers’ bullpen shut it down. Ramirez closed it out ice cold, no hits, no runs, no worries.
Dodgers now one win away from the NLCS. That’s 2–1 in the series, and you can feel it—they got that West Coast momentum. Brewers on the ropes, and Aviles just turned this whole joint into a G-funk highlight reel.
So tomorrow, same spot, Game 4. Dodgers tryin’ to punch their ticket, Brewers fightin’ to stay alive.
Major League Baseball, West Coast edition. L.A. still in the house. 🎶

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On a cool Thursday afternoon in Arlington, with the season hanging in the balance, the Cleveland Indians did what great teams must in October: they found a way to keep playing.
Behind the steady bat of second baseman Jesús Satiago, Cleveland routed the Texas Rangers, 11–4, evening the series at two games apiece and forcing a decisive fifth game back at Jacobs Field. Satiago was nothing short of brilliant—three hits, a double, a home run, three runs scored, three driven in. In a game that demanded urgency, he supplied exactly that.
Texas had its moments. In the third, the Rangers briefly seized control, a Norwood home run and a Contreras sacrifice fly putting them ahead, 3–1. But in October, leads can be fleeting. In the fourth and fifth innings, Cleveland answered—first with a barrage of doubles, then Satiago’s towering two-run blast that seemed to punctuate the Indians’ intent. By the seventh, the game was all but out of reach.
For Texas, the frustration was palpable. Their pitchers never quite settled, and their offense, so dangerous at times in this series, was held in check by Alberto Galvan, who gave Cleveland seven sturdy innings.
And so, it comes down to one game. The Rangers, seeking to validate a season of promise, and the Indians, trying to extend theirs, will play for it all on Saturday in Cleveland. A winner-take-all fifth game—always the most dramatic phrase in postseason baseball.
As the sun sets on Arlington tonight, the sense is unmistakable: history waits in Cleveland.