The 2022 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

It took a little longer but the result was the same in the NL as it was in the AL in the first year of the new wild card series: the home teams advanced.



Milwaukee will face the Mets and Atlanta will square off against the Dodgers in the NLDS.

[Art Deco]

Wow, Michael Conforto can actually have big games! Who knew? Well he's getting the last laugh after we dealt him off to Houston at mid-season for Michael Brantley. Meanwhile with Anthony Rizzo out for the year with a severe hip strain, Greg Bird comes through big for the Yankees to open their ALDS.

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls split the first two games in Durham, getting blasted in the opener 7-1 but coming back for a 3-1 win in Game 2. Some bad news, though: pitching prospect Jacob Lopez suffered a torn rotator cuff in Game 2 and is done through 2023.

[Art Deco]

The Yankees win another slugfest thanks to 9th-inning homers from Aaron Judge and Kike Hernandez, the Twins get even, the Mets have us thinking Subway Series after a Game 1 win and Atlanta steals one at Dodger Stadium.

Durham Playoff Update: 4 Bulls errors led to 3 Indianapolis runs, making the difference in a 4-3 loss after they led 3-0. Top prospect Curtis Mead had a 2-run homer as Durham falls behind 2-1 in the best-of-7.

[Art Deco]

The dynamic duo of deGrom and Scherzer now have the Mets out to a 2-0 series lead while the Dodgers even things up before they head to Atlanta.

Durham Playoff Update: The Bulls are on the brink of elimination after a 5-2 loss to Indianapolis as they now trail in the series 3-1. They were shut down by wily vet Edinson Volquez with only Alika Williams having success, 3-4 with a solo homer.

[Art Deco]

The Yankees are in the ALCS with a surprise sweep of the Angels while the Twins take a step closer to facing New York.

Durham Playoff Update: Things came to a sad end in Indianapolis as the Bulls lost on a Josh VanMeter walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th off Chris Gau to fall 5-4 and lose the IL Championship Series in 5 games. It looked like Durham might pull it out when Luke Raley hit a dramatic 3-run homer in the 9th to tie the game at 4, but Indy responded immediately to end the series and take the Governors' Cup.

[Art Deco]

Houston forces a decisive Game 5, Milwaukee stays alive and Atlanta takes the edge:



Some interesting names retired, including a few former Rays:

[Art Deco]

We're going to have two more Games 5 thanks to Willy Adames' walk-off winner and the heroics of the 3 Dodger sluggers highlighted below:

[Art Deco]

It's the Astros and the Yankees in the ALCS no netural wants to root for:

[Art Deco]

It's the Brewers....



...and Atlanta, whose title defense remains alive thanks to fill-in 2B Luke Waddell who had the big hit of the game, a 3-run homer to put them ahead to stay:

[Art Deco]

Joey Gallo's RBI double in the bottom of the 9th walked it off for New York.

[Art Deco]

The Yankees have yet to lose this postseason, winning both wild card games, sweeping the ALDS in 3 and now going up 2-0 on Houston in the ALCS:

[Art Deco]

[Art Deco]

Thanks to another big homer from Aaron Judge, this time to win it in the 10th, the Yankees are virtually in the World Series for the first time since 2009:

[Art Deco]

The Yankees are rolling through the playoffs like no other team before them in the modern, multi-round playoff era as they swept Houston in the ALCS to go 9-0 so far, while Atlanta takes the advantage in the NLCS:



Meanwhile in other MLB news the Dodgers have gotten over their playoff disappointment and extended Clayton Kershaw for 4/77 which will take him through age 38.

[Art Deco]

Since we're down to the NLCS I'll just do the rest of it in one post:

October 26, Game 4:



October 27, Game 5:



Have yourself a day, Marcell Ozuna! The Atlanta OF capped a 5-hit day by blasting a walk-off 3-run homer in the bottom of the 16th after Milwaukee went ahead in the top of the inning to put his team up 3-2 in the NLCS.

October 29, Game 6:



Thanks to a huge game from Freddy Peralta, we're going the distance!

October 30, Game 7:



So we'll have a rematch of the 1996 and 1999 World Series as Atlanta looks to go back-to-back while the Yankees look for their first title in 13 years after Atlanta shut out Milwaukee on 11 hits in a convincing 6-0 Game 7 win.

[Art Deco]

With any luck we'll finish up by Thanksgiving, while the Yankees may not lose again until 2023:

[Art Deco]

Well it finally happened: the Yankees lost a postseason game in 2022. It took 8 runs, but Atlanta did it:

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Suddenly the Yankees have lost 2 in a row and find themselves behind in the series:

[Art Deco]

Now suddenly the Yankees can't win and Atlanta is on the verge of going back-to-back:

[Art Deco]

Gerrit Cole and Joey Gallo to the rescue as the Yankees force the series back to Atlanta for a Game 6: