“Eight groups were in real life on the primary day of the 2023 MLB End of season games with the beginning of the Best-of-Special case Round. The Texas Rangers, who embarked on an action-packed journey in the American League, defeated the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins, ending their 18-game losing streak for the season with a victory against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Meanwhile, the National League took center stage on the same day, as the Arizona Diamondbacks troubled the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Philadelphia Phillies secured a win against the Miami Marlins. We’ve got you covered with takeaways, live updates, and analysis for Game 1, along with everything you need to know for Game 2.
Philadelphia PhilliesÂ
Philadelphia Phillies 4, Miami Marlins 1: On paper, the Marlins-Phillies series was the most closely matched Wild Card series, and MLB Game 1 played out just like that. Zack Wheeler took control in the seventh inning and the Phillies got the better of Jesus Luzardo. Wheeler’s performance was nothing short of stellar, with five of his eight strikeouts hitting 104 miles per hour or more. It wasn’t an easy win for the Phillies, though, as the Marlins made an effort to stage a comeback in the seventh inning with a pair of infield singles. Jorge Alfaro arrived, and Yuli Gurriel threw a 94 mph dart to catch him out at the plate, extinguishing the threat. The Marlins had the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning, but Jeff Hoffman struck out George Soler looking. If the Phillies bullpen can hold on – and it’s better and deeper than last year – then they have a chance to do more than just beat the Marlins.Â
One Key Insight for Game 2
One thing to know for Game 2: In the last postseason, the Phillies rode Wheeler and Aaron Nola all the way to October. Wheeler did his part in MLB Game 1 on Tuesday night, but Nola isn’t the same pitcher he was a year ago, as his regular-season ERA has climbed from 3.25 last season to 4.46 in 2023. Can Nola rediscover his postseason touch to determine how far the Phillies will go this month?”
 They loaded the bases twice without scoring, including no outs in the fifth. After Bryce Touring got out, Tyrone Taylor seemed poised to break things open with a left-field single, but Evan Longoria, who turned 38 last week and didn’t have any guaranteed condition to start this game, made a diving, tumbling snag that changed it. A game-changing double play.
MLB Extraordinary Case
Before the game, Longoria said, ‘A lot of these games come down to one or two big moments. We have to be ready, and we have to be ready for them.’ He was prepared, and Arizona is up 1-0 in the series over the next two days. If the Brewers don’t win any of those big moments in Game 2, where they will face Freddy Peralta on the mound, they might not see Kelly again.Â
One thing to know for Game 2: Taking an opener on the road is always nice, but in the case of the D-backs, winning Game 1 sets them up nicely for a possible series upset. Now Arizona has turned to Zac Gallen for Game 2, with Kelly waiting in the wings if needed.
The Streak is Finally Snapped
The streak is over! This isn’t hyperbole: the Twins’ 18-game losing streak, which began in 2004, was a seemingly insurmountable calamity. Now that it’s over and the burden is lifted, the Twins might shockingly find themselves in the wide-open AL bracket, especially if Royce Lewis continues to perform as he did in Game 1.
A notable performance: Rookie left fielder Evan Carter went 2-for-2-2 with two doubles and two walks (although he should have turned one of those doubles into a triple). Carter is only 21 years old and hadn’t made his MLB debut until September 8, but he looks like a star right out of the gate – why, he’s batting ninth in the Rangers lineup. Yes, it’s a very good lineup.
Karns’ Nightmare Game
The Karns played a terrifying game with four errors and an MLB double play that could have ended the game with two more runs. Keshawn left Tyler Glasnow questionable to start the 7th inning and Glasnow opened the inning by hitting the first two batters, which gave the Rangers another opportunity to end the game with more runs. – Schoenfield
One thing to know for Game 2: After winning 99 games in the regular season, the Rays have placed their fate in the hands of Zach Eflin, who arrived in Tampa Bay as the most highly-paid free agent in franchise history at the trade deadline. Eflin has been on a roll this year, going 11-4 with a 3.30 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings, compared to 5-4 with a 3.77 ERA and 8.0 K/9 on the road.”
Sports Info: Legendary Goalkeeper
