Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Wednesday, October 2nd.

MLB

Three of the four wild card series are over, with two-day sweeps abruptly ending what were once very promising seasons. Time for some recaps:

We begin with everyone’s favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. Center fielder Parker Meadows got things started with a solo homer off the foul pole in the 6th inning and the Gritty Tigs were off and running. But the Astros fought back– Houston loaded the bases against rookie Jackson Jobe and took a 2-1 lead on a very unorthodox sacrifice fly. Then, with two outs, bases loaded, and a tie game in the 8th inning, up stepped Andy Ibanez… Detroit went on to win the game 5-2, ending Houston’s incredible ALCS streak at seven consecutive seasons.

Over to Baltimore, where the Orioles were trying to win their first playoff game since 2014. Alas, Bobby Witt Jr. and the Royals did just enough to disappoint the home crowd. Kansas City scratched across two runs and the bullpen held on for a 2-1 victory. Would you believe it? Three of the final four teams in the American League are members of the AL Central.

We’re skipping ahead to San Diego, where the Padres started hometown kid Joe Musgrove on the mound in front of a raucous home crowd. Catcher Kyle Higashioka swatted a solo homer in the 2nd inning as San Diego pounced on Atlanta early. A two-out rally was kickstarted when Manny Machado doubled home two more runs– by the end of the inning, San Diego led 5-1. Despite a late rally, that five-run 2nd inning would be the backbreaker for the Braves. San Diego held on to win 5-4, eliminating Atlanta and setting up a must-see showdown with their NL West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Only one team was able to avoid a sweep yesterday and extend their series to a deciding game three. And it was the Milwaukee outfield who delivered in the biggest moments. Rookie Jackson Chourio homered to lead off the 1st inning and then again to tie the game 3-3 in the 8th. The 20-year old became the second-youngest player in MLB history with two home runs in a playoff game (TRIVIA: Who was the youngest? Answer revealed below!) Chourio’s heroics set the stage for Garrett Mitchell, who stepped up to the plate with two outs and a runner on first later in the inning… the Brewers beat the Mets 5-3:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Lionel Messi scored two goals and Inter Miami beat the Columbus Crew 3-2, securing the best regular season record in the MLS for Miami. Just three winners of the Supporter’s Shield have won the MLS playoffs since 2010.

Baseball fans, you may be watching your favorite team on a new channel next season. Diamond Sports Group– which operates the Bally Sports networks– submitted a proposal in court to drop all their MLB teams except for the Atlanta Braves from their broadcasting plans. DSG has been in court for over a year now due to bankruptcy and other media rights issues, and now they’re taking some bold steps. If executed, this new plan will do two things: teams who had contracts with DSG could lose money from a lack of TV deal (not good), and Major League Baseball will potentially be able to broadcast those teams in any market, ending unhelpful blackout areas (very good). We will keep you updated all offseason as this develops.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

MLB PLAYOFFS: Mets (Jose Quintana) @ Brewers (Tobias Myers), 7:08 PM on ESPN

• Will the Brewers win their first playoff series since 2018? Or will the Mets keep riding their rollercoaster of season? It’s win or go home in Milwaukee.

NFL: Buccaneers @ Falcons, 8:15 PM on Amazon Prime

• We’ve got an NFC South rivalry game on Thursday Night Football, as Baker Mayfield and the Bucs head to Atlanta to battle Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. This should be a fun one.

TRIVIA ANSWER: The youngest player to hit two home runs in a playoff game was Braves outfielder Andruw Jones, who was 19 when he knocked two out of the park in game one of the 1996 World Series.

Thanks for reading! Have a sweet day