It’s Day 1 of the MLB division series!
After an exciting wild-card round, the division series are here. The Chicago White Sox started the four-game Day 1 off with a 3-0 shutout of the Cleveland Guardians.
And with another intra-division matchup in the AL and showdowns of big markets and bigger stars in the NL, there’s plenty still to watch. Can the New York Yankees upset the No. 1 seed Tampa Bay Rays? Will Tarik Skubal and the Los Angeles Dodgers hold off the Atlanta Braves? And what will the surging San Diego Padres make of Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski?
We’ve got you covered with pregame lineups, sights and sounds from the ballparks and postgame takeaways as each Day 1 matchup ends.
Key links: Mega-preview | Predictions | Bracket | Schedule
Jump to:
CHW-CLE | ATL-LAD | NYY-TB | SD-MIL
Sights and sounds
We have all the best moments from the ballparks as the division series begins.
Braves-Dodgers
Follow live with pitch-by-pitch coverage
Sandy Koufax is seated for Game 1 in L.A.
https://x.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/2106473363585868058
Takeaways
Chicago White Sox 3, Cleveland Guardians 0
It was over when …Munetaka Murakami turned on a Parker Messick sinker at 112.2 mph off the bat, a blast that traveled 440 feet to put the White Sox up 2-0. The blow came minutes after Chicago’s Bryan Hudson got Chase DeLauter on a fly ball to escape a base-loaded jam to end the third. There was a lot of game left at that point, but that sequence set the tone and the Guardians never really recovered.
Stat that defined the game:6. That’s the inning in which White Sox skipper Will Venable summoned Grant Taylor from the bullpen. Chicago led 2-0 at the time and keep in mind, insofar as the White Sox have a closer, Taylor is the guy. But Venable has managed his team in playoff mode for weeks now, so of course Taylor laid four zeroes on Cleveland. It was a relief performance straight out of the 1970s. Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle had to be proud.
What it means for the rest of the series:The White Sox showed how tough their pitching staff can be when playing from ahead. As mentioned, they have been in this mode for a lot of games by now, putting all their available reut the next game when it arrives. Cleveland needs to jump on the White Sox early so the Guardians, not Venable, can dictate how the game will be played.– Bradford Doolittle
Key moments from the Chicago’s win:
White Sox shut out Guardians in Game 1
Chicago adds insurance run in 7th
https://x.com/whitesox/status/2106464432003916059
Guardians turn potential 3-run homer into inning-ending double play
https://x.com/MLB/status/2106460074042405135
Murakami blasts 2-run home run to give White Sox the lead
https://x.com/whitesox/status/2106446707924046292
Six K’s for Messick through three innings
https://x.com/MLB/status/2106441889100804362
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Game 1 starters:Gerrit Cole vs. Drew Rasmussen
Yankees
1. Ben Rice (L) DH
2. Cody Bellinger (L) LF
3. Luis Garcia Jr. (L) 1B
4. Spencer Jones (L) RF
5. George Lombard Jr. (R) SS
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B
7. Trent Grisham (L) CF
8. Austin Wells (L) C
9. Ryan McMahon (L) 3B
Rays
1. Yandy Diaz (R) DH
2. Jonathan Aranda (L) 1B
3. Junior Caminero (R) 3B
4. Liam Hicks (L) C
5. Chandler Simpson (L) LF
6. Victor Mesa Jr. (L) RF
7. Jonny DeLuca (R) CF
8. Richie Palacios (L) 2B
9. Taylor Walls (S) SS
San Diego Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Game 1 starters:Robbie Ray vs. Jacob Misiorowski
