Padres and Mets shine in major league playoffs
With Tuesday's game, the teams only need one more win to meet in the National League championship series.
San Diego celebrates after winning the game
The San Diego Padres and New York Mets are ahead of the favored Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies after advancing 2-1 in the major league divisional series. With Tuesday's wins, the teams need only one more win to clinch the National League championship series.
The Mets, who could make it to the World Series for the first time since their 2015 loss, beat the Phillies 7-2. The Padres, meanwhile, beat the Dodgers 6-5 in a thrilling game between the California franchises.
With the result, the Dodgers no longer have any margin for error if they want to avoid an early elimination with their plush talent train, which includes three MVP (Most Valuable Player) award winners: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
Betts brought the day to life by opening the scoring with a home run in the top of the first inning at San Diego's Petco Park. Betts hit a 104-yarder that Jurickson Profar came close to catching next to the wall.
However, the Padres turned the game around with six runs in the second inning. Dominican Fernando Tatis Jr. capped the inning off with a two-run homer, his fourth home run in the five games this postseason.
"A monumental home run by Dominican Fernando Tatis Jr. was the key piece in a six-run attack in the second inning, and the San Diego Padres barely withstood a Los Angeles Dodgers' comeback to prevail 6-5 Tuesday and go up 2-1 in the National League divisional series," MLB said.
The stadium suddenly cooled down in the third inning when Teoscar Hernandez hit a spectacular grand slam. With the bases loaded, the Dominican ran in Ohtani, Betts and Cuban Andy Pages.
Tanner Scott struck out starter Shohei Ohtani in the eighth inning. Finally, Venezuela's Robert Suarez struck out Max Muncy in the ninth.
The Padres will have a chance to wrap up the series in Wednesday's Game 4 in San Diego.
Meanwhile, in New York, the Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2.
Philadelphia, winner of the East division, had tied the playoffs with a close win on Sunday but the Mets, third in the same division, took the lead again thanks to an offense led by Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea‘s stellar pitching.
Alonso opened the scoring in Queens with a home run in the second inning while pitcher Manaea shut down the Phillies' bats with seven shutout innings in his first playoff win.
On the other side, Phillies starter Aaron Nola was put through the wringer by the Mets offense. Alonso delivered the first run with a 117-yard homer to right field and Jesse Winker doubled the lead with another homer in the fourth inning.
Reliever Orion Kerkering was put in the game. However, in the sixth inning the Mets loaded the bases. Starling Marte’s single put the team back on track as Alonso and Brandon Nimmo each scored a run.
Another single from Cuban José Iglesias allowed the home side to take a six-run lead and the Phillies could barely make up the score after hits from Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos.
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