Rays finish off the Yankees
Tampa Bay swept the New York Yankees out of the postseason with a 4-3 win in Game 3 of their division series. The Rays scored on a pair of home runs and held on late, advancing to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2020. It is the third ALCS appearance in franchise history.
Closer Bryan Baker struck out Trent Grisham with the tying run on second to end the game, earning his third save of the series. New York thought it had tied the score in the sixth inning on a two-run homer by Anthony Volpe, but the call was overturned because of fan interference. The win came at Yankee Stadium, where the Rays had already clinched the AL East title last month.
Dodgers back in the NLCS
In Atlanta, the Dodgers beat the Braves 4-1 to take their division series three games to one. Andy Pages drove a two-run single up the middle in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie, and Max Muncy added a solo home run in the ninth. It is Los Angeles's third straight NLCS and its eighth in 11 years.
The Dodgers are chasing a third consecutive World Series title. The Braves scored first when Michael Harris II stole home on a wild pitch, but Atlanta managed only one hit over the rest of the game.
Who plays whom
The Dodgers will meet the Milwaukee Brewers, who eliminated the San Diego Padres and earned a rematch of last season's NLCS. In the American League, the Rays wait for the winner of the series between Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox lead two games to one, and Game 4 was set for Thursday night in Chicago. Cleveland kept the series going with a win in Game 3.
Pitching depth has shaped every series. The Rays used six pitchers to close out the Yankees, and the Dodgers have now won five straight road playoff games. The championship series begin next week.