The 2022 MLB postseason got underway on October 7th with the new Wild Card round. With the expanded playoffs that began in 2020, six teams from each league now make the postseason instead of just five. The top two teams in each league get a bye into the Division Series, while the remaining four teams in each league face off in a best-of-three Wild Card series.
In the American League, the #3 seed Toronto Blue Jays hosted the #6 seed Seattle Mariners. The Blue Jays were one of the hottest teams down the stretch, going 36-16 in their final 52 games to surge back into the playoffs. Their offense was firing on all cylinders, led by sluggers Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Teoscar Hernandez. On the mound, Alek Manoah emerged as their ace while José Berríos also provided a steady presence. They were facing a Mariners team that refused to go away all season long. Seattle stayed in the Wild Card race despite trading away many of their top players at the deadline. Rookies like Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby helped them remain competitive, while veteran leaders like Eugenio Suárez and Mitch Haniger willed them to the playoffs.
The series got underway at Rogers Centre, with Manoah on the bump for Toronto against Logan Gilbert for Seattle. In a pitcher’s duel, the Blue Jays broke through against Gilbert in the 6th. Bo Bichette led off with a single and Guerrero brought him home with a double. That would be all the scoring Manoah and the Jays bullpen needed, as they held on for a 1-0 victory.
In Game 2, the Mariners jumped out to an early lead against Berríos. Adam Frazier led off the game with a single and scored on a double by Rodriguez. Two batters later, Cal Raleigh crushed a two-run homer to left to make it 3-0 Seattle. The Blue Jays would get one back in the 4th on a Guerrero sacrifice fly but trailed 3-1 going to the bottom of the 9th. With their season on the line, Toronto staged an incredible comeback. George Springer led off with a single and Bichette walked. After a strikeout, Guerrero and Hernandez each delivered RBI singles to tie it up. The game went to extra innings, where the Mariners brought in former Blue Jay Paul Sewald to pitch the 10th. But Matt Chapman greeted him with a walk-off home run to center, sending the series to Seattle all square at 1-1.
Game 3 was a back-and-forth affair at T-Mobile Park. The Mariners jumped out to an early lead again on a two-run homer by Ty France in the bottom of the 1st off José Berríos. But Toronto battled back to tie it in the 3rd on a Chapman RBI single and Bichette sacrifice fly. In the 5th, Seattle regained the lead on an RBI double by Adam Frazier. The Blue Jays responded right away in the 6th, as Springer crushed a no-doubt two-run shot to left to give Toronto a 4-3 lead. Both bullpens then shut the door, with Anthony Bass notching the save to send Toronto to the ALDS.
The series showed the heart and resilience of both teams. The Mariners refused to go down without a fight despite facing elimination twice. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ offense came up huge when they needed it most to power them past Seattle. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led the way, hitting .333 with 3 RBI to help the Blue Jays advance.
In the National League, the #3 seed St. Louis Cardinals hosted the #6 seed Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were battle tested all season long in the tough NL Central, using strong pitching and timely hitting to finish 90-72. Stars like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado anchored the lineup, while young flamethrowers like Jordan Montgomery and Miles Mikolas led the rotation. The Phillies snuck into the playoffs thanks to a late surge, going 87-75 behind the long ball. Kyle Schwarber led the NL in home runs, while Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto also provided plenty of pop. On the mound, Zack Wheeler emerged as their ace but Aaron Nola struggled down the stretch.
The series began with Wheeler facing off against Montgomery. The Phillies jumped ahead early, as Hoskins blasted a two-run homer in the top of the 1st. But the Cardinals responded immediately, loading the bases in the bottom half before Nolan Gorman cleared them with a bases-clearing double to put St. Louis up 3-2. That would remain the score until the 7th, when Albert Pujols stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded against Connor Brogdon. The Cardinals legend crushed the first pitch into the left field seats for a grand slam, extending the lead to 7-2. That proved to be the final score, as the Cardinals bullpen closed it out to draw first blood.
In Game 2, Aaron Nola took the mound looking to even the series for Philadelphia. But the Cardinals struck early against him, as Lars Nootbaar led off the bottom of the 1st with a solo homer. They added another run in the 3rd on a Paul Goldschmidt RBI single. Nola settled down after that, but the Phillies bats remained silent against Miles Mikolas and the Cardinals bullpen. St. Louis added an insurance run in the 7th on an RBI double by Juan Yepez, securing a 3-0 victory and a commanding 2-0 series lead heading back to Philadelphia.
With their season on the brink in Game 3, the Phillies called on ace Zack Wheeler once more. This time, he delivered a gem against St. Louis. Wheeler threw seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five. Meanwhile, the Phillies finally cracked Cardinals pitching, tagging Jordan Hicks for three runs in the bottom of the 7th. Kyle Schwarber blasted a two-run homer to break the scoreless tie before Bryson Stott added an RBI single. In the 9th, David Robertson closed the door as the Phillies avoided elimination with a 3-0 victory of their own to send the series back to St. Louis all tied up.
In the decisive Game 3, the Phillies turned to Ranger Suárez while the Cardinals countered with Adam Wainwright. Once again, this game was a pitchers’ duel. Through six innings, the two starters had combined to allow just one hit. But in the top of the 7th, Philadelphia broke through against Wainwright. J.T. Realmuto led off with a single and Schwarber followed by launching a ball into the left field bleachers to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Suárez cruised through the bottom of the 7th and handed a 3-0 advantage over to the bullpen. In the 9th, José Alvarado struck out Paul Goldschmidt with two runners on to seal the Phillies’ first postseason series win since 2010. They advanced to face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, sending the Cardinals home for the winter.
The Wild Card round provided plenty of drama and late-inning heroics. Both series went the full three games, showcasing the never-say-die attitudes of these teams. Veterans like Pujols and Wainwright delivered clutch moments for St. Louis, while young stars like Guerrero Jr. and Rodriguez did the same for their squads. Pitching was key throughout, as Wheeler, Manoah, and Suárez tossed gems to help their teams advance. With such an entertaining start to the 2022 playoffs, fans were eagerly anticipating more close, compelling games in the next round between these talented lineups. The Wild Card format succeeded in bringing excitement right from the outset of October baseball.
