A look at the MLB Division Series as they head to Game 3

Each of the series is tied 1-1.

The MLB Division Series are in their 20th season, having begun with the Wild Card era in 1995 (21st, if you count the “division series” that were played in the contrived “split season” strike year of 1981).

This is the first time that all four Division Series have headed to Game 3 tied 1-1. While there are still favorites in these series — namely, the four teams that got byes — these series have had a number of close, back-and-forth games and I suspect any of them could go either way.

Let’s have a quick look at all four.

Tigers vs. Guardians

After being shut out on just four hits in Game 1, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal shut down Cleveland for seven innings on just three hits in Game 2, with eight strikeouts.

Game 2 went to the ninth inning tied, with Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase on the mound. He had retired the final Tigers hitter in the eighth.

But Clase got in trouble in the ninth, allowing a pair of singles after the first two Tigers were routine outs. Then Kerry Carpenter slammed a 422-foot home run, and the Tigers held on to win 3-0.

This is a classic case of mismanagement. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was asking Clase to do something he had not done in 74 appearances in 2024 — get a four-out save. It’s not necessarily the number of batters faced, it’s asking Clase to retire a hitter, then sit in the dugout, then warm up again. Closers aren’t used to doing this and that might have been Clase’s undoing.

The series resumes in Detroit tomorrow. Alex Cobb goes for Cleveland. At this writing the Tigers haven’t named a starter and could go with a bullpen game.

Royals vs. Yankees

The Royals played the Yankees tough in Game 1. They had three different leads, but couldn’t hold them and lost 6-5.

In Game 2, a Salvador Perez homer put KC ahead and three RBI singles completed a four-run fourth, and the Royals held on despite a ninth-inning homer by Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm says the Royals “just got lucky”:

“It still feels the same, that we’re going to win it,” Chisholm said. “I don’t feel like anybody feels any different. We’re going to go out there and do our thing still; we still don’t feel like any team is better than us. We had a lot of missed opportunities tonight, so they just got lucky.”

I’m guessing that quote goes on the bulletin board in the Royals clubhouse.

The Yankees were a very good road team this year at 50-31 and they swept the Royals at Kauffman Stadium in June.

But the postseason, as you know, is different.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Phillies nursed a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning in Game 1, then the Mets exploded for five runs off three Phillies relievers for an easy 6-2 win.

The Mets looked like they were cruising in Game 2, taking a 3-0 lead into the sixth, when a two-run homer by Bryce Harper and solo shot by Nick Castellanos tied the game.

After that it was a hitters’ game, as Brandon Nimmo homered the Mets into the lead, which they blew in the bottom of the eighth, only to tie the game 6-6 in the top of the ninth.

A pair of two-out walks led to this Castellanos walkoff hit [VIDEO].

The Mets took three of four from the Phillies at Citi Field last month, but again… the postseason is just different.

Padres vs. Dodgers

Like the Royals, the Padres had multiple leads in Game 1 that they could not hold.

In the first inning of Game 2, Jurickson Profar made this fantastic catch, stealing a home run from Mookie Betts [VIDEO].

He played around a bit with the fans nearby, hiding the ball for a few seconds.

Later in the game, Dodger fans started throwing stuff on the field, causing a delay [VIDEO].

All that did was fire up the Padres, who were leading 4-1 at the time. They smashed four home runs in the eighth and ninth innings to win going away, 10-2. Those home runs led to a bit of internet humor:

No question, these games so far have been entertaining. Who knows, maybe we’ll get four five-game Division Series for the first time.