by The MLB postseason is officially underway!
The expanded 12-team playoffs began Friday with eight teams participating in the best wild card series.
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1, in the first AL wild card game of the day.
Currently, the St. Louis Cardinals Louis hosts the Philadelphia Phillies in the first afternoon NL wild-card game, while the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays in Friday’s second AL wild-card game.
Related: MLB wild card teams field 26-man rosters
Here are the top plays from Friday’s action.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays (Game 1)
Right off the bat!
The Mariners wasted no time getting on the board in this one. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez doubled to right field, bringing in Julio Rodríguez for Seattle’s first score of the day in the top of the first inning.
Out of here
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh then hit a two-run home run to give Seattle an early 3-0 lead.
Phillies vs. Cardinals (Game 1)
A fan favorite
Cardinals shortstop Albert Pujols drew a standing ovation as he took the plate Friday to start his final playoff series.
Putting points
Things were scoreless the rest of the way until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Cardinals first baseman Juan Yepez singled to left field, bringing Dylan Carlson with him. Somehow St. Louis took a 2-0 lead.
Stay tuned for updates.
Guardians 2, Rays 1 (Game 1)
All-out effort
Both teams got off to a strong start in Cleveland, where a pitchers’ duel unfolded in the first four innings that included seven combined hits between the Guardians Shane Bieber and the Rays’ Shane McClanahan.
Tampa Bay closed out the fourth inning with a monster double play to break up a bases-loaded jam.
It’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone!
Rays center fielder Jose Siri hit a solo home run to get Tampa Bay on the board in the sixth inning.
Jose Siri’s home run gives the Rays a 1-0 lead against the Guardians
Jose Siri started the postseason in scoring by hitting a home run to right center that gave the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians.
Answering back
Cleveland answered with a right fielder as third baseman Jose Ramirez crushed a two-run homer to give the Guardians a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the sixth. It was a lead they would hold until the end.
Jose Ramirez two-run homer gives Guardians 2-1 lead against Rays
Jose Ramirez gave the Cleveland Guardians a huge boost after crushing a two-run homer to right-center to give them a 2-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Padres vs. Mets (Game 1 at 8:07 p.m. ET)
San Diego Padres
SD
+1.0
+130
o6
New York Mets
NYM
-1.0
-154
u6
Related: The San Diego Padres are essentially a fantasy team. This is good;
Related: The Mets are hoping that the return of Starling Marte can give the offense a boost for the Wild Card
Related: 2022 MLB Playoffs: FOX Sports experts pick the winners of each series
Related: MLB Odds: Every Playoff Team’s 2022 World Series Odds Ranked From Worst To First
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