Daily Double Play: Your MLB Update

## American League Wild Card Series

### Detroit Tigers 2, Cleveland Guardians 1
In Game 1 at Progressive Field, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal put forth a historic performance, striking out 14 batters over 7⅔ innings, setting a new wild-card game strikeout record. He surrendered just one run on three hits and three walks, throwing 107 pitches with his fastball averaging 99.1 mph—1.6 mph above his season mark—while outdueling Cleveland’s Gavin Williams, who fanned eight over six-plus innings but was hampered by two defensive miscues that led to unearned runs ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/tarik-skubal-fans-14-tigers-edge-guardians-2-1-kick-off-playoffs--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).
Detroit broke the scoreless tie in the first inning via a two-out bloop single by Spencer Torkelson that chased home Kerry Carpenter, who reached on an error. Cleveland evened the game in the fourth when Gabriel Arias’s chop dribbled past Skubal, and an overturned call awarded Angel Martínez home plate. The decisive run came in the seventh on a textbook safety squeeze by Zach McKinstry, plating Riley Greene from third. Will Vest slammed the door in the ninth, recording four outs and neutralizing a bases-loaded, no-out jam to secure the win and a 1–0 series lead for Detroit ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/tarik-skubal-fans-14-tigers-edge-guardians-2-1-kick-off-playoffs--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).

### Boston Red Sox 3, New York Yankees 1
At Yankee Stadium, Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet dominated in his first career playoff start, mowing down 17 consecutive batters en route to 7⅔ shutout innings. He finished with 11 strikeouts, four hits allowed and zero walks on a career-high 117 pitches, including a 100.2 mph heater on his final delivery ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/red-sox-rally-off-yankees-bullpen-capture-game-1--flm-2025-10-01/?utm_source=openai)).
The Yankees struck first in the second when Anthony Volpe crushed a 484-foot solo homer off Crochet. New York starter Max Fried matched zeros through 6⅓ innings before departing with a 1–0 lead. Boston’s offense answered in the seventh: Masataka Yoshida, pinch-hitting for Ceddanne Rafaela, lined a two-run single off reliever Luke Weaver to put Boston ahead. Alex Bregman added insurance with an RBI double in the ninth. Aroldis Chapman, pitching against his former team, escaped a bases-loaded, nobody-out threat by striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham en route to his 11th career postseason save, leaving the Red Sox up 1–0 in the series ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/red-sox-rally-off-yankees-bullpen-capture-game-1--flm-2025-10-01/?utm_source=openai)).

## National League Wild Card Series

### Chicago Cubs 3, San Diego Padres 1
Under the Wrigley Field lights, the Cubs rallied from a 1–0 deficit when Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back solo homers to open the fifth inning, snapping an 11-pitch scoreless stretch by Padres starter Nick Pivetta. Suzuki’s 424-foot blast marked his sixth long ball in five games, followed immediately by Kelly’s first homer since September 10 ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/cubs-belt-back-to-back-hrs-game-1-win-over-padres--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).
Matthew Boyd battled through 4⅓ innings, allowing one run and recording five strikeouts. Chicago’s bullpen—Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller—combined to retire 18 of the final 19 batters, including a perfect three innings from Pomeranz, Kittredge and Keller to close the game. Nico Hoerner chipped in offensively with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The Cubs, in their first postseason trip since 2020, now lead their series 1–0 and can clinch a berth in the NLCS with a win at home on Wednesday ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/cubs-belt-back-to-back-hrs-game-1-win-over-padres--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).

### Los Angeles Dodgers 10, Cincinnati Reds 5
In Los Angeles, the defending champion Dodgers erupted early, highlighted by two-homer nights from Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández. Ohtani opened the scoring with a 375-foot leadoff homer off Hunter Greene, the 117.7 mph shot off a 100.4 mph heater, then belted a 454-foot two-run shot in the sixth. Hernández mirrored that output with solo blasts in the fourth and fifth innings ([nypost.com](https://nypost.com/2025/09/30/sports/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-starts-playoffs-with-leadoff-homer/?utm_source=openai)).
Blake Snell delivered a masterful seven-inning outing, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out nine. The Dodgers pounded out 15 hits and tied a franchise postseason record with five homers. Cincinnati’s late rally in the eighth, off relievers Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henríquez and Jack Dreyer, produced three runs on four walks, but it was too little too late. The Dodgers carry a 1–0 lead back to Chase Field for Game 2, where Yoshinobu Yamamoto is slated to start after earning NL Pitcher of the Month honors for September (0.66 ERA, 34 K over 27 IP) ([truebluela.com](https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-awards/104997/yoshinobu-yamamoto-pitcher-of-month-dodgers?utm_source=openai)).

## Player Statistics and Standouts

- Tarik Skubal (DET): 7⅔ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 14 K, 3 BB; career postseason strikeout record ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/tarik-skubal-fans-14-tigers-edge-guardians-2-1-kick-off-playoffs--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).
- Garrett Crochet (BOS): 7⅔ IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 11 K, 0 BB; retired 17 straight batters ([wbng.com](https://www.wbng.com/2025/10/01/crochet-yoshida-lead-red-sox-3-1-win-over-rival-yankees-wild-card-series-opener/?utm_source=openai)).
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD): 2 HR, 4 RBI; homers off 100+ mph pitches at 117.7 mph ([myjournalcourier.com](https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/ohtani-and-hern-ndez-power-dodgers-past-reds-21076905.php?utm_source=openai)).
- Seiya Suzuki & Carson Kelly (CHC): back-to-back homers in Game 1, Suzuki’s sixth in five games, Kelly’s first since 9/10 ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/cubs-belt-back-to-back-hrs-game-1-win-over-padres--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).

## General MLB News

- Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named National League Pitcher of the Month for September, posting a 0.66 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 27 innings and earning his second monthly honor of the season ([truebluela.com](https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-awards/104997/yoshinobu-yamamoto-pitcher-of-month-dodgers?utm_source=openai)).
- The Dodgers will activate All-Star catcher Will Smith from the injured list for the Wild Card Series opener on Wednesday, bolstering their roster with his .296 average, 17 homers and 61 RBIs, while carrying three catchers and 11 pitchers into the series ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/dodgers-c-will-smith-return-il-wild-card-series--flm-2025-09-30/?utm_source=openai)).

As Major League Baseball’s postseason intensity ramps up, the Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs and Dodgers each hold 1–0 series leads. Game 2 matchups on October 1 will feature Brady roles: Gavin Williams vs. Tarik Skubal rematch in Cleveland; Brayan Bello vs. Carlos Rodón in New York; Matthew Boyd vs. Nick Pivetta in Chicago; and Hunter Greene vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Los Angeles. Keep tuned for updated scores, injury notes, and standout performances as teams vie for a trip to the Division Series.