In a nail-biting finish to the wild card round, the Cleveland Guardians' postseason dreams faded Thursday afternoon with a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Game 3. The Guardians, who had clawed back from an early deficit to force the decider, couldn't muster enough offense against Detroit's stout pitching. Tanner Bibee delivered a solid start for Cleveland, going six innings and allowing just two runs, but the bullpen faltered late, handing the Tigers their ticket to the ALDS. Indeed, this marks another early exit for the Guardians, who entered the playoffs as the AL Central champs but now head home amid questions about their clutch hitting.
Meanwhile, across the league, the Chicago Cubs celebrated a gritty 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in their winner-take-all clash. Seiya Suzuki's two-run homer in the fifth proved decisive, propelling the Cubs into the NLDS where they'll face the Dodgers. Chicago's bullpen, anchored by closer Ryan Pressly, slammed the door shut, extending their surprising surge that began in the regular season's final weeks. The Cubs, long written off after a middling summer, now embody that underdog spirit that's captivating fans.
The Boston Red Sox, however, saw their rally cut short by the New York Yankees, falling 6-4 in Game 3 to end their campaign. Boston had stunned everyone with a Game 1 upset, but Yankee ace Gerrit Cole dominated in the finale, striking out nine over seven innings. Moreover, the updated MLB playoff bracket reveals a stacked postseason: Dodgers await the Cubs in the NL, while Tigers draw the Yankees in the AL. ESPN's coverage highlighted the drama, with analysts pointing to pitching depth as the great separator.
However, not all series wrapped neatly—the wild card chaos left lingering what-ifs for teams like the Guardians and Red Sox. As the division series loom, one can't help but wonder how these early twists will reshape the path to the World Series crown.