MLB Wild Card Series is thrilling baseball fans

Capri Howard
Staff Writer

The 60 game MLB season has officially concluded, leading up to the debut of the new Wild Card Series, making this postseason like no other.

The Wild Card Series will feature an expanded 16 team field. Following the completion of the wild card series, the higher seeds’ home field will host the divisional round, league championship, and the World Series.

We’re down to the last four teams left in the hunt for the title, as the Houston Astros take game 5 over the Tampa Bay Rays, with a score of 3-4. On the American League side, Tampa Bay still leads the series 3-1.

The game was an exciting one from the first batter. George Springer Houston’s lead-off hitter demolished the first pitch of the game, giving the Astros a 1-0 lead early.

While in the bottom of the third inning after a home run by Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays tied things up, Michael Brantley came back with a two run RBI single to bring Josh Reddick and Martin Maldonado home.

The Rays kept things hot with a home run to make things even by Ji-Man Choi. Although Carlos Correa ended game 4 with a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win for the Astros.

“I told (Jose) Altuve I was going to end it,” Correa said. “And I told Ryan (Pressly) in the dugout I was going to end it. So, to be able to do it is a whole different story. I was hyped.”

Tampa Bay would eventually take the series winning 4-3.

Over on the National League side the Atlanta Braves lead the series 2-1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers took game three beating the Braves record breaking 15-3. The Braves started off strong taking the first two games, but the Dodgers crushed them in game 3, and had plenty of momentum into Game 4.

In the end, the Braves took game 4 with a score of 10-2 but the Dodgers came right back and took Game 5 with a score of 7-3. That momentum was all it took as the Dodgers took games 6 (3-1) and Game 7(4-3) winning the series 4 games to 3.

Tampa Bay met the giant killer Dodgers in Game 1 of the World series on Oct. 20. The Dodgers won 8-3 with the help of a MVP performance by Mookie Betts.

The series continues on Oct. 22 as Tampa Bay will have to see if their bullpen can handle the deep bullpen of the Dodgers.

“You know these games you’re always on the edge of your seat, it doesn’t really matter the score because anybody can pitch at any time. Fortunately, we have such a good bullpen and we all know we are able to be in at any moment. It really wasn’t that big of an issue.”