Postseason for the ages continues tonight
All Four Division Series Go Distance For First Time Ever
Following a furious eight-game, 36-hour stretch of dramatic Postseason baseball, fans have just a few hours to catch their collective breath today before tonight’s two Game Five’s (Orioles at Yankees, 5:07 p.m. ET, followed by Cardinals at Nationals at 8:37 p.m. ET, both on TBS). Before those games begin, here are some highlights that have unfolded up to this point:
- All four Division Series go the full five games for the first time (previous high was 2011, when 19 of potential 20 games were played).
- The first 16 years of the Wild Card era (1995-2010) saw a total of 14 Division Series Game 5’s. The past two years have treated us to seven.
- There have been eight one-run games in the Division Series, tied with last year for the most ever (the record for an entire Postseason is 13, also set last year).
- Jayson Werth’s walk-off home run Thursday was the third walk-off hit of the Division Series (and third in just 20 hours), tying 1981, 1995, 1997 and 2003 for most in a single year of Division Series.
- The Yankees-Orioles ALDS is only the third Postseason series ever with back-to-back 12+ inning games (2004 ALCS, 1986 NLCS).
- Justin Verlander became the first pitcher ever with multiple 10+ strikeout performances in a single series. Homer Bailey and Adam Wainwright also had 10+ strikeouts in a start, and the four total performances tie this Division Series with 2010 for the most ever.
- The Giants became the first team ever to come back from down 0-2 in a Division Series by winning the final three games on the road. They are just the sixth team overall to come back from down 0-2 in the DS.
- The Yankees & Orioles have played 41 of 43 innings in this ALDS either tied or within one run.