In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The Houston Astros made their seventh straight postseason appearance and the eighth in the past nine seasons, marking the first time since 2015 that both Texas teams made the postseason. The Minnesota Twins made their fourth postseason appearance in the past seven seasons. The Toronto Blue Jays returned to the postseason for the third time in the past four seasons, and the Tampa Bay Rays returned for the fifth consecutive season.
The only division winner to advance to the League Championship Series were the Houston Astros (AL West), following the defeat of the Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a sweep, in the Wild Card Series, then the defeats of the Minnesota Twins (AL Central) by the Houston Astros in four games, Baltimore Orioles (AL East) by the Texas Rangers in a sweep, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a sweep, and the Atlanta Braves (NL East) by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games, in the Division Series. This also means that it was the first time in Major League Baseball postseason history that the last four remaining teams in the League Championship Series had 90 or fewer regular season wins.[3]
The postseason began on October 3 and ended on November 1, with the Rangers defeating the Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series to clinch their first title in franchise history.
Teams
The three division winners in each league and the top three non-division winners in each league qualified for the playoffs. The top two division winners receive byes to the American League Division Series (ALDS) or National League Division Series (NLDS) while the other teams who qualify for the playoffs play in the wild card series.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Blue Jays and Twins. They last met in the 1991 ALCS, which was won by the Twins en route to a World Series title.[32] Minnesota ended 21 years of futility, sweeping Toronto to win their first playoff series since 2002. It also marked the end of their long streak of playoff game losses, which stood at 18 consecutive losses, the longest in North American sports history.[33]
The Twins' streak of 18 consecutive playoff game losses was ended in Game 1, as Royce Lewis hit two home runs in his first two at-bats to lead the Twins to a 3–1 victory. It was the Twins' first playoff game win since Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS against the New York Yankees. In Game 2, Sonny Gray out-dueled Toronto's José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi as the Twins won in a 2–0 shutout to win their first playoff series in 21 years.
While the Blue Jays were the sixth seed, the series result was considered an upset as the Blue Jays (89–73) finished with a better record than the Twins (87–75). Toronto was awarded the sixth seed under the new playoff format, which guarantees division winners a top-3 seed.
This was the third postseason meeting between the Rays and Rangers. The previous two meetings (2010 and 2011) were won by the Rangers.[36] The Rangers swept the Rays to advance to the ALDS for the first time since 2016.
The Rangers held the Rays to one run scored in the series. Jordan Montgomery pitched seven shutout innings as the Rangers took Game 1 by a 4–0 score. Game 1 was notable for several stats – the Rays committed four errors, setting a single-game playoff franchise record and the most in a postseason game since the New York Yankees committed four errors in Game 4 of the 2019 ALCS.[37][38] It was also notable for the record low attendance at Tropicana Field, as there was only 19,704 in attendance – the lowest attended postseason game (non-COVID-19 year) since Game 7 of the 1919 World Series.[39]Nathan Eovaldi pitched a solid 62⁄3 innings in Game 2 as the Rangers blew out the Rays by a 7–1 score to complete the sweep and advance.
With the win, the Rangers improved their postseason record against the Rays to 3–0, previously winning in 2010 and 2011.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Brewers and Diamondbacks. They previously met in the 2011 NLDS, which was won by the Brewers in five games. The Diamondbacks upset the Brewers in a sweep, returning to the NLDS for the first time since 2017.[42]
The Diamondbacks stunned the Brewers with a come-from-behind victory in Game 1 – the Brewers led 3–0 after the first two innings, until Arizona's Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Gabriel Moreno all hit home runs across the top of the third and fourth innings to put the Diamondbacks in the lead for good. In Game 2, the Brewers again jumped out to an early lead and had a no-hit bid going into the top of the fifth, until Arizona's Alek Thomas hit a solo home run to end it. Then the Diamondbacks rallied to win again, as Carroll doubled and Marte hit a two-RBI single to put Arizona in the lead, and then a wild pitch and then a blooper scored the next two runs.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Marlins and Phillies. The Phillies swept the Marlins to advance to the NLDS for the second year in a row.
The Phillies’ pitching staff held the Marlins’ offense to one run scored in both games. Zack Wheeler gave up one run and struck out eight Marlins over 62⁄3 strong innings as the Phillies won 4–1 in Game 1. Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings in Game 2 as the Phillies blew out the Marlins by a 7–1 score, capped off by Bryson Stott's grand slam in the bottom of the sixth.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Orioles and Rangers. They last met in the 2012 AL Wild Card Game, which was won by the Orioles. The Rangers upset the heavily favored Orioles in a sweep, returning to the ALCS for the first time since 2011.
The Rangers held off a late push by the Orioles to take Game 1 on the road, capped off by Josh Jung's solo home run in the top of the sixth. Game 2 was an offensive slugfest which the Rangers won 11–8, in part thanks to a third-inning grand slam hit by Mitch Garver. Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven solid innings in Game 3 as the Rangers blew out the Orioles by a 7–1 score to complete the sweep.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Astros and Twins. They last met in the 2020 AL Wild Card Series, which was won by the Astros in a two-game sweep. The Astros once again defeated the Twins, this time in four games, to return to the ALCS for the seventh year in a row.
The Astros held on to win Game 1 by a 6–4 score, as their bullpen held off a late rally by the Twins. Game 1 was notable for Justin Verlander's six shutout innings pitched for the sixth scoreless start of his postseason career, tying Madison Bumgarner and Tom Glavine for most all-time.[52] In Game 2, Pablo López pitched seven solid innings for the Twins, as they jumped out to a big lead early and didn't relinquish it, winning 6–2 to even the series headed to Minneapolis. Game 2 marked the end of the Astros' 12-game home winning streak in the ALDS, and it was also their first loss in Game 2 of the LDS since the second game of the 2015 ALDS against the Kansas City Royals.[53]Cristian Javier pitched five scoreless innings in Game 3 as the Astros blew out the Twins by a 9–1 score to regain the series lead. In Game 4, the Astros held off a late rally by the Twins to win by a 3–2 score and return to the ALCS.
This marked the seventh consecutive loss for the Twins in the ALDS, as they previously lost in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2019. Their most recent ALDS series win came in 2002, where they defeated the Oakland Athletics in five games before falling in the ALCS to the then-Anaheim Angels.
This was the third postseason meeting between the Braves and the Phillies. They previously met in the 1993 NLCS and 2022 NLDS, both of which were won by the Phillies. This series was a rematch of last year's NLDS, which the Phillies won in four games. The Phillies once again defeated the Braves in four games to return to the NLCS for the second consecutive season.
The outcome of this series was nearly identical to the previous year's match. The Phillies stole Game 1 on the road in a 3–0 shutout. In Game 2, the Braves overcame a late deficit in the seventh and eighth innings to even the series, thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from Travis d'Arnaud and Austin Riley. However, when the series shifted to Philadelphia, things again got ugly for the Braves. The Phillies blew out the Braves by a 10–2 score in Game 3, thanks to multiple home runs from Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Brandon Marsh. Castellanos and Turner both homered again for the Phillies in Game 4 as they held on to win by a 3–1 score.
With the win, the Phillies improved their postseason record against the Braves to 3–0, previously winning in 1993 and 2022.
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona won the series, 3–0.
Game
Date
Score
Location
Time
Attendance
1
October 7
Arizona Diamondbacks – 11, Los Angeles Dodgers – 2
This was the second postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. They previously met in the 2017 NLDS, which was won by the Dodgers in a sweep.
In a significant upset given their regular season win differential, the 84-win Diamondbacks swept the 100-win Dodgers, reaching the NLCS for the first time since 2007. This series was a reverse of the 2017 NLDS, where the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks jumped out to a big lead in the top of the first, as their first five batters scored, highlighted by a three-run home run from Gabriel Moreno. The Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw was pulled after giving up an RBI double to Evan Longoria, which extended Arizona's lead to 6–0. Game 1 was the shortest start of Kershaw's career, as he recorded just one out.[61] The Diamondbacks blew out the Dodgers by an 11–2 score to steal Game 1 on the road. In Game 2, the Diamondbacks again jumped out to a big early lead and held off a late rally by the Dodgers to win 4–2, capped off by an insurance home run by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the top of the sixth. When the series shifted to Phoenix, the Diamondbacks once again jumped out to a 4–0 lead early, thanks to four solo home runs from Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker respectively. The 2023 Diamondbacks became the first team in postseason history to hit four home runs in a single inning.[62] The Diamondbacks would hold on to win by a 4–2 score, completing an improbable upset.
This was the first postseason meeting in the history of the Rangers–Astros rivalry, and the first ever LCS to feature two teams from the same state. This was the seventh straight ALCS appearance for the Astros, dating back to 2017. Despite blowing a 2–0 series lead, the Rangers held on to defeat the defending World Series champion Astros in seven games to return to the World Series for the first time since 2011.
Jordan Montgomery and the Rangers' bullpen shut down the Astros offense in Game 1 as they prevailed in a 2–0 shutout. Game 2 would also go the Rangers' way, as despite Yordan Álvarez's efforts to erase their lead, they would hold on by one run to take a 2–0 series lead back to Arlington. Things would then take a turn for the worst for the Rangers in Game 3. Max Scherzer had one of his worst postseason starts, as he gave up four runs across the second and third innings in an 8–5 Astros win. The Astros then blew out the Rangers in Game 4 to even the series at two. Game 4 was notable for being José Altuve's 100th career postseason game. In Game 5, the Rangers had a two-run lead going into the ninth, until Altuve hit a three-run home run that put the Astros ahead for good and gave them a 3–2 series lead headed back to Houston, putting the Astros one win away from a third straight World Series appearance. However, their lead would not hold going back home. Adolis García, Mitch Garver, and Jonah Heim all hit home runs in Game 6 as the Rangers blew out the Astros to force a seventh game, capped off by García's grand slam in the top of the ninth inning. In the Rangers' first-ever ALCS Game 7, García once again took center stage, as he along with Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe blew out the Astros again and secured the pennant.
With the win, the Rangers improved their record in the ALCS to 3–0, previously winning in 2010 and 2011. They also became the second fifth-seeded team in MLB history to reach the World Series, joining the 2014 San Francisco Giants, who were also managed by Bochy.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Phillies and the Diamondbacks. This was also the second straight NLCS to feature two wild-card teams. Since 2022 when the postseason got expanded, the only lower-seeded League Championship Series played was the 2022 NLCS (between the fifth and sixth seeds). The Diamondbacks overcame both a 2–0 and 3–2 series deficit to defeat the defending National League champion Phillies and return to the World Series for the first time since 2001.
In Game 1, the Phillies chased Arizona starter Zac Gallen from the mound early, and held off a late rally by the Diamondbacks to win 5–3. The Phillies then blew out the Diamondbacks in Game 2 to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Phoenix. The Diamondbacks got on the board in the series in a 2–1 victory in Game 3, thanks to a walk-off single by Ketel Marte. Alek Thomas and Gabriel Moreno would help the Diamondbacks come from behind in the bottom of the eighth inning to even the series at two. However, the Phillies regained the series lead in Game 5 with a 6–1 victory as Zach Wheeler pitched seven solid innings, giving up only one earned run. Back in Philadelphia for Game 6, the Diamondbacks, thanks to consecutive home runs from Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., as well as an RBI double from Evan Longoria, jumped out to a big lead early and didn't relinquish it, winning 5–1 to force a seventh game. In Game 7, the Phillies took an early lead thanks to an RBI double from Bryson Stott. Then, Corbin Carroll hit an RBI single to tie the game at two. It was followed by another RBI single from Moreno, which gave the Diamondbacks a lead they would not relinquish, as they won 4–2 to clinch the pennant.
This was the first World Series to be played entirely in the American Southwest, and the third World Series to feature two expansion teams (2015, 2019). It is also significant as this World Series features both the oldest and youngest expansion teams in the league – the Rangers were added to the league in 1961 (as the Washington Senators), while the Diamondbacks joined the league in 1998.
This was the third World Series appearance for the Rangers. They last made it in 2011, where they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games after being one strike away from winning the championship twice. This was the second appearance for the Diamondbacks, who won in their previous appearance in 2001 against the New York Yankees in seven games. The Rangers defeated the Diamondbacks in five games to win their first championship in franchise history, ending the longest championship drought among expansion teams in North American sports.
In Game 1, the Diamondbacks led 5–3 going into the bottom of the ninth, until Corey Seager hit a two-run home run to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Adolis García hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eleventh to win the game for the Rangers. Merrill Kelly pitched seven solid innings for the Diamondbacks in Game 2 as they blew out the Rangers to even the series headed to Phoenix. Marcus Semien’s RBI single and another two-run home run from Seager carried the Rangers to victory in Game 3 to regain the series lead. Game 4 was once again controlled by the Rangers, as they put up 10 runs across the second and third innings, with Seager, Semien, and Jonah Heim all hitting home runs. Despite the Diamondbacks cutting their lead to four in the bottom of the ninth, the Rangers won 11–7 to take a 3–1 series lead. Game 5 started out as a pitcher’s duel between Arizona’s Zac Gallen and Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi. Gallen pitched a no-hitter through six innings, until it was broken up by a base hit from Seager. Mitch Garver drove in Seager with an RBI single to put the Rangers in the lead for good, which was then capped off by a series-sealing two-run home run in the ninth by Semien off closer Paul Sewald.
Coverage of the four Wild Card Series was produced by ESPN. ABC aired the Texas–Tampa Bay series, ESPN televised both the Toronto–Minnesota and Miami–Philadelphia series, and ESPN2 had the Arizona–Milwaukee series.[82]
TBS's games were available on the streaming service Max's new Bleacher Report Sports Add-on tier which launched on October 5.[87] ESPN, TBS and Fox's games were streamed on their respective apps.[82][85]
Radio
ESPN Radio aired the entire Major League Baseball postseason.[88]
^Hubbard, Grant (October 2, 2023). "Twins to face Blue Jays in the AL wild card series". WDAY Radio. The Twins and Blue Jays last postseason meeting was in 1991 when they met in the ALCS, the Twins won the series in five games and went on to win the World Series that year.
^"Twins stop record 18-game postseason skid on strength of Royce Lewis home runs". ESPN. October 4, 2023. The bigger celebration occurred a few hours later when Jhoan Duran pitched a hitless ninth to close the first victory for the Twins in the playoffs since Oct. 5, 2004, and vanquish the longest postseason skid by number of games in major North American professional sports.
^Rosa, Francisco (October 1, 2023). "AL Wild Card 2023: Rangers vs. Rays Hot Takes from MLB Twitter". Bleacher Report. The Rangers and Rays have a bit of postseason history, with the two teams meeting up back in both 2010 and 2011. Texas came out on top in both series
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