Wild Card Stage Closes with Decisive Wins
The final day of the wild-card round delivered sharp pitching, clutch homers, and three more tickets punched to the Division Series. The Yankees rode a rookie’s historic debut to knock out their rival Red Sox, the Cubs advanced past San Diego in a tense Game 3, and the Tigers broke open late against the Guardians. Sportshub handicappers tracked each matchup closely, with several leaning on pitching depth as the deciding factor.
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Yankees 4, Red Sox 0
Rookie Cam Schlittler made history in his postseason debut, striking out 12 across eight dominant innings as New York blanked Boston to clinch the series. Schlittler became the first Yankees rookie ever to fan 12 in a playoff game, giving New York a performance for the record books.
The Yankees did their damage in a four-run fourth, capitalizing on sloppy Red Sox defense. That cushion was more than enough as Schlittler allowed just five hits and no walks, working in the upper 90s throughout.
Connelly Early, Boston’s rookie starter, lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits.
Capper Insight: James Acker, currently leading the picks leaderboard, flagged New York’s bullpen stability and Boston’s defensive issues, which proved decisive in the close-out game.
Cubs 3, Padres 1
Chicago leaned on timely hitting and bullpen depth to move past San Diego. Michael Busch homered and collected three hits, while rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong added three of his own, including an RBI single.
Daniel Palencia tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Andrew Kittredge locked down the final two outs for the save.
The Padres showed life late when Jackson Merrill homered in the ninth, but a controversial strikeout call on Xander Bogaerts ended their rally. Yu Darvish lasted only one-plus inning, surrendering two early runs that put San Diego behind the curve.
For bettors, this series highlighted the importance of late-season lineup momentum, a concept covered in the Bettors Handbook.
Tigers 6, Guardians 3
Detroit delivered the night’s biggest inning, sending 10 batters to the plate in a four-run seventh to seal their upset of Cleveland. Wenceel Perez drove in two runs, while Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene added RBIs on consecutive singles.
Earlier, Dillon Dingler put the Tigers ahead with a sixth-inning solo homer. Reliever Kyle Finnegan kept the Guardians quiet over 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.
Cleveland wasted opportunities, stranding runners and watching Joey Cantillo give up Dingler’s homer during his 2 2/3 innings of work.
Capper Insight: Sas Insider leaned Detroit moneyline, citing the Tigers’ lineup balance against Cleveland’s bullpen wear and tear — a read that cashed big.
Handicappers Roundup
Sportshub experts stayed sharp through the wild-card round. James Acker (+$1,626) and Sas Insider (+$1,576) both capitalized on Thursday’s slate, while Dan Jones (+$1,139) and Patrick Doyle (+$875) remain steady heading into the Division Series. Jack Jones (84% win rate) continues to post selective but profitable picks.
The postseason board is live, and you can follow every play on the MLB odds and scores board or grab today’s Free Service Plays before the next pitch.
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