CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED MLB STANDINGS as Red Sox clinch and A's need one more game.
The MLB Playoffs Standings saw its first team clinch a championship series spot as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of their series. This is not only about the Dodgers, check out all the series standings as two teams avoided elimination and one is one game away from advancing into the League Championship Series. Here are all the records.
Uribe Burns Braves
Apparently Juan Uribe turns it up in October. He hit a two-run bom in the bottom of the ninth to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead after they trailed late in the game. With Yasiel Puig on second, Uribe could not get the bunt down to move him to third. Instead, they cut him loose and he sent a David Carpenter mistake deep into the nights of L.A.
Carl Crawford had provided the only offense for the Dodgers in this game after hitting two solo shots. The Dodgers grabbed momentum early, but their defense gave runs right back, spoiling another great performance from Clayton Kershaw.
Oakland Oust Tigers, Take Series Lead
Everything seemed all good for the Detroit Tigers as they had Anibal Sanchez on the mound for Game 3. However, in the bottom of the fifth, everything went down the drain. The Tigers had tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, using Jhonny Peralta's single to tie the game.
The Oakland A's were not phased. They went right back to work. After scoring a run in the third and two in the fourth, the A's regained with three runs in the fifth. Seth Smith continued his dominant hitting off Sanchez, smacking a two-run home run, widening the A's lead.
Tempers flared in the ninth, with Grant Balfour on the mound for Oakland, Victor Martinez had some issues with the righty and they both went at each other. Both benches cleared, but they were able to keep the two players away from each other.
Coco Crisp finished the day 3-4 with a run and an RBI. Smith went 2-4 with a home run and two RBI.
The A's have a chance to put the series away in Game 4.
Walk-Off Keeps Rays in the Race
The Rays do not know how to lose when their backs are against the wall. The pitching kept them close as Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, Joel Peralta, Jake McGee and Fernando Rodney held the Red Sox to only four runs in this game. Cobb went five innings, allowing two earned run, though the Red Sox plated three.
The Rays took the lead in the bottom of the eight as Delmon Young brought in the go-ahead run, but the Red Sox rallied on a ground ball RBI by Dustin Pedroia in the top of the ninth inning.
The Red Sox placed a sure-handed Koji Uehara, but the Rays did not care to look at the stats as Jose Lobaton provided the dramatic walk-off home run.
Evan Longoria left his print in this game, smacking an game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, making it a new game. He appears to always be super clutch when the Rays need him.
Rookie Rocks Bucs, Cards Push a Game 5
The St. Louis Cardinals took Game 4 from the Pittsburgh Pirates, splitting the series at PNC Park and avoiding elimination. All they needed Monday afternoon was Michael Wacha and Matt Holliday. Wacha provided the pitching and Holliday provided the thunder.
Wacha, the 22-year-old rookie, went 7.1 innings, allowing just one hit, which was a solo shot to the red hot Pedro Alvarez. He walked two and struck out nine in his first ever playoff start. He received backup from Holliday in the top of the sixth as the veteran outfielder blasted a two-run home run to deep center field.
That was all Charlie Morton gave up after pitching 5.2 innings of phenomenal baseball. However, that was all the Cardinals needed to stay alive in this game.
MLB Playoff Standings
Rays 1
Red Sox 2
Tigers 1
Athletics 2
Cardinals 2
Pirates 2
DODGERS 3
Braves 1
