The MLB playoffs are heating up with two big games on Thursday.
Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees face off for Game 3 at Progressive Field, with the Yankees leading 2-0. Later, the New York Mets take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 at Citi Field, where the Dodgers hold a 2-1 series advantage. Fans are buzzing with excitement as these crucial matchups unfold.
Cleveland needs to score early if they want to turn things around. So far, they’ve struggled to get runs in the first few innings, which isn’t great when your bullpen is your strength. Andrés Giménez, Steven Kwan, and José RamÃrez have done well against Clarke Schmidt before—hitting .481 combined—and they’ll need to keep it up for Cleveland to have a shot.
Yankees fans are wondering if Aaron Judge is finally heating up. He drove in three runs during their last win and even hit his first postseason homer. Despite some past playoff struggles (a .206 average), he’s crucial for their success alongside Soto and Stanton. Some fans think Judge stepping up could be key to winning their next championship.
Dodgers: Can Yamamoto Shine Again?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was signed by the Dodgers for big moments like this one. In his last game against San Diego, he was fantastic—allowing just two hits over five innings without giving up a run. With limited exposure against the Mets this season, can he deliver another stellar performance? If so, the Dodgers will be just one win away from reaching the World Series.
Mets: Avoiding a Deep Hole
While “must-win” might be overused sometimes, getting a win would sure help avoid falling into a daunting 3-1 deficit—a scenario where teams usually lose about 85% of series historically. Given how they fought back late in the season to make it here, maybe these Mets can defy those odds… but it’s better not to test fate too much!
What do you think will happen? Will these teams rise or fall under pressure?
