It’s that time of year again: the 2023 MLB postseason is wrapping up and baseball fans around the world are on the edge of their seats. The playoffs, which kicked off in early October, have been filled with thrilling moments and shocking turns, and are now coming to an end with the World Series, which started on Friday, Oct. 27.
Playoffs began on Oct. 3 with the Wild Card games, where four teams from each division competed against each other. The Texas Rangers took the spotlight with their game against the Tampa Bay Rays shutting them down 4-0 with Jordan Montgomery pitching seven shutout innings for Texas.
The Philadelphia Phillies took a 3-0 lead and player Rhys Hoskin, who unfortunately tore his ACL during spring training, threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Throughout the season the Phillies have been an unstoppable force, as their strategy is described as simply “pitching at everything.” It was also described as aggressive, or as Phillies’ assistant hitting coach Jason Camili calls it, “selective-aggressive.”
Following the Wild Card games is the Division Series, which prompted the rise of the Arizona Diamondbacks when they competed against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers with a 4-2 win at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks outscored the Dodgers 19-6 over the series with strong starting catcher Will Smith, following the Phillies in their fierce approach at the plate.
The League Championships, which took place on Oct. 15 to Oct. 24, involved the Texas Rangers v. Houston Astros and the Arizona Diamondbacks v. Philadelphia Phillies.
The Astros fell apart and ultimately lost to the Rangers 9-2, which was a shock due to their 51-30 record this year. This was one of the best road marks in all of baseball this season and their main hope for playoffs this year. However, the Atros ended up losing every home game against the Rangers in this series, as Eric Cole from Fansided would call it “subpar.”
Arizona Diamondbacks contended their shocking playoff run by claiming their ticket to the World Series with a 4-2 victory. The fourth game was a close call, but catcher Gabriel Moreno got the lead back for Arizona. After their win, the Diamondbacks planted their team flag on the field, poking fun at the Phillies.
The World Series started with the Texas Rangers v. Arizona Diamondbacks. So far, they’ve played four out of the seven games to complete the series. The Texas Rangers currently lead 3-1 and with only three games left, fans are anxiously awaiting to see how this action-packed season will end.
