:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67587807/1278713111.jpg.0.jpg)
Astros take Game One over Oakland
The two American League Division series got underway on Monday, with the Astros and Athletics taking the field for the first game. These two were out in Los Angeles playing in Dodgers stadium, and it was actually Oakland who got on the board first. They showed off the power against Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. with a home run in each of the second, third and fourth innings. They had a 3-0 lead heading into that fourth, but the Astros got to Oakland starter Chris Bassitt with a pair of homers of their own. Houston would just continue to swing a hot bat from there. They trailed 5-3 heading into the sixth, but scored four runs in the top half of that inning and three more before the day was done. Carlos Correa was their top player in the game and they took a 10-5 victory to get this series off on the right foot. They’ll play again at 4:37 PM ET on Tuesday.
Yankees slug way to series-opening win
The Yankees and Rays got the primetime slot between these two ALDS matchups, and they lived up to that for most of this game. The ball was flying in San Diego, with six homers total between the two teams in a game started by Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell. This was a back-and-forth affair most of the way, with both sides scoring a run in the first. The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the third, but the Rays answered back with two runs in the fourth before New York got back two more of their own in the fifth. That put the score at 4-3 halfway through the game, and the pitching took over from here. It was still a 4-3 game heading into the ninth with John Curtiss looking to keep it at a one-run margin. He did not succeed. We saw the first real consequence of having no off-days during these playoffs here, as Curtiss clearly did not have it but Kevin Cash left him out there so as to not deplete his bullpen too much — Curtiss was the third reliever used in the game — in the first game with his team trailing. The righty ended up loading the bases thanks to rough command, and on a 2-2 pitch he served up a grand slam to Giancarlo Stanton. That pushed the score to 9-3, and pretty much sealed it. Game Two is on Tuesday at 8:10 PM ET.