Bleacher Report
The New York Yankees are moving onto the American League Championship Series after defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 4 of the AL Division Series on Thursday evening.
Here’s a look at the updated World Series odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook, following the Yankees’ win.
Gerrit Cole pitched seven innings of one-run ball, striking out four while scattering six hits. The Yankees’ runs were via RBI singles from Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton in the first, fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver each pitched perfect innings to cap the Yankees three-games-to-one ALDS victory.
And with that, the Yankees advanced to the ALCS for the fourth time since 2017. New York is looking for its first pennant (and World Series victory) since 2009.
The Yanks will have homefield advantage in the ALCS against either the Cleveland Guardians or Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland beat Detroit 5-4 on Thursday to knot the ALDS at two games apiece and keep the season alive. David Fry’s pinch-hit two-run homer in the seventh inning turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Fry later bunted home Brayan Rocchio for an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Cleveland needed that, as a Jace Jung RBI groundout in the bottom of the ninth made it 5-4. But star closer Emmanuel Clase finished off the five-out save.
The Guardians also benefitted from a José Ramírez solo homer and three hits and two runs from Steven Kwan.
Cleveland will host Detroit for the series-deciding Game 5 on Saturday at 4:38 p.m. ET.
In the National League, the New York Mets grabbed the first LCS spot after beating the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLDS. The Mets started the season 0-5 and later found themselves 11 games under .500 in early June before rallying over the final four months.
The 89-win Mets ended up with the NL’s No. 6 seed and headed to Milwaukee to face the NL Central champion Brewers. Prospects looked bleak when the Mets found themselves down 2-0 in the top of the ninth in the series-deciding Game 3, but a Pete Alonso three-run homer changed their prospects quickly. Starling Marte’s RBI single provided insurance in a 4-2 run.
Up next were the NL East champion Phillies, and the Mets dispatched them via phenomenal hitting (seven homers, including two each from Alonso and Mark Vientos) and pitching (2.78 team ERA, seven shutout frames from Sean Manaea).
They await the winner of the heated Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres rivalry. Those teams are tied at two games apiece, with Game 5 taking place in L.A. on Friday at 8:08 p.m. ET.
L.A. finished the year with the league’s best record at 98-64. Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the best seasons in baseball history, becoming the first MLB player to post a 50-50 campaign (54 homers, 55 stolen bases). He was flanked by an impressive offense buoyed by performances from the likes of Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez. L.A.’s starting pitching was unfortunaely beset by injuries all year,
Meanwhile, San Diego finished the season 43-19 after a 50-50 start. The Padres received excellent performances from the lineup, including superstars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., rookie Jackson Merrill and hitting machine Luis Arraez, who landed with the Padres via trade in May. The pitching staff was exceptional as well, with offseason acquisitions Dylan Cease and Michael King excelling in particular.
The Padres advanced to the NLDS after beating the Atlanta Braves two games to none in the Wild Card round. King struck out 12 over seven shutout frames in a 4-0 Game 1 win, while a five-run second inning propelled San Diego to a 5-4 victory in Game 2.
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