There will only be one playoff game on Thursday as the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres advanced to the Division Series with sweeps over the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Atlanta Braves. The only Wild Card series going the full three-game distance is the one between the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets.

San Diego has been one of the best teams in baseball since the All-Star break, so the Padres beating the injury-riddled Braves was no surprise. The two results in the American League weren&#8217;t expected, though.
Kansas City won a playoff round for the first time since 2015 and continued Baltimore&#8217;s post-season skid that dates back to 2014 when the Royals swept them in the ALCS. Baltimore lost to the Blue Jays in the Wild Card game in 2016, missed the playoffs for six seasons while rebuilding through the draft, and have now been swept in back-to-back years with their new core.
The Orioles posted the best record in the American League in 2023 at 101-61 but lost in the ALDS to the Texas Rangers, who finished in the second Wild Card spot at 90-72 before going on to win the World Series. This year, Baltimore dipped to 91-71 and fell to an opponent that went 86-76. Despite boasting one of the most productive lineups in baseball, the O&#8217;s were held to just one run over their two losses to Kansas City.
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Thought this 2-0 take from Adley on a piped fastball was the most telling moment from the O&#39;s loss.
Wrote about it: <a href="https://t.co/2NHp9n9TY6">https://t.co/2NHp9n9TY6</a> <a href="https://t.co/GXCl1DpynL">pic.twitter.com/GXCl1DpynL</a>
&mdash; Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ/status/1841678177694814389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Like their Central Division cousins in Kansas City, the Tigers also ended a long post-season drought this year. They came into August with a 52-57 record but heated up in the final two months of the season and booked a playoff appearance for the first time in a decade.
AL Cy Young favourite Tarik Skubal tossed six strong innings in a 3-1 victory in Game 1 and then Detroit&#8217;s bullpen combined to shut down the Astros in a 5-2 win in Game 2. This will be the first time since 2016 that Houston won&#8217;t be in the ALCS, a streak of seven consecutive seasons.
Former Blue Jay Yusei Kikuchi didn&#8217;t get an opportunity to pitch for the Astros in the playoffs, as he was lined up for Game 3. After being moved ahead of the trade deadline, Kikuchi posted a 2.70 ERA and 5-1 record for the Astros. The lefty is set to become a free agent this winter following the end of the three-year, $36 million contract he signed with Toronto in 2022.
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UPDATED BRACKET 👀
Three teams punched their ticket to the division series today 🎟️🍂 <a href="https://t.co/zoS9dzeS9G">pic.twitter.com/zoS9dzeS9G</a>
&mdash; FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1841699420653420784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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There&#8217;s only one Wild Card series left to decide, as the Brewers and Mets will play Game 3 on Thursday to determine who moves on to face the Philadelphia Phillies.
In the ALDS, the Tigers will face the Cleveland Guardians for Central Division supremacy, and the Royals will go up against the New York Yankees, who posted the best record in the AL. The Dodgers and Padres will have a rematch of the 2022 NLDS that saw the underdog San Diego take down a Los Angeles team that won 111 games during the regular season.

There will only be one playoff game on Thursday as the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres advanced to the Division Series with sweeps over the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Atlanta Braves. The only Wild Card series going the full three-game distance is the one between the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets.



San Diego has been one of the best teams in baseball since the All-Star break, so the Padres beating the injury-riddled Braves was no surprise. The two results in the American League weren't expected, though.

Kansas City won a playoff round for the first time since 2015 and continued Baltimore's post-season skid that dates back to 2014 when the Royals swept them in the ALCS. Baltimore lost to the Blue Jays in the Wild Card game in 2016, missed the playoffs for six seasons while rebuilding through the draft, and have now been swept in back-to-back years with their new core.

The Orioles posted the best record in the American League in 2023 at 101-61 but lost in the ALDS to the Texas Rangers, who finished in the second Wild Card spot at 90-72 before going on to win the World Series. This year, Baltimore dipped to 91-71 and fell to an opponent that went 86-76. Despite boasting one of the most productive lineups in baseball, the O's were held to just one run over their two losses to Kansas City.

https://twitter.com/CespedesBBQ/status/1841678177694814389

Like their Central Division cousins in Kansas City, the Tigers also ended a long post-season drought this year. They came into August with a 52-57 record but heated up in the final two months of the season and booked a playoff appearance for the first time in a decade.

AL Cy Young favourite Tarik Skubal tossed six strong innings in a 3-1 victory in Game 1 and then Detroit's bullpen combined to shut down the Astros in a 5-2 win in Game 2. This will be the first time since 2016 that Houston won't be in the ALCS, a streak of seven consecutive seasons.

Former Blue Jay Yusei Kikuchi didn't get an opportunity to pitch for the Astros in the playoffs, as he was lined up for Game 3. After being moved ahead of the trade deadline, Kikuchi posted a 2.70 ERA and 5-1 record for the Astros. The lefty is set to become a free agent this winter following the end of the three-year, $36 million contract he signed with Toronto in 2022.

https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1841699420653420784

There's only one Wild Card series left to decide, as the Brewers and Mets will play Game 3 on Thursday to determine who moves on to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

In the ALDS, the Tigers will face the Cleveland Guardians for Central Division supremacy, and the Royals will go up against the New York Yankees, who posted the best record in the AL. The Dodgers and Padres will have a rematch of the 2022 NLDS that saw the underdog San Diego take down a Los Angeles team that won 111 games during the regular season.

MLB Notebook: Orioles, Astros, and Braves swept in Wild Card round

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