The MLB Playoff Standings saw its first results after Game 1's of the NLDS were played. On one end, there were the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. On the other corner, it was the Atlanta Braves hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Here are the standings following Thursday's games.
NL Division Series
Cardinals 9-1 Pirates
Carlos Beltran went boom, smashing a three-run home run on the bottom of the third off Pirates' starter, A.J. Burnett. It proved to be all Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals' pitching staff would need, but their generous offense was patient, taking whatever Burnett would give. They put up a seven-spot in the third inning and then cruised to victory.
Andrew McCutchen proved clutch, breaking up a Wainwright's perfect game in the top of the fourth. He finished the game with two hits, but it was Pedro Alvarez's shot to right with the bases empty that gave the Pirates the only run. It's no surprise to see Alvarez and McCutchen provide pop. However, the Pirates will need a team effort in this series if they are to get past Cardinals' pitching.
Notable Stats
Wainwright- 7 IP, 1 ER, 3H, 9K
Jon Jay- 1-2, 2R, RBI, BB
Beltran- HR, 3 RBI
Dodgers 6-1 Braves
The first inning was a tease for Braves fans. Kris Medlen appeared ready to go toe-to-toe with Clayton Kershaw. However, Braves' pitching did not have another 1-2-3 inning until the top of the seventh. Adrian Gonzalez provided some pop, smashing a 2-run home run, but by that point, Yasiel Puig and the Dodgers had a 2-0 lead. Puig did the little things in this game, which once again proves that he's baseball's best rookie. He applied pressure on the defense and hustled on the base pads.
It took Kershaw some time to settle down, but once he introduced the swooping curveball to his repertoire, the Braves went from baseball players to statues.
Notable Stats
Kershaw: 7 IP, 3H, 1 ER, 3BB, 12K
Medlen: 4 IP, 9H, 5 ER, 1BB, 4K
Gonzalez: 2-5, 1R, HR, 2 RBI
Both the Pirates and Braves will have a chance to make noise in Game 2. They will have to bounce back from crushing defeats. Here are the standings after Thursday's results:
Pirates 0
Cardinals 1
Dodgers 1
Braves 0
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The AL Divison Series take off Friday. These are the matchup and standings on their side.
Rays 0
Red Sox 0
Tigers 0
Athletics 0
