It has been a phenomenal start to October in the baseball world as it has been an onslaught of games to get through the 2020 MLB Postseason Wildcard matchups. The Wildcard Series has since been completed, and four teams in the American League (AL) will head out to San Diego and Los Angeles for the AL bubble.
In San Diego at Petco Park and Los Angeles at Dodgers Stadium, four teams will get the 2020 MLB Postseason ALDS underway. The four teams who moved on are the Tampa Bay Rays facing off against the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros facing off with the Oakland Athletics.
Looking at the two matchups, it will be a face-off of the AL East and AL West for the rights to advance to the 2020 MLB Postseason championship series. Take a look at how the Wildcard matchups shook out in the AL.
Tampa Bay Rays (1) v.s. Toronto Blue Jays (8)
The Tampa Bay Rays were able to march through the young Toronto Blue Jays, holding them to just three runs in a 2-0 sweep of the series. The Rays would combine for 11 runs on the series, getting some masterful pitching performances from former Cy Young award winner Blake Snell and emerging star Tyler Glasnow.
The youthful Blue Jays with rising stars Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. were no match for the Rays who have been on fire in the 2020 sprint season. The Rays will head into the postseason bubble, and the Blue Jays will head home, looking to get back to the postseason in 2021.
Cleveland Indians (4) v.s. New York Yankees (5)
The New York Yankees put a whooping on the Cleveland Indians, outscoring them 22-12 through two games. Shockingly enough, the Yankees destroyed Shane Bieber, who took home the Pitching Triple Crown and is a Cy Young favorite for his 2020 performance.
The Indians got some offense going, but a ninth-inning tie-breaking single from D.J. Lemahieu would elevate the Yankees to victory over the Tribe, who’s season has now been concluded. The Yankees will now face an AL East rival for a chance to advance to the ALCS in the bubble.
Minnesota Twins (3) v.s. Houston Astros (6)
The unlucky fate of the Minnesota Twins leaves them being sent home early after the Houston Astros would sweep them and become the first team to advance to an ALDS matchup in the 2020 MLB Postseason.
The Astros have not been the team they were in the past, but the Twins have solidified an 18-game postseason losing streak, being unable to get the job done once reaching the postseason. With a chip on their shoulder, the Astros are looking to prove the haters wrong after the sign-stealing scandal leaves the organization in a gray area.
Oakland Athletics (2) v.s. Chicago White Sox (7)
The Oakland Athletics were able to slow the young and unproven Chicago White Sox with a necessary third game. The White Sox took game one in a 4-1 victory, but the Athletics would take home a 5-3 win in game two and a 6-4 victory to advance.
The White Sox were carried on the grounds of their young talent blooming and the looks of a successful rebuild. But the Athletics, who are without third baseman Matt Chapman who is out injured, will have to head into the postseason bubble to take on the trashcan Astros organization.
Looking Ahead
As mentioned above, the 2020 MLB Postseason will now shift into a postseason bubble. The ALDS will have two locations mentioned above. The battles of the AL East and AL West will be played out as the postseason continues on for the American League.
By October 11th, the teams will be cut down once again, and the 2020 ALCS matchups will be set.
