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The 2022 MLB playoffs are down to just four teams, each vying for a spot in this year’s World Series.

The American League Championship Series shifts to the Bronx for Game 3 of the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees. Houston won the first two games at home and holds a 2-0 lead.

In the National League Championship Series, it will be Game 4 between the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies. After splitting the opening two games in San Diego, the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead with a 4-2 Game 3 victory on Friday night.

More: Who has the NLCS edge? Predictions for Padres-Phillies | Who will rule the ALCS? Predictions for Yankees-Astros | Bracket, results and more


Houston Astros at New York Yankees (5:07 p.m. ET, TBS)

Astros lead series 2-0

Astros starter: Cristian Javier

Yankees starter: Gerrit Cole

Starting lineups:

ASTROS

TBD

YANKEES

TBD

What to watch for: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will need to replicate his most recent performance against the Astros, on June 25, when he went seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits while walking two and striking out eight batters. (On the flip side: The Yankees still lost that game, as tonight’s Astros starter, Cristian Javier, combined with two relievers to no-hit New York.) After getting roughed up in last year’s wild-card loss to Boston, Cole has had a strong October so far, posting a 2.03 ERA in two starts against Cleveland in the ALDS, allowing three runs in 13⅓ innings. New York will need more of the same to keep from falling into a 3-0 hole.

Meanwhile, Houston’s Javier makes his first postseason start. Javier’s previous postseason experience has come in relief, where he’s accumulated a 3.38 ERA in 12 appearances, allowing eight runs in 21⅓ innings. Javier pitched 1⅓ innings in Game 1 of the ALDS against Seattle, but has not started a game since Oct. 1. Javier replaces Lance McCullers Jr., whose start was pushed back to Game 4 after an errant champagne bottle struck his elbow during the Astros’ ALDS victory celebration.

For the Yankees, there’s no way around it: They have to win on Saturday. This is the biggest start for Cole in his Yankees career, the reason why New York signed him to a nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 season. If they don’t win on Saturday, the team should get a head start on packing up their lockers, especially given the strength and depth of the Astros. — Joon Lee

Our picks

Yankees 5, Astros 3: Like he has so far this postseason, Cole comes through in the biggest start of his Yankees career, and New York’s offense shows some life against Javier. — Lee

Astros 4, Yankees 3: Runs have been hard to come by for the Yankees and their task won’t get any easier against Javier and a rested Houston bullpen. Seems like we’re headed for a short series. — Bradford Doolittle

Yankees 2, Astros 1: Cole almost single-handedly won New York its division series against Cleveland, and for his third act all he needs to do is save the Yankees’ season. Houston picked apart the Yankees over the series’ first two games, and with New York’s bats acting as if they’d hibernated for winter already, anything short of perfection on the mound may not be enough. So the Yankees turn to Cole to oppose Javier, who over his past four regular-season starts threw 23 innings of shutout baseball and allowed six hits. Yes, that’s the Astros’ No. 3 or 4 starter. Yes, this is the task the Yankees — and perhaps ultimately the NL pennant winner — must face. This is what makes Game 3 a must-win for New York. — Jeff Passan


San Diego Padres at Philadelphia Phillies (7:45 p.m. ET, FOX)

Phillies lead series 2-1

Padres starter: Mike Clevinger

Phillies starter: Bailey Falter

Starting lineups:

PADRES

TBD

PHILLIES

TBD

What to watch for: It might feel like the Phillies are playing with some house money after beating Joe Musgrove with a back end rotation guy in Ranger Suarez in Game 3. But they could face an uphill battle on Saturday after going with 25-year-old lefty Falter as the surprise starter. By design, he won’t go very long, which means manager Rob Thomson will need his pen again after using them for four innings on Friday. Piggybacking Falter with Noah Syndergaard, and getting a few innings out of him, might be the Phillies’ best-case scenario.

The Padres’ staff is set up better for the next few days, but they’ll need on offensive output like they got in Game 2 to ensure the series returns to San Diego. Padres starter Clevinger has playoff experience but not necessarily great numbers. He gave up four runs in just 2⅔ innings against the Dodgers in the last round and has as career 5.74 ERA in nine postseason appearances. For all of the above reasons, expect a high-scoring game. — Jesse Rogers

Our picks

Padres 7, Phillies 6: It’ll be a wild affair as both teams will use their bullpens early and often in Game 4, but the Padres will survive because the Phillies won’t get the shutdown innings they did in Friday’s win. — Rogers

Padres 7, Phillies 6: Just how quickly San Diego manager Bob Melvin and Thomson have to pull their starting pitchers could be the bellwether for a game that is the likeliest in this series to go sideways. The Phillies have to be careful about overextending their bullpen. The Padres, with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola looming, absolutely need to win Game 4. These teams are too closely matched for the series not to return to San Diego. — Passan

Phillies 6, Padres 5: Clevinger has been trying to pitch through a sore knee — without a lot of success, posting a 7.10 ERA over his past seven starts (including five runs in 2⅔ innings against the Dodgers in the division series). Feels like an early Phillies lead and they hold on to get one win away from the World Series. — David Schoenfield

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

SEATTLE — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

“That’s a very big accomplishment,” Rodríguez told reporters, according to MLB.com. “I know my family’s very happy, and I’m sure they’re thinking of all the things I had to do to be able to get here. To be able to do it with this team and this organization is awesome. I’m just excited to see where things are going to go from here.”

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Marlins def. Yankees, earn 1st-ever sweep of N.Y.

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Marlins def. Yankees, earn 1st-ever sweep of N.Y.

MIAMI — Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins defeated the New York Yankees 7-3 on Sunday, completing their first-ever sweep of the Yankees in a series of three or more games.

The Marlins (55-55) reached .500 for the first time since April 15, when the team was 8-8. Since June 13, the Marlins are 30-14; that’s tied with the 2003 team for the most wins in a 44-game span in franchise history, according to ESPN Research.

The 2003 Marlins went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series in six games.

Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera’s 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center.

Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle.

Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3⅓ innings into his season debut.

Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches.

Gil’s shaky debut comes at a rough point in the season for the Yankees, whose inconsistency has prompted a rash of criticism, the latest coming from former Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez on Fox’s pregame show Saturday night.

“They make way too many mistakes,” Jeter said. “Way too many mistakes, and you can’t get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams.”

Added Rodriguez: “Where’s the accountability?”

Boone addressed those criticisms before Sunday’s game, saying it comes with the territory of being the Yankees, but he added after the loss that it’s “gut-check” time for his club.

New York’s weekend series at Miami included the Yankees blowing a six-run lead in a wild 13-12 loss on Friday, before a 2-0 loss on Saturday.

The Yankees had a seven-game lead in the AL East in late May. By July 2, the lead was gone and the Yankees have been looking up at Toronto in the division ever since. The red-hot Boston Red Sox, who were more than 10 games behind the Yankees about two months ago, have overtaken their rival for the second spot in the AL East and AL wild-card lead.

“It’s getting late,” Boone said. “And it’s certainly not too late for us. I am confident that we’re going to get it together. But that’s all it is right now is, you know, it’s empty until we start doing it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rodriguez makes history with 4th 20-20 season

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Rodriguez makes history with another 20-20 year

SEATTLE — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

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