MLBSep 30
MLB wild-card Game 2: Phillies, Astros, Red Sox and Cubs face elimination
Pitching advantages offer hope for Philadelphia and Houston, while Boston and the Cubs need their offenses to respond with their seasons at stake.
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Phillies turn to Sanchez after late collapse
Wednesday’s wild-card schedule gives Atlanta, New York, Chicago’s White Sox and San Diego a chance to advance. Their opponents must win Game 2 to keep their postseason hopes alive. Philadelphia turns to Sanchez against Atlanta’s Mahle after a lead slipped away in the opener. J.T. Realmuto’s seventh-inning triple had put the Phillies ahead before Austin Riley changed the game with a three-run homer in the eighth. Sanchez offers Philadelphia a strong opportunity to reset. He averaged more than six innings per start this season, giving the Phillies reason to hope their ace can carry a substantial workload in an elimination game.
Houston needs sharper execution
The Astros have Hunter Brown starting and useful bullpen options behind him, but their path to extending the series also requires better at-bats and improved pitching command. Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu each worked an inning in Game 1 and remain relatively fresh. The White Sox face a different bullpen situation after relief ace Grant Taylor threw 54 pitches. Houston needs to capitalize on that contrast while bringing more urgency than it showed in the opener.
Boston seeks runs against Fried
The Red Sox must revive an offense that finished September last in runs scored, with 71 in 24 games, and was blanked in Game 1. Sonny Gray will try to keep Boston alive opposite Max Fried. Gray’s last wild-card start, for Minnesota in 2023, produced five scoreless innings. A similar performance would help against a Yankees lineup loaded with left-handed hitters, but Boston also needs to avoid costly mistakes against Ben Rice.
Cubs cannot wait to attack
The Cubs led the majors in runs this season but were shut out by San Diego in the opener. Scoring early against Nick Pivetta is especially important because Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller enter Game 2 with three full days of rest. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman need to set a different tone after combining for five strikeouts against Michael King. One possible adjustment is using Bregman at third base, opening designated hitter for Michael Conforto.
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