MLB Playoffs: The Four Biggest Moments from #4GameFriday

Highlighting the key play from each of the four games of the MLB Playoffs on this year’s glorious #4GameFriday

#4GameFriday is one of the best days of the year for baseball fans, and yesterday was no different. Every meeting of the Division Series was on display, meaning we got to watch the MLB playoffs ALL. DAY. LONG.

Although there were two Wild Card bouts earlier in the week, #4GameFriday unofficially marks the beginning of October baseball. For those who love baseball as much as I do, #4GameFriday consisted of spending over 12 hours being glued to the couch watching the games and following them live on Twitter, which is as good as it gets. Knowing that a lot of people were going to be playing hooky on this unofficial national holiday, Major League Baseball wanted to make sure everyone had an excuse for ditching their prior commitments.

As usual, #4GameFriday did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form. From Houston’s emphatic win over Cleveland to the Red Sox edging out a win by the skin of their teeth against the Yankees, there was no shortage of suspenseful baseball. The sheer volume of games and the intense playoff atmosphere of each is what makes this day so special.

All four of Friday’s games featured nail-biting moments that had the entire stadium on the edge of their seats. When teams are so even like they are in the playoffs, all it takes is one big play to swing the momentum and seal the outcome of the game.

To celebrate #4GameFriday, lets take a look at the biggest play of each game from the teams battling it out in the Divisional Series. These plays were significant in determining the respected outcome of the games, and could foreshadow how the rest of the series’ play out.

#3. Colorado Rockies vs Milwaukee Brewers

Biggest Moment: Erik Kratz hits a 2-run RBI single in the 8th

After taking Game 1 on Thursday, the Milwaukee Brewers were looking to stretch their win streak to 10 games, and they did exactly that yesterday as they once again beat the Colorado Rockies in a 4-0 shutout.

Pitching on short rest, Brewers’ starter Jhoulys Chacin went five scoreless innings while leaving Rockies’ runners stranded in high-leverage situations on multiple occasions. Rockies’ starting pitcher Tyler Anderson was also on top of his game, yielding just four hits while punching out five, but gave up a run meaning Colorado needed to stage a late-game comeback in order to even the series.

Unfortunately for the Rockies, that never happened as their bats stayed quiet the rest of the game as Milwaukee’s bullpen followed Chacin’s brilliance with their own. A stellar relief corps of Corey Knebel, Josh Hader, Joakim Soria, and Jeremy Jeffress combined for three hits and eight strikeout across the final four frames as Colorado yet again failed to produce at the plate.

While the Brewers’ staff held onto a 1-0 lead, the lineup provided some insurance runs in the 8th as Mike Moustakas drove in a run to make the score 2-0. Three batters later, journeyman catcher Erik Kratz delivered with the game’s biggest play in the form of a 2-run RBI single.

At that point, the Brew Crew already had a two-run lead, but Kratz’s RBI knock put the game out of reach for the Rockies. Kratz’s clutch hit was definitely a feel-good moment, as the 38-year old catcher has spent his entire career bouncing up and down from the minors and prior to Game 1 had never played in a postseason game. His hit sealed the door shut on Colorado’s hopes of winning Game 2, and they now find themselves facing elimination as they head home to Coors Field for Sunday.

#2. New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

Biggest Moment: Brandon Workman strikes out Gleyber Torres with the bases loaded and two outs in the 6th

The marquee matchup of #4GameFriday pitted the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees against each other in the latest instalment of (arguably) the best rivalry in professional sports. The Bronx Bombers won an astounding 100 games in the regular season, but came into Fenway Park with a chip on their shoulder as the underdog to the 108-win Red Sox.

Things started out poorly for New York as J.A. Happ — who came into the game with a successful track record against Boston — got lit up by a 3-run J.D. Martinez bomb and was charged with 5 earned runs before exiting the game in the 3rd inning. On the other side, Chris Sale was dominant for the Red Sox as he whiffed eight batters while yielding just two earned runs before being pulled in the 6th inning.

The Yankees had shown no signs of life at the plate for the first half of the game, but once Sale was removed their bats had a resurgence. Following Sale’s exit, the next two Yankees batters delivered RBI knocks to bring the game to 5-2. Beginning to panic, the BoSox brought in veteran reliever Brandon Workman to try and hold the lead. Workman proceeded to walk the first batter he faced, and all of a sudden the bases were loaded with two outs, and the go-ahead run at the plate in the form of AL ROY contender Gleyber Torres.

How did Workman perform under pressure? By striking out Torres on a knuckle curve with a full count.

Workman’s payoff pitch extinguished the Yankees’ chance at getting back into the game, and even though New York scored more runs later on they still fell short in a 5-4 loss. Striking out Torres in that moment was integral to the Red Sox winning Game 1, who now have the lead in a series that will be captivating right until the end.

#1. Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Biggest Moment: Manny Machado‘s 2-run home run in the 1st

The nightcap of #4GameFriday between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves was a low-scoring affair as the Boys in Blue won in shutout fashion by a score of 3-0.

Before going over the biggest moment of the game, I must tip my cap to Clayton Kershaw, who overcame his stigma of being a “bad” postseason pitcher by twirling eight innings of no-run ball while giving up just two hits and no walks. The Dodgers’ ace was his vintage self as he dismantled the Braves with so much ease one would think he was facing a high school team.

While Kersh stifled the Braves’ offense the entire game, the Dodgers started the scoring off right away as rental acquisition Manny Machado hit a towering 2-run blast to give L.A. the lead in the first inning.

Heading into Friday’s game, Machado was .467 with three long balls off of Braves’ Game 2 starter Anibal Sanchez, which makes one question why the Braves started him in the first place. Catcher Yasmani Grandal hit a solo shot later in the night, but Machado’s homer served as the team’s biggest moment as the Braves had little chance to surmount a comeback against Kershaw after that.

After being the first NL team to clinch a postseason berth, the Atlanta Braves are one game away from elimination as they’ve scored ZERO runs in their two losses to start the postseason. They’ll hope to bounce back Sunday, but it seems like nothing can stop the Boys in Blue at the moment.

#4GameFriday was one heck of a day for baseball fans, and one can only hope the rest of the postseason is as riveting as the games we saw on Friday.