Sports
How Every MLB Playoff Team Can Win 2024 World Series
So you’re telling me there’s a chance?
Yes, Detroit, I am.
And San Diego, Kansas City, Minnesota… even you, too, Seattle.
Just ask the Giants, the Royals, the Cubs, the Red Sox, the Nationals and the Rangers, all champions in the past decade.
The Yankees and Dodgers will go in as the favorites. That just means they have a chance. But so does every other team that gets in.
Here’s one big reason for optimism for teams that have clinched postseason berths or with a realistic shot at playing next week…
AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees: They have Aaron Judge; you don’t.
The record for home runs in a single postseason is 10 by Randy Arozarena of the Rays in 2020. Judge hit nine in one 10-game flurry this season. The postseason could run at least 22 games. You do the math.
Cleveland Guardians: They can bunt.
Remember small ball? It could come in handy as the weather gets colder in October. Nobody plays smallball better than the Guardians, who remarkably have a .677 batting average on bunts this season. Six-seventy-seven.
Houston Astros: They’ve been there, done that.
The Astros have nine more postseason wins (62) than any other team during Jose Altuve’s 14-year career, 14 more (59) during Alex Bregman’s nine-year career, and 21 more (44) during Yordan Alvarez’s six-year career. It’s contagious.
Baltimore Orioles: They’re fun.
Let’s be honest: Wouldn’t you love to see Jackson Holliday’s first postseason hit? Gunnar Henderson’s first postseason triple? Adley Rutschman’s first postseason home run? This could be the next Altuve-Bregman-Alvarez. Stay tuned.
Kansas City Royals: They keep the ball in the ballpark.
The Royals have allowed the fewest home runs in the majors this season. Where they’ve been stingiest is in extra innings, where they haven’t allowed one all year. Remarkably, there was just one extra-inning game in last year’s postseason, and it was won with a homer.
Detroit Tigers: They have the ace.
You want to advance in the postseason? Win Game 1. Tarik Skubal is double-trouble for any opponent in a series opener. First off, he’s easily the best starter still standing in the American League. And secondly, he’s as likely as any pitcher to navigate seven innings and save the bullpen for another day, setting up future success.
Minnesota Twins: They’re healthy.
Royce Lewis has played just 76 games this season, Carlos Correa 82, and Byron Buxton 98. But their injury-riddled seasons have taken a turn for the sprightly of late. In the past week, Lewis played all seven games, while Correa and Buxton started six each. The key is Buxton; the Twins are 54-44 when he’s been able to climb the dugout steps this season.
Seattle Mariners: They know how to close out foes.
Nothing sabotages a series like a blown lead in the ninth. That’s less of a worry for the Mariners than most teams. They’ve allowed just 34 runs in the ninth inning all season. Opponents won’t want to see Andres Munoz, a vastly underrated closer who has allowed just 18 hits in 47 ninth-inning appearances this year.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Dodgers: They’ve got Shohei Ohtani… and more.
Remember when the Dodgers’ lineup was considered top-heavy? OK, it still is. With 118 RBIs out of the leadoff spot and a week to add to it, they are about to break the all-time record of 122 set by the 2019 Astros. But let’s give a little credit to the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, who have scored the third- (73) and second-most (78) runs, respectively, in baseball this season.
Philadelphia Phillies: They handle good teams.
Not surprising given their recent run of success in the postseason, the Phillies have one of baseball’s best records this season against teams currently at .500 or better (50-40). If you’re going to be the best, you have to beat the best.
Milwaukee Brewers: They can run.
When your lineup is full of guys named Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz and Sal Frelick, there’s just one thing to do: Run. The Brewers have stolen way more bases than anyone else headed to the postseason, which helps explain how a team that’s hit the 15th-most home runs has scored the fifth-most runs. The Brewers are 70-34 when they’ve stolen at least one base this season.
San Diego Padres: They force the action.
Luis Arraez struck out last week. It was big news. Here’s even bigger news: He has a bunch of teammates who are hard to strike out as well. No team whiffed less this season, and it’s not even close. How do you beat heavyweight pitching? By putting the ball in play.
New York Mets: They win on the road.
If a wild-card team is going to shock the heavyweights, it’s going to have to steal the home-field advantage. The Mets’ 41-34 road record, which includes a two-game sweep at Yankee Stadium and series wins at Los Angeles, Atlanta and Arizona, demonstrates they look good in gray.
Arizona Diamondbacks: They play defense.
The Diamondbacks committed no errors in their two-game sweep of the Brewers in the 2023 Wild Card Series, just one in their three-game elimination of the Dodgers in the National League Division Series, and just four in their 4-3 triumph over the Phillies in the NL Championship Series. This regular season, when they’ve committed seven fewer errors than any other team, they’re flashing the leather again.
Atlanta Braves: They play the game 21st-century style.
The Braves lead the majors in pitching strikeouts and rank fourth in batting home runs. No matter which aspect of the game dominates the postseason, the Braves have it covered.
Sports
Cardinals stave off Dodgers’ rally for 6th straight win
May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Jordan Walker slugged a two-run homer among his two hits and Michael McGreevy tossed six scoreless innings as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
McGreevy (2-2) allowed three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Ryne Stanek and lefty JoJo Romero each pitched a scoreless inning before the Dodgers scored two runs on four straight hits against righty Riley O’Brien in the ninth.
O’Brien recorded two quick outs before giving up back-to-back infield singles to Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez. Max Muncy and Andy Pages followed with RBI singles before O’Brien struck out pinch hitter Dalton Rushing for his ninth save.
Los Angeles lost its fourth straight game and has scored three or fewer runs in seven of its last 11 games.
St. Louis took a 3-0 lead on four hits in the third inning. Ivan Herrera hit a leadoff double against Roki Sasaki (1-3) and scored on Alec Burleson’s double to right field.
Walker followed with a two-run blast to left field. The 372-foot shot was Walker’s 10th homer of the season and second in his last three games.
The Dodgers had plenty of early traffic on the basepaths against McGreevy, but they were held scoreless while hitting into four double plays in the first five innings.
Los Angeles put two runners on with one out in the second inning before Pages struck out and Hyeseong Kim grounded out.
The pattern continued in the third inning, when Alex Freeland hit a leadoff single and second baseman JJ Wetherholt started a double play with a diving catch on Shohei Ohtani’s liner.
Sasaki gave up three runs on five hits with two walks over six innings. He retired the final 10 batters he faced and threw a career-high 104 pitches.
Stanek replaced right-hander McGreevy to begin the seventh inning and retired two batters before Hernandez singled and Muncy walked. Both were stranded when Pages struck out.
The Dodgers were held without a home run for the fifth straight game and have hit a total of three homers in their past 11 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Saba Lobjanidze's brace sparks Atlanta over Montreal
May 2, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta United midfielder Saba Lobjanidze (11) reacts to his goal against the CF Montréal in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Saba Lobjanidze scored a brace and Emmanuel Latte Lath netted the match-winner late in the first half as Atlanta United defeated visiting CF Montreal 3-1 on Saturday evening.
Alexey Miranchuk had two assists while Pedro Amador and Cooper Sanchez added an assist apiece for Atlanta (3-7-1, 10 points), which won its third straight match across all competitions and second straight in MLS play. It also snapped a four-match home winless streak (0-3-1).
Montreal (3-7-0, 9 points) saw a two-match win streak come to an end while its road losing streak reached four. It also finished the match with 10 men after Brayan Vera received a red card in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Latte Lath put Atlanta ahead in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time thanks to an interception by Sanchez. The Ivorian striker played a ball forward to Miranchuk, then scored on Miranchuk’s return pass to make it 2-1.
Lobjanidze upped Atlanta United’s lead to 3-1 in the 50th minute, scoring off Sanchez’s assist.
Atlanta equalized in the 41st minute with Lobjanidze’s first goal of the year. After receiving a pass from Miranchuk, Lobjanidze’s shot deflected off Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier’s hand and trickled past the goal line, tying the match at 1-1.
Matty Longstaff scored Montreal’s lone goal of the evening in the sixth minute.
Lucas Hoyos finished the evening with four saves. Gillier stopped two Atlanta shots.
Atlanta United won back-to-back MLS regular-season matches for the first time since May 24 and 28, 2025. They have outscored opponents 7-2 during their win streak.
Montreal lost for the first time under interim head coach Phillipe Eullafroy.
Miranchuk has two goals and two assists in his last three matches across all competitions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Late penalty extends New England's unbeaten streak vs. Charlotte
May 2, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Luca Langoni (41) dribbles the ball against Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani (28) in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images Carles Gil’s 97th-minute penalty kick lifted the New England Revolution to a tense 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass.
The Revolution (6-3-1, 19 points) broke through during stoppage time after several minutes marked by defensive gridlock. The win extends the Revs’ unbeaten streak to six league games.
Matt Turner made three saves and kept a clean sheet for the Revolution, who outshot Charlotte (4-5-2, 14 points) 14-7. Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina made three saves.
The Revs faced late drama when Charlotte’s Brandt Bronico was called for a handball in the box in the dying minutes of stoppage time, and the referee failed to call an advantage on the play, which would’ve counted Diego Fagundez’s goal.
However, Gil calmly sent Kahlina the wrong way and scored the ensuing penalty to give the Revs the late winner. The goal is Gil’s third of the season.
Charlotte manager Dean Smith has faced many questions about his team’s misfiring offense, and they remain unanswered. The team’s usually prolific offense struggled to create chances in the final third, and when they did, they failed to convert.
Charlotte’s biggest chance of the first half came when Idan Toklomati received the ball just 16 yards away from the goal with a clear shot. However, Toklomati slammed his shot against the crossbar, leaving the game scoreless in the 37th minute.
The two sides struggled to challenge each other throughout the match, settling for long-range, low-quality shots.
Charlotte’s Wilfried Zaha and Revs defender Mamadou Fofana had to be separated by teammates after a brief shouting match and a couple of shoves in the second half. Zaha, who then argued with New England manager Marko Mitrovic, was booked. The yellow card is his sixth in just nine league appearances.
Charlotte nearly found an equalizer in the game’s dying minutes when Morrison Agyemang headed a shot from short range. The shot seemed destined for the upper corner of the net, but Turner deflected the ball to preserve the Revs’ victory.
–Field Level Media
