A classic, a rematch, and a champion tested in the Major League Baseball postseason

Santo Domingo. – The excitement of the Major League Baseball postseason kicks off this Tuesday with the start of the Wild Card Series, where baseball’s most legendary rivalry will steal the spotlight: Yankees versus Red Sox.

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The day will also offer the opportunity for the Tigers to get revenge against the Guardians, the Dodgers’ title defense of Shohei Ohtani against an ambitious Reds, and an unprecedented clash in these scenarios between Cubs and Padres.

Yankees vs. Red Sox: An Eternal Classic

The Yankees arrive as the absolute leaders in the Majors in home runs (274) and runs scored (849), driven by Aaron Judge, a candidate for Most Valuable Player, along with Giancarlo Stanton, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger. The mission: to break the solid pitching of Boston, second best in the American League with a collective ERA of 3.70. The Red Sox trust their ace, Garrett Crochet, undefeated against the Yankees (3-0 in four appearances), and in the Dominican Brayan Bello, who boasts a 1.89 ERA in three starts against New York.
On the other side, manager Aaron Boone will hand the ball to Max Fried and Cuban Carlos Rodón, while the Red Sox have Aroldis Chapman as a luxury closer.

Tigers vs. Guardians: The Rematch

After being eliminated last postseason, the Tigers seek revenge. Left-hander Tarik Skubal will open the first game with the responsibility of stopping a hot Guardians team, led by Dominican José Ramírez, who closed the season with 20 wins in their last 27 games.

Dodgers vs. Reds: Champion Under Pressure

The reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, led by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, will face the Reds, a team hungry for glory and managed by Terry Francona. Although Cincinnati barely won one of the six season matchups against the Angels, they will put all their trust in Hunter Greene and the spark of the Dominican Elly de la Cruz.
The Reds will avoid Clayton Kershaw, who is off the roster, but will have to decipher the trident of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Blake Snell, as well as Tyler Glasnow.

Puppies vs. Parents: Youth vs. Experience

The Cubs return to the postseason for the first time since 2020, with Kyle Tucker recovered and the mix of veterans like Dansby Swanson, Carlos Santana, and Ian Happ, alongside young prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki. The Padres, experienced in these instances, are betting on the leadership of Dominicans Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., Venezuelan Luis Arráez, and a rotation led by Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Yu Darvish. Their bullpen, with Robert Suárez and Mason Miller, looks like one of the most solid in the competition. In the regular season, both teams split honors with three wins each.