Wow, what a start to the American League Division Series! The first day is in the books and honestly, the recency bias is hitting hard because it’s tough to see how any of the 0-1 teams can come back in these five-game series. Everyone always says MLB playoffs are the best because it’s not just about the best team, it’s about who’s got the hot hand. And while “momentum” gets overplayed, I’ll be darned if I can envision any of the teams up 1-0 failing to advance. But hey, I love being wrong!
Remember That Munetaka Murakami Guy? Yeah, He’s Carrying Playoff Games.
Man, there are some things in this world where supposedly smart people get it collectively wrong, and for a while, Munetaka Murakami’s entire market was one of them. People completely lost the plot when it came to him, seemingly unable to see the forest for the trees. Now? We’re seeing exactly what he’s capable of. He’s already out there single-handedly swinging playoff games! Take yesterday’s game one of the American League Division Series: Murakami, wearing number 5 for the Chicago White Sox, absolutely blasted a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth inning. He’s doing exactly what everyone knew he could, even if they forgot it for a bit when it came to his market.
The Lost Art of Base-Rounding and Rasmussen’s Rays
Over in another Division Series matchup, we saw a wild sequence involving Drew Rasmussen and Austin Wells. We’ve got footage of the *only* hit the Yankees had against Rasmussen in yesterday’s game. It doesn’t take much digging to find folks questioning Wells’ decision to go for third, but honestly, all I’m thinking about watching him hit second base is how base-rounding has become a lost art. A perfect cut of that bag probably still wouldn’t have gotten him to third before the relay, but it sure as heck wouldn’t have hurt his chances, right? Rasmussen’s no-hitter ended, but the Rays still teamed up to get Wells at third. It just highlights those little things that can make or break a crucial playoff play.
Some Mariners Talk (and Wild Rumors, Because Why Not?)
Now, for a bit of Mariners news. Josh Naylor, after his first full season with our Mariners, admitted himself that he didn’t hit his own performance standard. You gotta respect that honesty. It tells you a lot about the guy and his drive to be better. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports are flying around about some truly wild stuff. There are rumors I’m starting myself: supposedly, Padres fans were carrying garden shears, trying to get access to the catwalks at Miller Park in Milwaukee. And get this: Ty France allegedly hit some wires running near the roof. That supposedly knocked down what could have been a go-ahead home run, which was then caught for an out. If that’s not peak baseball chaos, I don’t know what is!
It’s only the first day of the Division Series, and we’re already seeing the kind of unpredictable, heart-stopping action that makes October baseball the best. You can feel that playoff intensity building, and with these wild starts, who knows what’s coming next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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