Uncharacteristically, the Cardinals use the home run ball to defeat the Dodgers, 3 – 1, in Game 3 of the NLDS at Busch Stadium. Matt Carpenter hits a solo homer, his third of the series, off Hyun-Jin Ryu in the 3rd, and Kolten Wong hits a two-run shot off Scott Elbert in the 7th for the win.

The Nationals stay alive in the other NLDS with a 4 – 1 win over the Giants in Game 3. Doug Fister pitches 7 scoreless innings and the Nats break through against Madison Bumgarner in the 7th when he fields a bunt by Wilson Ramos and throws the ball into left field, allowing two runs to score.

The Pirates take a two games to one lead in the NLDS with a 5 – 3 win over St. Louis at home. Pedro Alvarez drives in the go-ahead run in the 8th after Carlos Beltran twice ties the score for the Cards, with a two-run single in the 5th, and a solo homer off Mark Melancon in the top of the 8th. The homer is the 16th in postseason play for Beltran, and he now only trails Mickey Mantle, with 18, in that category.

The Dodgers are also a win away from winning their Division Series after beating up the Braves, 13 – 6. The Dodgers score 10 runs between the 2nd and 4th innings to break the game wide open in spite of a shaky start by Hyun-Jin Ryu. Carl Crawford and Juan Uribe homer, Hanley Ramirez has a double and triple, and Yasiel Puig has three hits as the Dodgers’ batters overwhelm young Julio Teheran.

The Orioles eliminate the two-time AL champion Rangers, 5-1, in the American League’s first win-or-go-home wild-card playoff game. The victory sends the surprising Baltimore team into the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, a best-of-five division series against New York.

The Indians name former Boston skipper Terry Francona, rather than Sandy Alomar Jr., who replaced Manny Acta as the interim field boss with six games remaining to be played on the schedule, to be their 42nd manager in franchise history. The 53 year-old’s father, Tito, played with the Tribe from 1959 to ’64.

With a year remaining on his contract, Jim Tracy resigns as the manager of the Rockies, a position he has held since his promotion from the club’s bench coach in May of 2009. During his four-year tenure with Colorado, the 2009 NL Manager of the Year compiled a 294-308 record, going 64-98 last season, a franchise mark for losses.

In the first game of the ALDS, Justin Verlander of the Tigers gives up a home run to the first batter of the game, Coco Crisp, but goes on to strike out 11 over 7 innings, not giving up another run to the Athletics. The Tigers get the run back in the bottom of the 1st, take the lead with a 3rd-inning score, and complete the tally when C Alex Avila homers off Jarrod Parker in the 5th for a 3 – 1 win.

The Orioles eliminate the two-time AL champion Rangers, 5-1, in the American League’s first win-or-go-home wild-card playoff game. The victory sends the surprising Baltimore team into the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, a best-of-five division series against New York.

In the NLDS, Cincinnati loses ace starter Johnny Cueto to back spasms after only two batters, but still manages to beat the Giants, 5 – 2. Brandon Phillips has 3 RBI on 3 hits, including a homer, and Jay Bruce homers as well, while Sam LeCure and Mat Latos, the latter making the first relief appearance of his career, step in ably in relief of Cueto. For the Giants, Buster Posey hits a solo homer off Latos, but it’s not enough.