In the NLDS, the Mets hand Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw his fifth straight postseason loss as Jacob deGrom outpitches him in a 3 – 1 win. Daniel Murphy homers for New York while Justin Turner hits a pair of doubles for Los Angeles.

In the other NLDS, John Lackey is the star, pitching 7 1/3 innings during which he gives up no runs on two hits, making a 1-0 Cardinals lead dating back to the 1st inning hold. The Cards score three more runs in the bottom of the 8th, on a pinch-hit homer by Tommy Pham and a two-run shot by Stephen Piscotty, and end up 4 – 0 winners over the Cubs and Jon Lester.

2014 – One day before opening the ALCS against the Royals, the Baltimore Orioles sign SS J.J. Hardy to a three-year contract extension worth $40-million.

2013 – The Cardinals eliminate the resilient Pirates with a 6 – 1 win in Game 5 of the NLDS. Adam Wainwright pitches a complete game, while Matt Adams and David Freese homer for the Redbirds.

The Reds can’t shake off the Giants in Game 3 of the NLDS, allowing a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly in the 3rd and a passed ball and error in the 10th inning to lose, 2 – 1. The loss negates a great effort by P Homer Bailey, who allows one hit over 7 innings and strikes out 10. San Francisco gets only three hits all night. Ryan Vogelsong gives up a 1st-inning run for the Giants, but then settles down, and the bullpen is airtight as well, allowing San Francisco to hold on until they win the game in extra frames.

The Athletics avoid elimination with a 2 – 0 win over the Tigers in Game 3 of the ALDS. Brett Anderson pitches 6 shutout innings in returning to the mound after a twenty-day injury layoff, setting the tone for Oakland. Coco Crisp scores a run in the 1st and DH Seth Smith homers off Anibal Sanchez in the 5th for the only runs of the game.

Milwaukee takes the opening game of the NLCS with a 9 – 6 win over St. Louis. The Brewers trail, 5 – 2, in the 5th when they explode for 6 runs. Ryan Braun, who had homered earlier, drives in two runs, then Prince Fielder and Yuniesky Betancourt homer and the Brew Crew is on its way. Zack Greinke is the winner over Jaime Garcia, although neither pitches particularly well.

At Yankee Stadium, the Twins drop Game 3 of the ALCS, 6-2, giving New York a sweep of the series. Minnesota, the first team to make the playoffs, exits the postseason for the second straight year without winning a game in the first round.

Twins closer Joe Nathan gives up a game-tying two-run homer to the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez in the 9th and Minnesota wastes a slew of opportunities to put New York away in Game 2 of their ALDS, losing, 4 – 3, in 11 innings. Mark Teixeira hits a walk-off home run off Jose Mijares to end the game, after Minnesota wastes a bases-loaded, none out opportunity in the top of the 11th.

Los Angeles takes a commanding two games to none lead over Boston in the other ALDS with a 4 – 1 win at Angel Stadium. Jered Weaver allows only two hits in 7 1/3 innings for the Angels, who score three runs off Josh Beckett in the 7th to break a 1 – 1 tie.