The ALCS:
The Miami Dolphins (97-65)
AT
The Denver Broncos (107-55)
The Broncos jumped out to a quick lead on the Dolphins in Game 1, scoring a run in the first inning, two in the second inning from a
Joseph Swayze homerun, and another in the third inning on an
Alexis Vazquez homerun, to build a comfortable 4-0 lead. Miami crept back into the game with two runs in the fifth inning, but Denver got one of them back by scoring in the seventh inning. The Dolphins cut the deficit to just one run, by scoring twice in the eighth inning, but the Broncos hung on for a 5-4 victory.
Swayze and Vazquez each had 2 hits and 2 RBI in the game.
Kenny Pillsbury was shaky, but effective enough to gut out the win, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs in 7 2/3 innings, while striking out four and walking four.
The NLCS:
The San Diego Padres (85-77)
AT
The San Jose Sharks (96-66)
Through four innings, San Diego and San Jose were tied at one run apiece, but in the fifth inning, the Padres lineup began to assert itself.
Gaby Matos, who paced all of baseball this year with 48 homeruns, smacked a solo homerun to give the Padres the lead. In the seventh inning,
Gregorio Ruiz crushed a two run homer, making it 4-1. San Diego tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth to make it 7-1, but San Jose made it look a little bit more respectable by plating a couple of runs of its own in the bottom of the ninth, for a final score of 7-3.
San Diego's dangerous trio of Matos,
Andrew Burdick, and Ruiz combined for 8 hits, 3 RBI, and 5 runs scored. The Padres starter,
Casey Greene, pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 1 run.