MLB Division Series Day 5: Live Scores, Key Moments, and Expert Analysis as Playoffs Heat Up

Wednesday - 08/10/2025 20:15

It's a loaded day in the 2025 MLB playoffs, with eight teams in action as both the ALDS and NLDS roll on.

ESPN

Oct 9, 2025, 03:50 AM

Four games, one Super Wednesday in the 2025 MLB playoffs.

The division series in both the American League and National League could have all ended today -- but the Detroit Tigers put an early stop to that.

Detroit kicked off all the fun Wednesday by overcoming an early deficit en route to a dominant win over the Seattle Mariners, sending the series back to Seattle for a decisive Game 5 on Friday.

Here's how the rest of the day's schedule plays out: Game 3 of the NLDS between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs is at Wrigley Field, with the Brewers looking for a sweep (5:08 p.m. ET, TBS). Next up, another Game 4: The Toronto Blue Jays, up 2-1, look to bounce the New York Yankees in the Bronx (7:08 p.m. ET, FS1). Finally, fans at Dodger Stadium will have their brooms out as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Philadelphia Phillies (9:08 p.m. ET, TBS).

We'll have all the day's action covered -- from lineups before first pitch to in-game analysis and postgame takeaways.

Key links: Mega-preview | Series outlooks | Bracket | Schedule

Jump to:
Live analysis | Takeaways| Lineups

Live analysis

Follow live on Gamecast: MIL at CHC

Takeaways

Detroit Tigers 9, Seattle Mariners 3

Series tied 2-2

Say what you will about the way the Detroit Tigers finished the regular season, but this is one resilient bunch. They barely avoided collapsing their way out of the playoff field. But whereas missing the playoffs has a definite finality to it, squeezing in opens up all sorts of possibilities. The Tigers' offense began Wednesday with the lowest WOBA of any playoff team, including those already eliminated. But despite that, Detroit has scrapped and fought to win the close ones, winning games with no margin for error.

Finally, in the middle of Game 4, the hitters broke out. Riley Greene, who was removed for a pinch hitter during the wild-card series in Cleveland with tough lefty Tim Herrin on the mound, launched the go-ahead shot in the sixth, just Detroit's third homer of the playoffs, as the Tigers roared back from a 3-0 deficit. Javier Baez and Gleyber Torres followed up with two more home runs to round out the Game 4 win.

The moment was huge for the Tigers, and Greene -- their best position player. Now Detroit turns to its best player period, ace Tarik Skubal, for Game 5. Just hours after everything was swimming Seattle's direction after Game 3, the Tigers have once again fought back from the brink. -- Bradford Doolittle

For the Seattle Mariners, this was like the old Clint Eastwood movie. The first half of the game was good -- very good, as the Mariners built a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Then it turned bad. Then it turned ugly. The analysis will certainly revolve around Dan Wilson's decision with starter Bryce Miller, except Wilson will hear it from both sides: should have pulled him sooner, should have left him in. Miller was not good this year (5.68 ERA and one of the most homer-prone starters in the majors) and was starting only because Bryan Woo was injured.

The Mariners probably should have been happy to get four scoreless innings out of him considering he allowed an 0.923 OPS the second time through the order. But Wilson let him start the fifth and Miller allowed two hits, initiating the Detroit comeback. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo, excellent in the regular season, were not excellent on this day. For some reason, the Mariners continue to struggle to get out Javier Baez, one of the worst hitters in the majors in the second half.

Now they have to beat Skubal in Game 5. The Mariners won Game 2 when Skubal started, leading 2-0 when he left the game, blowing the lead and then scoring the winning run against the Detroit bullpen. Beating Skubal again feels unlikely. Except Cleveland faced this scenario last year in Game 5 of the ALDS and scored five runs off the Cy Young winner, including a grand slam, winning 7-3. The more likely hope is Seattle pulling out another low-scoring victory. Good luck. -- David Schoenfield

Lineups

All times Eastern

Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees (7:08 p.m.)

Starting pitchers: Louis Varland vs. Cam Schlittler

Toronto

1. George Springer (R) DH
2. Nathan Lukes (L) LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
4. Addison Barger (L) 3B
5. Alejandro Kirk (R) C
6. Daulton Varsho (L) CF
7. Anthony Santander (S) RF
8. Ernie Clement (R) 2B
9. Andres Gimenez (L) SS

New York

1. Trent Grisham (L) CF
2. Aaron Judge (R) RF
3. Cody Bellinger (L) LF
4. Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B
6. Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
7. Austin Wells (L) C
8. Anthony Volpe (R) SS
9. Ryan McMahon (L) 3B

Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers (9:08 p.m.)

Starting pitchers: Aaron Nola vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Philadelphia

1. Trea Turner (R) SS
2. Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
3. Bryce Harper (L) 1B
4. Alec Bohm (R) 3B
5. Brandon Marsh (L) CF
6. J.T. Realmuto (R) C
7. Max Kepler (L) LF
8. Nick Castellanos (R) RF
9. Bryson Stott (L) 2B

Los Angeles

1. Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
2. Mookie Betts (R) SS
3. Teoscar Hernandez (R) RF
4. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
5. Will Smith (R) C
6. Enrique Hernandez (R) LF
7. Max Muncy (L) 3B
8. Andy Pages (R) CF
9. Tommy Edman (S) 2B

Newer articles

Older articles