Biggest winners and losers from Day 2 of 2024 MLB playoffs, including Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merrill

By Matt Higgins

·Updated: October 2, 2024

Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was a wild second day of the 2024 MLB playoffs as there were upsets galore. The Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles were surprisingly swept out of the playoffs. The clock hasn’t struck midnight yet for the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. The Milwaukee Brewers had a scintillating come-from-behind win over the New York Mets to force a series-deciding Game 3 on Thursday. The San Diego Padres also took care of business by sweeping the Atlanta Braves, but it might’ve come at a big cost.

We take a look at the winners and losers from Wednesday’s four Wild Card games.

Winner: Detroit Tigers

The Motown Magic continues. The Tigers swept the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series, winning 5-2 in Game 2 to move onto the ALDS to face the Cleveland Guardians. The Tigers went with a bullpen game, with six out of the seven relievers tossing scoreless innings. The only hiccup was rookie Jackson Jobe, who was called up in September and only pitched four regular season innings, giving up two runs in the bottom of the seventh. However, the Tigers responded in the top of the eighth to put the game away. Detroit will face the Guardians in Cleveland on Saturday. The Guardians hold a slight edge in head-to-head matchups in 2024 — 7-6.

Loser: Houston Astros offense

It was a brutal showing for the Houston Astros’ offense these two games, scoring a combined three runs. In Game 2’s loss, the top four hitters — Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez — went 1-for-13. If your best players no-show in a go-home game, you have no shot.

On top of that, this could’ve been Bregman’s final game with the Astros. He’s a free agent after the season.

Winner: Detroit Tigers’ Andy Ibanez

Andy Ibanez had the at-bat of his life with two outs in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded, Ibanez came up to pinch-hit for left-handed hitter Zach McKinstry to face Astros’ hard-throwing southpaw Josh Hader. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ibanez laced a bases-clearing double to left field to put the Tigers up for good, 5-2. It’s a moment that will be remembered forever among Tigers fans.

Loser: Houston Astros closer Josh Hader

The Houston Astros gave Josh Hader a five-year, $95 million contract before the season, making him the highest-paid relief pitcher in MLB history. Instead of dominating on the mound in the playoffs, he collapsed at the worst possible time. In the top of the eighth inning, Hader gave up a run-scoring wild pitch, two walks, and three hits, including a bases-clearing double by Andy Ibanez. In all, four runs scored with Hader on the mound. That’s not what Astros fans expected from the highest-paid reliever of all time.

Winner: Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. was the offensive hero as Kansas City swept the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card round. In Wednesday’s 2-1 Game 2 win, Witt drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning with an infield hit. He also had the game-winning hit — an RBI single — in the Royals’ 1-0 win in Game 1. According to ESPN.com, Witt is the second player 24 years old or younger to have the game-winning RBI in each of his team’s first two games of a postseason. Witt and the Royals will next face the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

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Loser: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson

On the other end of the spectrum is Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. The 23-year-old had an MVP-caliber season — 37 home runs, 92 RBI, 118 runs scored, .893 OPS, 159 OPS+, and 9.1 WAR. However, that guy never showed up when the Royals swept the Orioles out of the playoffs. Henderson went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts and the offense only scored one run in two games. The offense started with Henderson at the top of the order, and since he was never able to get out of neutral, it’s a big reason why the O’s are going home early.

Winner: Kansas City Royals bullpen

The Kansas City Royals’ bullpen absolutely dominated the Baltimore Orioles’ offense in the two-game sweep. They tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out seven, and only giving up two hits. Closer Lucas Erceg threw 2 1/3 innings, whiffing three without giving up a base knock. The Orioles just had no answers for this deep bullpen. Erceg and company are going to need to keep this up when they face Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and the rest of that Yankees offense beginning Saturday.

Loser: Baltimore Orioles fans

This was supposed to be the year Baltimore Orioles fans would be celebrating a World Series championship for the first time since 1983. After a surprising first-place finish in the AL East last season, and racing out to one of the best records at the All-Star break this year, it seemed like the stars were aligning for O’s fans. With young stars like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, trading for a true No. 1 starter in Corbin Burnes, and Anthony Santander having a monster season with 44 home runs, it seemed like Baltimore couldn’t be stopped. But, for the second season in a row, the Orioles were swept in the postseason, this time to a Royals team that backed into the playoffs. The offense no-showed, scoring one run in two games. Many questions will be asked about Baltimore’s future as fans will have another long offseason to ponder what could’ve been.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio

The 20-year-old superstar in the making is putting the Milwaukee Brewers on his back. Jackson Chourio hit two bombs during the Brewers’ come-from-behind 5-3 win over the New York Mets in Game 2, including the game-tying home run in the eighth inning off reliever Phil Maton. Through the first two games, Chourio is batting .500 with a ridiculous 1.750 OPS. He also is the second person in MLB history to hit game-tying home runs in the same postseason game. The first? Just some guy named Babe Ruth.

Loser: New York Mets reliever Phil Maton

Phil Maton was one of the New York Mets’ most trusted relievers coming into the playoffs. After the Mets acquired Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, the righty struck out 30 over 28 1/3 innings, to a 2.51 ERA. He only gave up eight earned runs in 31 appearances. Things took a turn, though, in Game 2, as he gave up three earned runs on four hits, including the game-tying and game-winning home runs. Maton was brought into the eighth to hold a 3-2 lead. The inning ended with the Brewers up 5-3 to force a do-or-die Game 3.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers’ Garrett Mitchell

Garrett Mitchell helped save the Milwaukee Brewers’ season — at least for one more game. Mitchell came up in the bottom of the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter to face Mets reliever Phil Maton. The game was tied 3-3 at the time and there was one on and two outs when Mitchell dug in. All he did was hit the go-ahead home run to put the Brewers up for good, 5-3, and force a decisive Game 3 on Thursday.

Loser: New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has been having a tough time offensively the first two games of the Wild Card series. He has yet to get a hit and has only been on base three times in ten plate appearances. With the Mets’ facing an elimination game on Wednesday, New York is going to need Lindor to show a glimpse of his MVP-caliber self to move on.

Winner: San Diego Padres rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill

Jackson Chourio wasn’t the only rookie named Jackson to have himself a night. San Diego Padres rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill had two extra-base hits, including a double and triple, to help sweep the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card round. The Padres won Game 2, 5-4.

Merrill hit .500 with an eye-popping 1.500 OPS over two games. The Padres’ offense was on such a roll that, according to OptaSTATS, San Diego is the first team ever in MLB playoff history to get six consecutive hits and hit for the cycle in the same inning. It was all accomplished with two outs in the second inning.

The Padres will next take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS beginning Saturday.

Loser: San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove

Despite the Padres sweeping the Braves, concern is brewing over the health of Joe Musgrove as the starter was pulled in the fourth inning with right elbow tightness. Musgrove was on the injured list twice this season with right elbow inflammation. If the elbow tightness lingers in his pitching arm, it will impact the Padres’ chances of making a deep postseason run.

Winner: San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka

Who had the most home runs in the Braves-Padres Wild Card series? Fernando Tatis Jr.? Nope. Marcell Ozuna? Nope. Manny Machado? Nope. Matt Olson? Nope. It was Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka, of course! Affectionately known as “Higgy,” he popped his second blast of the series in Wednesday’s win over the Braves. Higashioka had 17 home runs on the regular season — the most of his career.

Loser: Atlanta Braves offense

The Atlanta Braves forgot to pack their offense for the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres. They only scored four runs, which came in Game 2 after getting shutout in Game 1. Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson only combined for three hits and one RBI. It was going to be tough-sledding for the Braves when they had to immediately travel cross-country after clinching a playoff spot in Game 162 on Monday during a doubleheader against the Mets. Braves fans, though, were hoping their team would have put up more of a fight.

Winner: Baseball fans!

It doesn’t get much better than playoff baseball. On Wednesday, we had two major upsets as the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals were able to sweep the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles, respectively. The Milwaukee Brewers had a comeback win for the ages to save their season. Young stars like Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merrill showed why they are going to be future superstars. Bobby Witt Jr. showed why he is a superstar. And now, we will have a do-or-die Game 3 in the thrilling Mets-Brewers series. As the great Sarah Langs says, “Baseball is the best!”