Baseball

The Chicago Cubs will need dominating pitcher Jake Arrieta to bring out his inner bear when taking on Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Wednesday night's NL Wild Card Game—what is sure to be a hard-fought, low-scoring affair.

The 2015 MLB postseason got started on a high note with Tuesday's wild-card showdown, which promises to set up an exhilarating October as the nine teams left vie for a World Series crown.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Chicago Cubs in the one-and-done NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday night. Pittsburgh is the underdog in the eyes of a plethora of observers, many of whom are expecting to see a low-scoring affair at PNC Park.

The New York Yankees losing a one-and-done Wild Card Game at home to the Houston Astros on Tuesday night provided another harsh reminder to fans of the famous franchise: These are not your Yankees of old.

Derek Jeter was not coming to save the Yankees this time around. Johnny Damon wasn't picking up a clutch base hit. Nick Swisher could not provide an emotional boost with his energetic attitude. Jorge Posada was but a spectator.

One team is down and eight more are left to be eliminated before the 2015 MLB playoffs can crown a World Series champion.

The first one to bite the dust came Tuesday night, as the Houston Astros eliminated the New York Yankees from the postseason in a 3-0 AL Wild Card Game victory in the Bronx. The victory pushes Houston forward to the American League Division Series, where three division winners are waiting.

The focus has all been on the other guy, all about what Jake Arrieta has done and how unfair it is that the Pittsburgh Pirates' 98-win season now hinges on finding a way around him in the National League Wild Card Game.

But what about Gerrit Cole?

Playoff baseball is officially underway.

The 2015 MLB postseason field is down to nine after the Houston Astros dispatched the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. After Wednesday night's National League Wild Card Game, eight squads will remain standing.

The New York Yankees were eliminated from postseason play Tuesday after falling to the Houston Astros, 3-0, in front of their home crowd, and general manager Brian Cashman took some time afterward to reflect on a deal that nearly materialized at this summer's trade deadline. 

NEW YORK — They made it through April, and they made it through May, and as September wore down, the Houston Astros were still hanging on.

All of a sudden it was October, and the Astros were still playing. And even on a Tuesday night when Yankee Stadium finally got loud again, the young Astros were up for it.

Even in an inning and a moment guaranteed to scare, the young Astros didn't scare.

Who needs a full complement of rest heading into the MLB playoffs? Certainly not Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel.

The dominant southpaw took the mound on short rest for the first time in his career Tuesday in the do-or-die American League Wild Card Game and shut out the New York Yankees in six innings on the way to a 3-0 victory. In all, Keuchel notched seven strikeouts and only allowed three hits in those six frames, silencing a raucous crowd at Yankee Stadium.