Austin Wells Draws Backlash After 8th-Inning Out in Yankees' 1-0 ALDS Loss

Q: After Skubal's 101 mph heat in 100-degree weather, can the Braves' offense recover, or is the series already slipping away?

The Braves can recover, but the series is clearly tilting toward Los Angeles after Game 1. Skubal’s outing was more than a normal postseason win. In 100-degree heat, he touched 101.1 mph, averaged 98.1 with the four-seamer, struck out seven, and retired 15 straight after a leadoff single. That showed Atlanta how small its margin is against a Dodgers club that already entered the series with the deeper, healthier roster and a major starting-pitching edge. Still, Game 1 did not show a hopeless Braves offense. Sean Murphy took Skubal deep, and Ozzie Albies’ two-run homer in the ninth cut the margin to 5-3. Atlanta also beat Los Angeles five times in six regular-season meetings, so there is some evidence this lineup can score against this staff when it gets the right matchup. The bigger concern is less the offense than the overall series setup. In a best-of-five, teams that win Game 1 at home in the Division Series advance about 75% of the time. Atlanta also came in with pitching uncertainty behind Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle, and the Braves’ own preview path to an upset depended on timely hitting and near-perfect run prevention. They did not get enough of either once the Dodgers’ bullpen game cracked. So the offense can rebound, especially if Acuña, Olson and Riley produce more consistently, but the Braves now need a fast response in Game 2. If they fall behind 2-0, Skubal’s heat will look like the moment the series truly turned.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 4

Austin Wells became a flashpoint in New York's Game 1 defeat after he broke up Drew Rasmussen's no-hit bid with a two-out double in the eighth, then was thrown out trying to reach third.
That baserunning gamble erased the Yankees' clearest late scoring chance in a 1-0 game, turning a potential tying opportunity into the inning's final out.
Jonathan Aranda's third-inning homer supplied the only run, while Rasmussen dominated into the eighth and Bryan Baker finished a 1-2-3 ninth for Tampa Bay.
Fans online blasted Wells' decision and broader Yankees fundamentals, leaving New York trailing 1-0 in the best-of-five ALDS entering Game 2.