Follow live: Melendez restores Royals lead in ALDS opener vs. Yankees

Oct 5, 2024, 07:25 PM ET

After a wild-card round that lived up to its name, the eight teams in the division series start their title quest on Saturday. First, the Cleveland Guardians opened the ALDS with a blowout win over the Detroit Tigers. Another interdivision matchup follows with the New York Mets taking on the Philadelphia Phillies. Later, the Kansas City Royals look to renew a storied rivalry with the New York Yankees (6:38 p.m.), the AL’s No. 1 seed, while the NL’s top dog, the Los Angeles Dodgers, host the San Diego Padres (8:38 p.m.).

We have you covered as the best-of-five series begin with matchups, live updates and analysis throughout the day, followed by our takeaways after the final pitch of each game.

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Cleveland leads series 1-0

This one was over early as the Guardians destroyed the Tigers’ opener strategy, chasing starter Tyler Holton before he could even get an out in the first inning. Then Lane Thomas put the hammer down on Reese Olson, sending the reliever’s first pitch into the left-field stands for a three-run homer — and Cleveland never looked back.

It’s a reminder that although openers and bullpen games are great when they work, it’s still a huge risk asking multiple relievers to be on their game from the start. Holton clearly wasn’t. After five days off, Cleveland showed up ready to roll from the start, showing that any rust for teams coming off a playoff bye can be overcome with a solid game plan.

What to watch in Game 2: At least Tigers manager A.J. Hinch won’t have to prep for a bullpen game Monday. Instead, he’ll have Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal on the mound with a chance to even the series. Detroit will be able to lean heavily on its ace as he’ll have an extra day of rest because of the day off between Games 1 and 2. If Hinch doesn’t visit the mound until the eighth inning or later, the Tigers might be in good shape heading home. — Jesse Rogers

New York leads series 1-0

The never-say-die Mets stage another crooked-number comeback in Game 1 of the NLDS. This one came with a five-run eighth inning after they’d managed only one hit in the first seven against a locked-in Zack Wheeler. A gutsy, memorable win at the Bank. — Jeff Passan