Star Metro - Yankees, White Sox, Padres advance, Phillies survive in MLB playoffs

The Yankees wrapped up a 2-0 wildcard series over the Boston Red Sox with an emphatic 9-2 win at Yankee Stadium and will face top seeds Tampa Bay in the next round.

The White Sox -- who received a letter of support from lifelong fan Pope Leo XIV before their series with Houston -- fended off a spirited Astros to win 7-3 in Texas.

But the Chicago Cubs saw their season come to an abrupt halt in California as the San Diego Padres completed a 2-0 series sweep with a 4-1 victory at Petco Park.

Philadelphia meanwhile came from behind to snatch a 4-3 extra-inning victory over the Braves in Atlanta that squared their series at one apiece, with the decider on Thursday.

Chicago's defeat of the Astros was the latest stop on what has been a remarkable turnaround for the club, who suffered 100 defeats or more in three consecutive campaigns before this season.

Chase Meidroth's three-run homer sealed victory for the White Sox, who will face Cleveland in the American League division series.

"That's everything, man. Coming through for the guys, there's no better feeling in the world," said Meidroth.

After racing into an early 4-0 lead, Chicago saw Houston close to within a run after solo homers from Jeremy Pena, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve each walloped solo home runs in the first, second and fourth innings.

But Meidroth's three-run blast snuffed out the Astros fightback.

The Yankees followed up their 9-0 defeat of Boston on Tuesday with another thumping win in the Bronx to set up their division series duel with Tampa Bay.

Outfielder Cody Bellinger produced the moment of the match, launching a three-run homer-run in a six-run sixth inning that put the Yankees into an 8-1 lead.

- 'Great win' -

Philadelphia stayed afloat after their thrilling 4-3 defeat of Atlanta.

In a dramatic comeback, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back homers in the eighth to equalize before Alec Bohm's game-winning home run in the 10th inning.

"I don't really know what happened," Bohm said. "I was trying to pull the ball to the foul pole and I hit it to right field so I'll take it."

The series winner plays the reigning MLB champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five series starting Saturday.

Phillies outfielder Harper, who fluffed a routine catch in the seventh inning allowing Atlanta to seize the lead, found redemption in the eighth.

Harper followed Schwarber's homer off Dylan Lee with his own solo shot to level at 3-3 and the game went to extra innings to set up Bohm's winner.

In the late game on Thursday, San Diego advanced to a best-of-five series against the top-ranked Milwaukee Brewers with a clinical defeat of the Chicago Cubs.

Xander Bogaerts and Ethan Salas drove in runs to give San Diego a 2-0 lead in the second inning, and a two-run homer from Gavin Sheets made the game safe after a single from Chicago's Nico Hoerner had briefly narrowed the Padres lead.

S.Clark--SMC