The2019 American League Division Series were two best-of-five series inMajor League Baseball’s (MLB)2019 postseason to determine the participating teams of the2019 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through third, and a fourth team—determined by theAL Wild Card Game—played in two series. These matchups were:
The team with the better regular season record (higher-seed) of each series hosted Games 1, 2, and (if necessary) 5, while the other team hosted Game 3 and (if necessary) 4.[1][2]
For the third straight year,Major League Baseball soldpresenting sponsorships to all of its postseason series. This ALDS was sponsored byDoosan and officially known as the2019 American League Division Series presented by Doosan.[3] The Yankees and Astros won their series to advance to the American League Championship Series.
The Astros defeated the Yankees in the ALCS, then lost the2019 World Series to the National League championWashington Nationals.
Seeds 1–3 were determined by regular seasonwinning percentages among division-winning teams, having locked in as of the completion of games of September 27.[4] The final seed was the winner of theAmerican League Wild Card Game.
TheHouston Astros, theAmerican League West champion, 1 seed in AL, and had the best record, giving them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs,[4][5] had home advantage against the fifth-seededTampa Bay Rays, who defeated theOakland Athletics in the Wild Card Game. In the regular season, Tampa Bay won the season series against Houston 4–3, with three of their four wins coming at home to open the season.
TheNew York Yankees, winner of theAmerican League East and 2 seed, had home advantage against theMinnesota Twins, theAmerican League Central champions and 3 seed. The Yankees won four of six games against the Twins in the regular season. In a three-game series in Minneapolis in July, the teams combined for 57 total runs and 20 home runs.[6]
The Yankees and Astros both appeared in the ALDS the prior season, while the Twins made their first ALDS appearance since 2010, and the Rays made their first ALDS appearance since 2013. Overall, this was the Yankees' 21st ALDS appearance, the Twins' seventh, the Rays' fifth, and the fourth for the Astros (who had sevenNLDS appearances during their time in theNational League). This was the second straight year the ALDS featured three100-win teams.
Houston won the series, 3–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 4 | Tampa Bay Rays – 2,Houston Astros – 6 | Minute Maid Park | 3:24 | 43,360[7] |
| 2 | October 5 | Tampa Bay Rays – 1,Houston Astros – 3 | Minute Maid Park | 3:46 | 43,378[8] |
| 3 | October 7 | Houston Astros – 3,Tampa Bay Rays – 10 | Tropicana Field | 3:37 | 32,251[9] |
| 4 | October 8 | Houston Astros – 1,Tampa Bay Rays – 4 | Tropicana Field | 3:49 | 32,178[10] |
| 5 | October 10 | Tampa Bay Rays – 1,Houston Astros – 6 | Minute Maid Park | 3:12 | 43,418[11] |
New York won the series, 3–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 4 | Minnesota Twins – 4,New York Yankees – 10 | Yankee Stadium | 4:15 | 49,233[12] |
| 2 | October 5 | Minnesota Twins – 2,New York Yankees – 8 | Yankee Stadium | 3:34 | 49,277[13] |
| 3 | October 7 | New York Yankees – 5, Minnesota Twins – 1 | Target Field | 4:02 | 41,121[14] |
This was the first time that the Astros and Rays had met in the postseason.[15]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | X | 6 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Justin Verlander (1–0) LP:Tyler Glasnow (0–1) Home runs: TB: None HOU:Jose Altuve (1) Attendance: 43,360 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Justin Verlander and Tyler Glasnow traded scoreless frames for the first four innings before Jose Altuve broke the tie with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was Altuve's fifth home run in an ALDS Game 1 in the last three seasons. He hit three in Game 1 of the2017 ALDS and one in Game 1 of the2018 ALDS. Two more runs would score in the inning on a dropped pop-up error on Rays' second basemanBrandon Lowe. Verlander would keep the Rays bats silent for the next two innings, striking out the side in the top of the seventh to put the finishing touches on seven innings of one-hit baseball with eight strikeouts. The Astros would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back doubles byYordan Alvarez andYuli Gurriel.Ryan Pressly would relieve Verlander in the eighth but would surrender two runs on consecutive hits byEric Sogard andAustin Meadows beforeWill Harris gotJi-man Choi to ground out to end the inning.Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect ninth inning to seal the Game 1 win for Houston.
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 3 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Gerrit Cole (1–0) LP:Blake Snell (0–1) Sv:Will Harris (1) Home runs: TB: None HOU:Alex Bregman (1) Attendance: 43,378 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell, like Justin Verlander and Tyler Glasnow in Game 1, traded scoreless innings for the first three innings before Alex Bregman broke the tie with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cole kept the Rays bats silent for 72⁄3 innings and struck out 15 batters, the most in a postseason game sinceRoger Clemens in the2000 ALCS.[16] Meanwhile, the Astros tacked on another run in the seventh inning on a bloop single fromMartín Maldonado and then scored their final run on aCarlos Correa single. Roberto Osuna relieved Gerrit Cole with two outs in the eighth and retiredYandy Díaz. Osuna started the ninth inning and ran into trouble immediately. He gave up back to back singles toAustin Meadows andTommy Pham to start the inning and walkedJi-man Choi to load the bases. Osuna gotAvisaíl García to ground into a forceout that scored Meadows from third. He then walkedBrandon Lowe to load the bases again and was subsequently relieved byWill Harris with one out in the ninth inning. Harris then retiredTravis d'Arnaud andKevin Kiermaier to end the game and seal the Game 2 victory for Houston.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tampa Bay | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 10 | 12 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Charlie Morton (1–0) LP:Zack Greinke (0–1) Home runs: HOU:Jose Altuve (2) TB:Kevin Kiermaier (1),Ji-man Choi (1),Brandon Lowe (1),Willy Adames (1) Attendance: 32,251 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zack Greinke was given the ball to try and help the Astros sweep the Rays.Charlie Morton was his mound opponent. The Astros got to work early on Morton, withJose Altuve hitting a solo homer to get the Astros on the board. Greinke retired the Rays in order to begin his outing, but in the second inning, it went sour for Greinke. He retired Ji-man Choi to start the second, allowed a single to Avisaíl García, got Brandon Lowe to ground out, hit Travis d'Arnaud with a pitch and Kevin Kiermaier hit a three-run home run that gave the Rays their first lead in the series. Morton settled into his outing after the first, throwing five innings of one-run baseball. Meanwhile, the Rays kept scoring runs, adding a run in the third inning with a Choi home run, and they broke the game in the 4th inning, getting a home run from Lowe, an Austin Meadows two-run double and a Tommy Pham single to put the Rays up 8–1 and chased Greinke from the game. The Astros would chip away at the deficit with a Yuli Gurriel two-run single that made it 8–3. That would end the scoring for the Astros. Meanwhile, the Rays added to their lead, with aWilly Adames solo home run and a d'Arnaud sacrifice fly to capped the scoring for the Rays.Colin Poche retired the Astros in order and allowed the Rays to play a Game 4.
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tampa Bay | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 13 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Ryan Yarbrough (1–0) LP:Justin Verlander (1–1) Sv:Blake Snell (1) Home runs: HOU:Robinson Chirinos (1) TB:Tommy Pham (1),Willy Adames (2) Attendance: 32,178 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Rays struck first againstJustin Verlander who was pitching on three days rest.Tommy Pham hit a home run withTravis d'Arnaud andJoey Wendle adding RBI base hits all in the first inning.Willy Adames added another solo shot off Verlander, ending his night in the fourth.Robinson Chirinos spoiled the Rays' shutout with a home run of his own. With the tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth and one out,Blake Snell struck outYordan Alvarez and induced a ground ball out fromYuli Gurriel to force the decisive Game 5.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 6 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Gerrit Cole (2–0) LP:Tyler Glasnow (0–2) Home runs: TB:Eric Sogard (1) HOU:Michael Brantley (1),Jose Altuve (3) Attendance: 43,418 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With the series tied at two games apiece, this was the second ALDS Game 5 for both teams; Tampa Bay lost their prior Game 5 appearance in2010, and Houston lost their Game 5 appearance in2015. Houston had only one NLDS Game 5 appearance when they competed in the National League, a win in2004. The Astros struck early on an RBI single by Altuve, a two-run double by Bregman, and an RBI single byYuli Gurriel in the span of five batters.Eric Sogard would lead off the next inning with a solo home run and would be the final time the Rays had an extra base hit in the game. Cole would pitch eight innings while striking out ten. It was his 11th consecutive game with 10+ strikeouts including the regular season.Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve went back-to-back in the bottom of the 8th inning to bring the lead to 6–1. Altuve's home run was the 11th in his postseason career, the most by any second baseman in baseball history.Roberto Osuna came on to close out the game in the ninth, striking outJi-man Choi swinging to end the series. The 6–1 win sent Houston on to the ALCS to face the New York Yankees. The Astros became the first team since the 2011–13Detroit Tigers to appear in the ALCS in three consecutive seasons.
Combined with his Game 2 start, Cole struck out 25 hitters during the series, setting a new Major League Division Series record.
2019 ALDS(3–2):Houston Astros beatTampa Bay Rays
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 38 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Astros | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 40 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 194,585 Average attendance: 38,917 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the sixth postseason match-up between Minnesota and New York. The previous five meetings were the2003 ALDS,2004 ALDS,2009 ALDS,2010 ALDS, and the2017 AL Wild Card Game—with the Yankees winning each of those prior meetings. This was just the second time the ALDS featured a match-up of two 100-win teams, following theBoston Red Sox and Yankees meeting during the2018 ALDS.
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | X | 10 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Tommy Kahnle (1–0) LP:Zack Littell (0–1) Home runs: MIN:Jorge Polanco (1),Nelson Cruz (1),Miguel Sanó (1) NYY:DJ LeMahieu (1),Brett Gardner (1) Attendance: 49,233 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This match-up featured two of the best home run hitting teams in major league baseball history. With 307 home runs by their hitters, the Twins set a new major league record for most home runs by a team in a season, edging out the Yankees, who hit 306 this season themselves.[17]
With their loss to the Yankees in Game 1, the Twins took sole possession of the record for the longest postseason losing streak in MLB history, at 14 games.[18]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 8 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Masahiro Tanaka (1–0) LP:Randy Dobnak (0–1) Home runs: MIN: None NYY:Didi Gregorius (1) Attendance: 49,277 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Randy Dobnak, making his postseason debut, allowed an opening double toDJ LeMahieu and a walk toAaron Judge. He gotBrett Gardner to fly out but gave up a single toEdwin Encarnación to give the Yankees a 1–0 lead. Things would go very wrong for the Twins in the bottom of the third, as Dobnak allowed a single to Judge, a walk to Gardner, a single to Encarnacion to load the bases and was relieved byTyler Duffey.Giancarlo Stanton hit a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2–0 lead. Duffey then gave a single toGleyber Torres to make it 3–0 Yankees. Duffey proceeded to hitGary Sánchez with a pitch to load the bases again and then gave up agrand slam toDidi Gregorius to blow the game open.Masahiro Tanaka went five innings and gave up one run.Jonathan Loáisiga gave up the second Twins run and struck outMiguel Sanó to end the game and send the Yankees to Minneapolis with a 2–0 series lead.
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Chad Green (1–0) LP:Jake Odorizzi (0–1) Sv:Aroldis Chapman (1) Home runs: NYY:Gleyber Torres (1),Cameron Maybin (1) MIN:Eddie Rosario (1) Attendance: 41,121 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gleyber Torres opened the scoring with a solo home run to left in the second, followed by aBrett Gardner single in the next frame which drove inGio Urshela.Didi Gregorius continued to haunt the Twins with another RBI single, making the score 3–0 in the seventh.Eddie Rosario homered offZach Britton to pull the Twins within two, but the Yankees added two insurance runs in the ninth on aCameron Maybin homer and Gregorius scoring Torres on another hit.Luis Severino labored through four scoreless innings, getting out of a bases loaded no out jam in the second, before giving way to the bullpen.Aroldis Chapman, who entered in the eighth, got the save. Chapman was aided by Gregorius leaping to catch aJorge Polanco line drive for the second out of the ninth beforeNelson Cruz struck out looking to end the series and send the Yankees to their 17th ALCS. The loss gave Minnesota its 16th straight postseason defeat, 13 of those in games against the Yankees; and their 28th straight year without winning the title.[19] The Twins became the first 100+ win team since the1990 Oakland Athletics to beswept in the postseason.
2019 ALDS(3–0):New York Yankees beatMinnesota Twins
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York Yankees | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 29 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 139,631 Average attendance: 46,544 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
the Wild Card Game (in both leagues) will be presented by Hanook Tire; the NLDS by Utz, the ALDS by Doosan, and the World Series by YouTube TV.
