• In the National League Game 4 was won by the Nationals after much beleaguered, highly paid, outfielder Jayson Werth’s walk-off homerun in the 9th inning. Werth battled Lance Lynn through a 13-pitch at bat, with foul balls hitting numerous Cardinal fielders, until he finally put the 13th pitch into the left field stands. Game 5 saw the Nationals ride that momentum to a hot start and a 6-0 lead but the defending champion Cardinals came back, and despite being down 7-5 with 2 outs in the 9th, they won 9-7. The Nationals shut down their best pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, earlier in the year as a precaution to avoid injury, but if he had pitched in this game the Nationals very likely would be moving on. No team had ever lost a do-or-die game after being up by 4 or more runs.
• After a pair of extra inning games, the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees played a low scoring affair that ended 3-1 after ace C.C. Sabathia (who was not shut down for the year as a precaution to avoid injury) threw a complete game. He was the first Yankee to do so in the playoffs since Roger Clemens in 2000. Sabathia benefited from a very close call after Baltimore's Nath McClouth hit a ball down the right field line that was foul by a matter of inches, if not less. At the time, the game was 1-0 and it may have turned out differently if the Orioles had been able to tie the game.
• The Detroit Tigers won their matchup against the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first team in National League Divisional Series play to win a series after being down 2-0.
• The Cardinals and Giants, who play in the NLDS, are the last two World Series champions.
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