While the New York Yankees were dousing themselves with cheap drinks down the hall in the Target Field basement, the Minnesota Twins were left to wonder how 101 wins, 307 homers and so much summer fun could lead to such an abrupt autumn exit.

Aroldis Chapman threw just 70 pitches in September. Alone among major league teams, the Yankees never used a pitcher three days in a row during the regular season.

Injured New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks feels like he’s ready to return to the roster for the AL Championship Series.

The Braves are back in the A-T-L for a decisive postseason game. That’s not necessarily a good omen for the home team.

Stephen Strasburg’s 2012 shutdown is a distant memory by now. This sort of setting and stakes – Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the outcome of the NL Division Series on the line – is exactly why the Washington Nationals protected the pitcher they drafted No. 1 overall all those years ago.

Gleyber Torres got New York going with a second-inning home run, scored on each of his two doubles and made a pair of sparkling defensive plays, fueling the Yankees to a 5-1 victory over Minnesota on Monday night to finish yet another sweep of the Twins and advance to the AL Championship Series.

Max Scherzer’s season-saving, seven-inning pitching performance and Ryan Zimmerman’s three-run homer lifted the wild-card Washington Nationals to a 6-1 victory over the league-best Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday to force a deciding Game 5 in their NL Division Series.

Yadier Molina pushed the St. Louis Cardinals to a deciding Game 5 of the NL Division Series, poking a tying single in the eighth inning and lifting a sacrifice fly in the 10th to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Monday.

Kevin Kiermaier hit a go-ahead, three-run homer as Tampa Bay teed off on Zack Greinke, and the Rays backed another clutch playoff pitching performance by Charlie Morton to beat the Houston Astros 10-3 and cut their AL Division Series deficit to 2-1.

Dansby Swanson hit a tying double with two outs in the ninth inning and Adam Duvall delivered a two-run single as the Atlanta Braves rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the NL Division Series.

Stephen Strasburg turned in another dominant playoff outing, Max Scherzer overpowered Los Angeles for an inning out of the bullpen and the Washington Nationals held off the Dodgers 4-2 Friday night to even their NL Division Series at a game apiece.

Not until the 42nd pitch of the night was a ball was put in play to a fielder. There were five home runs, 25 strikeouts, 14 walks, 13 pitchers and just 15 hits. The New York Yankees’ 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener on Friday was the epitome of what Major League Baseball has evolved into in 2019.

DJ LeMahieu homered and drove in four runs, Gleyber Torres broke a tie with a two-run double and the host New York Yankees extended their October mastery of the Minnesota Twins with a 10-4 victory Friday night in the AL Division Series opener.

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley thinks the Tomahawk Chop chant is insulting, and he was disappointed when it was heard during Game 1 of the NL Division Series against Atlanta. Helsley is not the only player who dislikes the chant. The 25-year-old rookie’s perspective is different than most players who visit SunTrust Park. Helsley is a member of the Cherokee nation.

Mike Foltynewicz threw seven dominating innings, Adam Duvall hit a pinch-hit homer and the host Atlanta Braves evened the NL Division Series with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 Friday.

Justin Verlander looked every bit the October ace, Jose Altuve polished his postseason resume and the Houston Astros kept rolling, beating the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 Friday to open their AL Division Series.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

New nameplates greeted Yankees players in their clubhouse ahead of the Division Series against Minnesota: “OCTOBER SAVAGES” is spelled out under each number, a reference to manager Aaron Boone’s famous tirade at an umpire in July.

Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch expects shortstop Carlos Correa to play on Friday the AL Division Series opener.