Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
The San Diego Padres won again on Wednesday night. They beat the Chicago Cubs 4 to 1.
They won both games in the series. This is called a sweep. The Cubs only scored one run in two games.
Gavin Sheets was the hero. He came off the bench and hit a home run with a teammate on base. That gave the Padres two runs.
Next, the Padres play the Brewers. In another series, the Phillies beat the Braves, so they play a last game on Thursday.
- sweep
- To win every game in a series.
- run
- A point in baseball.
- home run
- A hit that lets the batter run around all the bases.
- series
- A group of games between two teams.
- bench
- Where players sit when they are not playing.
- hero
- A person who does something very important or brave.
- win
- To get more points than the other team.
- last game
- The final game that decides the winner.
Level 2 — Elementary
The San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs out of the National League Wild Card Series with a 4 to 1 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Cubs scored only one run in the two games. The final score of the series was 12 to 1 for the Padres.
Pinch hitter Gavin Sheets hit a two run home run that changed the game. Starter Nick Pivetta pitched well, and five Padres pitchers gave up only five hits. The relief pitchers threw 5 and two thirds shut out innings.
The Padres now play the Brewers in the next round. That series is called the NLDS.
In the other National League series, the Phillies beat the Braves 4 to 3 in ten innings. The series is tied at one game each. The deciding Game 3 is Thursday night.
- pinch hitter
- A player who comes in to bat for another player.
- starter
- The pitcher who begins the game.
- relief pitcher
- A pitcher who comes in after the starter.
- shut out
- Not allowing the other team to score.
- innings
- The parts of a baseball game.
- tied
- Having the same score.
- advance
- To move on to the next round.
- deciding
- Choosing the winner.
Level 3 — Intermediate
The San Diego Padres completed a two game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series, winning 4 to 1 on Wednesday night. Gavin Sheets delivered the decisive blow, a pinch hit two run homer, and five Padres pitchers combined on a five hitter. Starter Nick Pivetta was followed by a bullpen that threw 5 and two thirds scoreless innings.
The Cubs, who owned the best offense in baseball this season, were outscored 12 to 1 across the two games. That makes the sweep one of the most one sided of the round.
San Diego now advances to the National League Division Series, where it will face the Brewers.
The other National League series is still alive. The Philadelphia Phillies edged the Atlanta Braves 4 to 3 in ten innings on Wednesday, tying the best of three series at a game apiece and forcing a winner take all Game 3 on Thursday night.
- decisive
- Settling the result of something.
- blow
- A strong hit or an important action.
- bullpen
- The group of relief pitchers on a team.
- scoreless
- Without any points.
- offense
- The part of a team that tries to score.
- outscored
- Scored more points than an opponent.
- one sided
- With one team much stronger than the other.
- winner take all
- Decided by one final game.
Level 4 — Advanced
San Diego reached the National League Division Series in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night, sweeping the Chicago Cubs with a 4 to 1 victory in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Gavin Sheets supplied the decisive moment with a pinch hit two run homer, and five Padres pitchers combined on a five hitter, with the bullpen following Nick Pivetta for 5 and two thirds scoreless innings.
The result was all the more striking because the Cubs came into October with baseball's best offense. They were outscored 12 to 1 over the two games, a margin that underscores how thoroughly San Diego's pitching suffocated them.
The Padres will next face the Brewers in the NLDS, with the rest advantage of having finished their series a day earlier than some rivals.
Elsewhere in the National League, Philadelphia edged Atlanta 4 to 3 in ten innings to level the best of three series, setting up a winner take all Game 3 on Thursday night that will decide who joins the Padres in the next round.
- emphatic
- Strong and clear.
- pinch hit
- Batting as a replacement for another player.
- underscores
- Shows clearly that something is important.
- suffocated
- Stopped from developing or scoring, as if by lack of air.
- margin
- The size of the difference between two scores.
- edged
- Won by a very small amount.
- level
- Make equal.
- rest advantage
- A benefit from having more time to recover.
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