Oh baby, baby, it’s a wild world

The GIST: We blinked, and the best-of-three WNBA first round is already nearly halfway done. Let’s catch up on the high-stakes hoops.

🗽 No. 8 NY Liberty oust top-seeded Minnesota Lynx: The seafoam superstars made history last night, becoming the first No. 8 seed to win a playoff series after a lopsided 87–71 victory. The Liberty’s championship pedigree shone in the dub with Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones combining for 42 points. It’s safe to say these perennial contenders aren’t an ordinary eight seed.

🥵 No. 6 Indiana Fever even series vs. No. 3 Las Vegas Aces: Game 1 was the most-watched playoff game on ABC in WNBA history, but the sequel made this a series. Despite fouling out, the Fever’s Caitlin Clark padded her résumé in the spicy 99–89 win, heading the three-prong attack of Kelsey Mitchell (26 points) and Aliyah Boston (22 points).

• ➡️ After yet another game went viral for all the wrong reasons in Indiana, this series is shifting back to Vegas for tomorrow’s 9 p.m. ET series decider.

💭 No. 4 Atlanta Dream (up 1-0) vs. 🔮 No. 5 Washington Mystics — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET: This physical affair was close for most of Game 1…until the Mystics’ 22 turnovers caught up with them. And the Dream thrive when forcing mistakes: They swiped a franchise-best 16 steals in the series opener. Taking care of the ball is non-negotiable if the Mystics want to avoid elimination.

💜 No. 2 Golden State Valkyries (up 1-0) vs. 🪽 No. 7 Dallas Wings — Tonight at 9 p.m. ET: The Valks hang their hat on defense, but their offense impressed in Game 1 as they shot a stellar 50% from three as a team. Whether or not Golden State replicates that showing, Dallas will need more balanced scoring. Even Paige Bueckers can’t do it alone.

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The GIST: Playoff baseball has arrived, with yesterday’s best-of-three Wild Card Game 1s in the books and elimination on the line in today’s Game 2s. Under this format, only one squad has ever come back to win the series after losing Game 1. No pressure, no diamonds, right?

🍑 Atlanta Brave Austin Riley homers late in 5–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies: What started as a pitchers’ duel between Atlanta ace Chris Sale and Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo was defined by Riley’s massive three-run eighth-inning home run. The Braves could sweep today at 2 p.m. ET, but not if Phillies All-Star pitcher Cristopher Sánchez has anything to say about it.

🧦 No starter, no problem as Chicago White Sox beat Houston Astros 6–3: After both squads leaned on their starting pitchers to clinch playoff spots, yesterday was a battle of the bullpen. The blessed White Sox jumped out to an early lead and are now one dub away from their first playoff series win since 2005 — see if they can get the job done today at 5 p.m. ET.

🍎 NY Yankees ace Cam Schlittler strikes out 10 Boston Red Sox: The American League Cy Young Award favorite was exactly as advertised, holding the Sox to just two hits and tossing a career-high 117 pitches before the Yanks ran away with a 9–0 win. And the Bronx Bombers boast another lights-out hurtler: left-hander Max Fried, who can seal the deal tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

🤎 San Diego Padres homer early, beat Chicago Cubs 8–0: Outfielder Fernando Tatís Jr. set the tone with his leadoff blast, and the Padres never looked back. Their defense was stellar too as starter Michael King had a no-hitter into the seventh inning, racking up eight strikeouts. These Cubbies won’t go quietly, though — the best offense in baseball has a chance to respond tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

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