MLB wild card: Phillies-Cardinals, Mariners-Blue Jays, more top plays

The MLB postseason is officially underway!

The expanded, 12-team playoffs began Friday with eight teams partaking in best-of-three wild-card series.

The Cleveland Guardians topped the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1, in the first AL wild-card game of the day.

Currently, the St. Louis Cardinals are playing host to the Philadelphia Phillies in the afternoon’s first NL wild-card game, while the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays in Friday’s second AL wild-card game.

Here are the top plays from Friday’s action.

Mariners vs. Blue Jays (Game 1)

Right off the bat!

The Mariners didn’t waste any time getting on the board in this one. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez doubled to right field, bringing in Julio Rodríguez for Seattle’s first score of the day in the top of the first inning.

Outta here

Then, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit a two-run home run to give Seattle an early 3-0 lead.

Phillies vs. Cardinals (Game 1)

Fan favorite

Cardinals star Albert Pujols got a standing ovation as he took the plate Friday to start his final playoff run.

Putting up points

Things were scoreless all the way until the bottom of the seven inning, when Cardinals first baseman Juan Yepez homered to left field, bringing in Dylan Carlson with him. Just like that, St. Louis took a 2-0 lead.

Stay tuned for updates.

Guardians 2, Rays 1 (Game 1)

All-out effort

Both teams started off strong in Cleveland, where a pitchers duel unfolded through the first four innings that included seven combined strikeouts between the Guardians’ Shane Bieber and the Rays’ Shane McClanahan.

Tampa Bay closed out the fourth inning with a monster double play to work out of a bases-loaded jam.

Going, going, gone!

Rays center fielder Jose Siri hit a solo homer to get Tampa Bay on the board first in the sixth inning.

Jose Siri’s home run gives Rays 1-0 lead vs. Guardians

Jose Siri kicked off the postseason scoring by hitting a home run to right-center field that gave the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians.

Answering back

Cleveland answered right back, as third baseman José Ramírez crushed a two-run homer to give Guardians a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was a lead they would hold onto until the end.

José Ramírez’s two-run homer gives Guardians a 2-1 lead vs. Rays

José Ramírez gave the Cleveland Guardians a huge boost after crushing a two-run homer to right-center field, giving them a 2-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Padres vs. Mets (Game 1 at 8:07 p.m. ET)