New York (AFP) - Jose Ramirez smacked a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Cleveland Guardians a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay in Friday's Major League Baseball playoff opener.
The host Guardians grabbed a 1-0 lead in MLB's best-of-three wildcard round of an expanded playoff system that features six clubs each from the American and National leagues.
Other series openers Friday saw Philadelphia, in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, score six runs in the last inning to beat host St.Louis 6-3; and Seattle, in the playoffs for the first time since 2001, take a three-run lead in the first inning on the way to winning 4-0 at Toronto.
In Cleveland, the Rays seized a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth on a solo homer by Dominican outfielder Jose Siri only for Ramirez, a Dominican third baseman, to deliver the winning runs off a change-up pitch from Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan.
"That was my plan, just look for that change-up," Ramirez said."He got me twice with the same pitch.It's a really good pitch.It really resembles a fastball.
"So I was just sitting on that pitch and trying not to do too much, just put it on the opposing side of the field, and I was able to get a good contact."
At Toronto, the visiting Mariners took the lead in the first inning on a run-scoring double by Eugenio Suarez, who scored on Cal Raleigh's two-run home to give Seattle a 3-0 edge.It was 4-0 after Venezuelan Suarez plated a run in the fifth by grounding into a fielder's choice.
Dominican right-hander Luis Castillo pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings for Seattle, allowing six hits and striking out five.It was only the second playoff shutout in Mariners history.
Cleveland or Tampa Bay will advance to an American League division series matchup against the New York Yankees while the Houston Astros await the Seattle-Toronto winner.
The Atlanta Braves, trying to become the first back-to-back World Series champions since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have first-round byes in the National League.
The Braves will meet Philadelphia or St.Louis, while the Dodgers will face either San Diego or the New York Mets, who open their series later Friday.
Phillies rally late
At St.Louis, Juan Yepez smashed a two-run homer in the seventh to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead and they kept it into the ninth, moving two outs from victory.
But St.Louis relief pitcher Ryan Helsley allowed a single and walked two batters to load the bases before hitting Alec Bohm with a pitch to force in Philadelphia's first run.
Cardinals reliever Andre Pallante entered and surrendered a single to Jean Segura that drove in two runs and put the Phillies ahead 3-2.
"It feels awesome.It feels amazing," Segura said."We just keep fighting.It's huge for us.It means a lot."
Bryson Stott reached base on a fielder's choice that saw Edmundo Sosa race home from third base, beating a throw to the plate to put the visitors ahead 4-2.
Brandon Marsh singled to left field to score Segura and Kyle Schwarber hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Stott, giving Philadelphia a 6-2 advantage.
Nolan Gorman's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth drove in a Cardinals run and brought potential tying run Yadier Molina to the plate, but the 40-year-old Puerto Rican catcher struck out to end the game.
The Cardinals had been 93-0 all-time when leading 2-0 after eight innings.
