There were four wildcard games played yesterday. The new format favors the home team, giving them every game in the best-of-three series.

That’s why the visiting team won three of the four games. Because, baseball.

Seattle beat Toronto in Toronto. Philadelphia beat St. Louis in St. Louis. San Diego beat New York in New York.

Only Cleveland won in front of its home fans.

There are four more games today. Four potential elimination games. The winners from tomorrow have to win only one more game to advance to the Division Series.

The Mets were the frustrating tale. Yes, you want to sign a guy like Max Scherzer because he is a true Hall of Fame-worthy pitcher. And because he is the anchor of the staff. 

You back up the truck for him because you expect that, when the game really matters, like Game 1 of a best-of-three playoff series, guys like that step up and confirm why you gave them forty-four million dollars this year to pitch for you.

All he did was drop the meat in the dirt. He gave up four home runs and seven earned runs in four-and-two-thirds innings to put his team on the verge of ending its season.

There are no guarantees in baseball. That’s what makes this sport so frustrating and so glorious. This doesn’t happen in other sports where upsets are extremely rare. 

But baseball makes no sense. 

The Mets all-world pitcher collapsed, and the Padres piled on run after run after run.

The Cardinals lights-out closer collapsed, and the Phillies scored six runs in the ninth.

That’s baseball. Glorious baseball.

*****