CLEVELAND — Stepping into the media interview room with a victorious demeanor after Game ⁣2 of the American League Division Series on Monday night at Progressive ‍Field, A.J. Hinch smiled and shook his ⁤head.

“Playoffs,” the Tigers manager⁤ remarked.

Indeed. Playoffs. They’re incredible, aren’t they?

Hinch’s Tigers had just secured a 3-0 victory over the Guardians, leveling the best-of-five series in⁢ an exhilarating match.

That is, unless you had tuned in to the Phillies-Mets game the night before, which showcased a completely different style that could ⁤also be considered one‌ of the⁤ best games you’ve witnessed⁤ recently. This sentiment will⁢ likely hold true⁢ until yet again another “best game you’ve seen lately” emerges, probably today or⁣ tomorrow.

That’s the essence of October. It rolls out instant classics⁣ like a ‌jukebox playing the favorites. It ⁤never fails⁣ to astound even veterans like Hinch, who has overseen 54 such games and counting, regarding how uniquely different ⁣these postseason ​matches can feel.

“Every little thing,”⁤ he noted, “feels like the‌ most significant moment.”

This particular postseason has just kicked ‍off — hard to believe — only a week ago. If it seems like it has stretched far longer, it’s‍ likely due to the intense‍ dramas and astonishing plays packed into that brief ‍span. For the first time in MLB history, every one of the four Division Series‍ stands tied at 1-1.

Let’s review some of the peculiarities that have made this postseason so eventful thus far.

1. Disrupted ⁣Dominance Among Closers
We might as well continue⁢ with the discussion stemming from⁢ the Tigers’ win. The ‌narrative entering ⁢the game ⁤revolved around whether Tarik​ Skubal, who recently captured the AL pitching Triple Crown, could help the Tigers ⁣equalize the series. However,⁢ by the time the ​ninth inning arrived,​ Skubal had ⁣departed, ​and with the⁣ bullpens locked in a scoreless battle, all eyes shifted to the Guardians’ elite reliever, Emmanuel Clase.

During the regular season, Clase posted a ⁤0.61 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP, ⁢marking⁤ the first time a reliever (with a minimum‌ of 30 ‍appearances)⁤ achieved sub-0.70 figures in both categories since Hall“`html

This wasn’t the ​first instance this postseason of such an unexpected ninth inning. When the Brewers held a 2-0 advantage over the Mets in the decisive Game 3 of the Wild‌ Card Series, they had ample reason to‌ believe that closer Devin Williams would secure the win. However, Williams, who had⁤ given up only three runs ⁢in 21​ 2/3 innings during the regular season, was severely hit by a Pete Alonso three-run home run. Not only was this​ the third three-run ​homer allowed by ‌Williams in his career, but it also marked the very first go-ahead home run in‍ postseason history by a player whose team was trailing in the ninth inning or later.

This resulted⁤ in a four-run inning for the Mets. Before this, Williams had only permitted that many runs in an inning on two occasions, with the last instance occurring on June 13, 2023.

But apparently, this event was ⁢destined to happen, as⁤ Hinch noted: Playoffs.

2. Everything Mets
Unless you have scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in⁢ reverse while wearing‍ nothing but underwear, your week‍ didn’t match the wildness experienced by the Mets. ‌Simply reaching⁤ October after starting the season at 22-33 and trailing the Braves 3-0 in that notable makeup game on September 30 displayed the Mets’ ‍talent for drama. However, once the postseason began, they became part ⁣of particularly chaotic encounters.

The Mets were ahead 3-2 against the Brewers as they entered the⁣ eighth inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, but the Brewers rallied with home runs from Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell to claim a 5-3 victory.

Then came Alonso’s pivotal homer off Williams the following night. In Game 1 of the⁣ NLDS against the Phillies, the Mets were stifled for seven innings by Zack Wheeler and were down 1-0 entering the eighth. Yet, they managed to generate a five-run inning‍ against the Phillies’ bullpen, winning⁣ 6-2.

In Game 2 on Sunday, ‌the Mets held a​ 4-3 lead as they entered the eighth inning, only to allow three runs to the Phils in the⁢ bottom half. They managed to⁤ tie it, thanks to⁢ Mark Vientos’ two-run homer in the top of the ninth (making Vientos, who is 24, the ⁣youngest NL player to collect three extra-base hits in a postseason game), before conceding the game-winning RBI single to Nick Castellanos in the ⁣bottom of the inning.

When all was said⁣ and done, the Mets found ‌themselves in four consecutive postseason games where the leading team entering the eighth inning lost.

Previously, the Elias Sports ⁣Bureau noted20 years, 362 days) and the Astros’ Carlos Correa (Game 4 of the 2015 ALDS at 21 years, 20 days).

Up until now, the​ Padres had not exceeded four home ⁢runs in a single game during ​the season. However, they managed to hit six in Game 2, simply because: Playoffs.

4. No lead is ever secure
For those who enjoy seesaws, you‌ might visit a nearby playground or just relive‍ Game⁤ 1 of the ALDS between ‌the Yankees⁣ and Royals. The Yankees emerged victorious with a score of 6-5, making it an unprecedented postseason experience.

The Royals initiated⁢ scoring with a Tommy Pham sacrifice fly, giving them a 1-0 lead over Kansas City.

In response, the Yankees countered with Gleyber ⁣Torres hitting a two-run⁣ homer, flipping the score to 2-1 in favor of the​ Yankees.

Then, in ⁢the fourth inning, MJ Melendez sent a two-run homer off Gerrit Cole, pushing the Royals ahead 3-2.

Subsequently, Kansas City reliever Angel Zerpa issued a walk with the⁢ bases loaded, shortly followed by John ⁢Schreiber doing the same‍ in the​ fifth, leading to a score of 4-3 Yankees.

Garrett Hampson then recorded a single, bringing in two ⁢runners for the Royals in the sixth inning, altering the score to 5-4 Royals.

However, Yankees catcher Austin Wells responded with a single in the sixth, ‌allowing a run to tie the game.

If you were keeping track,⁣ that marks five lead changes throughout⁢ the game. This had never occurred before in postseason history, but ⁤it was inevitable, considering: Playoffs.

5. Additional crazy ⁤facts
This postseason has already witnessed eight games ​where the ​team that scored first ended up losing.

We’ll conclude here, but there’s undoubtedly more excitement to come. Because … say it with me …⁣ PLAYOFFS!