<
        >

          Phillies clinch and Astros sweep! Highlights and takeaways from double-elimination LCS Sunday

          Sarah Stier/Getty Images
          • ESPN
          Oct 23, 2022, 03:40 PM ET

          The 2022 MLB postseason is down to just two teams after a double-elimination league championship series Sunday.

          The Philadelphia Phillies punched their ticket to the World Series -- their first appearance since 2009 -- in front a home crowd by beating the San Diego Padres 4-3 in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Later on that night, following a rain delay, the Houston Astros did the same in the Bronx with a sweep of the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.

          We have all the action from the jam-packed day, from in-game updates to takeaways after each game concluded.

          More: World Series roundtable: How the Astros, Phillies can win it all | Who had the NLCS edge? Preview, predictions for Padres-Phillies | Who ruled the ALCS? Preview, predictions for Yankees-Astros | Bracket, results and more

          Houston Astros 6, New York Yankees 5

          Astros win series 4-0

          The rookie takes home the ALCS MVP

          Game 4 takeaways

          The Yankees certainly put up a fight, with the two teams going back and forth throughout Game 4, but Houston's lineup won out in the end. The Astros saw contributions from all of their stars, with Jose Altuve notching two hits and two runs, Jeremy Pena hitting a big three-run homer and Yordan Alvarez notching two hits -- with Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker and Yuli Gurriel all tallying hits, too.

          Lance McCullers Jr. didn't have the strongest evening for the Astros, going five innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits, walking one and striking out six. But Houston didn't need the strongest start -- its all-around prowess at the plate proved to be the ultimate difference-maker against New York on Sunday as the Astros head off to a World Series matchup with the Phillies. -- Joon Lee

          Houston completes the sweep

          Astros advance to the World Series for the fourth time in the past six years.

          And just like that, the Astros are back on top

          New York commits an infield error to allow runners on first and second, which Houston capitalizes on to score two runs and retake the lead, 6-5.

          Harrison Bader hits fifth HR of the playoffs

          Rizzo with a second RBI

          Anthony Rizzo hits a single to bring the Yankees even with the Astros at 4. He has driven in two of New York's first four runs on the day.

          Houston tacks on another

          Astros erase Yankees' lead

          Pena ties the game with a three-run home run.

          New York adds on

          Rizzo drives in an RBI with a double down the third-base line.

          Yankees strike first

          New York scores two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead -- the team's first lead in the ALCS since the second inning of Game 1.

          Our picks

          Astros 4, Yankees 2: The Yankees' season ends on a disappointing and uncompetitive note as the Astros continue their postseason undefeated streak off a solid all-around performance from the offense and a strong start from McCullers. -- Lee

          Astros 7, Yankees 2: It's a not-very-analytical take, but the Yankees' body language was very zombie-like on Saturday. They look done. -- Bradford Doolittle

          Astros 2, Yankees 1: Not even Cortes on full rest can stop the juggernaut that is Houston, with McCullers Jr. the latest to silence New York's bats. -- Jeff Passan

          Philadelphia Phillies 4, San Diego Padres 3

          Phillies win series 4-1

          Harper named NLCS MVP

          Bryce Harper has a message to the city of Philly:

          Harper and actor Miles Teller, a Phillies superfan, celebrate after the game.

          Phillies celebrate winning NL pennant

          Game 5 takeaways

          Wow. Wow. Wow. Bryce Harper is going to the World Series, and he did it with a home run to remember. You can debate whether Robert Suarez or Josh Hader should have been pitching to Harper with the Padres leading 3-2 and no outs in the bottom of the eighth. Maybe asking Hader to get six outs was asking too much considering the Padres would have needed to win two more games. I'm not sure it would have mattered. This is Harper's team, Harper's ballpark and most definitely Harper's postseason. After fouling off two two-strike pitches from Suarez, Harper connected with a 98 mph fastball and drilled it on a line into the left-center-field stands for one of the most dramatic home runs in Phillies history.

          The Phillies signed Harper back in 2019 with the hopes of a day like this. It took a few years -- and it took the expanded playoffs for the Phillies to even get to October -- but they're here and Harper has been the man, the face of the franchise, the face of October. He's hitting .419 with five home runs, slugging .907, and sending Citizens Bank Park into a ridiculous crescendo of noise. And remember -- after coming back from a broken thumb in August, he had struggled with his power stroke, with just three home runs in 35 games. He's hot now, however, and it's awesome.

          (And no, we're not going to talk about that inexcusable one-out sacrifice bunt in the top of the ninth.) -- David Schoenfield

          King of Philly with a two-run blast

          Harper gives the Phillies a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth that sends Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.

          The Padres' go-ahead steal

          Jose Azocar steals home on a Seranthony Dominguez wild pitch to put the Padres ahead 3-2.

          We have a tie game!

          Josh Bell evens it up at 2 with a double.

          Wheeler's dealing

          Zack Wheeler strikes out Manny Machado for his eighth of the game.

          Soto gets Padres on the board

          Hoskins crushes his fourth homer of NLCS

          Schwarber's there for his teammate

          Our picks

          Phillies 3, Padres 2: Darvish will pitch his heart out but Philadelphia has that destiny look -- at least to win the NL pennant. It will survive a tight, low-scoring affair -- the exact opposite of Game 4 -- and win the series with a tight win on Sunday. -- Jesse Rogers

          Phillies 5, Padres 2: The Phillies are 4-0 at home in the postseason and they look like they're ready to pop some champagne. Wheeler has been outstanding over his three playoff starts and top relievers Jose Alvarado and Seranthony Dominguez didn't have to pitch in Game 4 after a little extra workload in Game 3 (a combined 61 pitches), so everything is lining up for a boisterous celebration at Citizens Bank Park. -- Schoenfield