MLB playoff takeaways: Cubs, Yankees survive to set up rivalry-fueled Division Series

Cubs down Padres, advance to meet Brewers in NLDS

You want storylines? Get ready for what should be plenty of them with the NL Central rivals Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers set to meet in the NLDS after the Cubs dispatched the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Thursday.

Former Brewers manager and current Cubs skipper Craig Counsell made the right moves against the Padres, using six different pitchers to keep the Padres bats quiet until a furious rally in the ninth inning that included a controversial call on strike three that benefited Chicago greatly.

San Diego starter Yu Darvish lasted just 21 pitches, giving up two runs and four hits in an inning of work. Chicago's Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Tucker opened the scoring, then Michael Busch hit a solo homer in the seventh to extend the lead.

Busch ended up 3-for-4 on the day from the leadoff spot, part of a 13-hit attack for the Cubs that sealed their first postseason series win since 2017. Now they will face the Brewers for the first time ever in the postseason.

Yankees ride Schlittler's historic night into ALDS

The New York Yankees turned to a rookie right-hander to start an elimination game in the postseason, and Cam Schlittler looked like a Cy Young winner in his first taste of October.

The 24-year-old right-hander had a historic night, striking out 12 in 8.0 scoreless innings while limiting the Boston Red Sox to just five hits to pace the Yankees to a 4-0 win in the Bronx. With the victory, New York moves on to face the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays, the second rival from the AL East in two rounds for the Yankees.

Schlittler became the first rookie to strike out 10 or more in a postseason game since Levin Hernandez fanned 15 with the Florida Marlins on Oct. 12, 1997.

While Schlittler was cooking on the mound during his 107-pitch masterpiece, New York was doing enough at the plate to support him, with the Yankees scoring four times in the fourth to provide enough offense for the win. RBI singles from Amed Rosario and Anthony Volpe, plus a fielder's choice and error on Boston's Nathaniel Lowe provided the four runs and a ticket to Toronto for ALDS Game 1 on Saturday.