J.R. Richard Jersey from elaine's blog

Harry How/Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles Dodgers are National League West champions for the sixth straight season.Los Angeles defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2in Monday's divisional tiebreaker game at Dodger Stadium behind a brilliant performance from starter Walker Buehler. He allowed just one hit and three walks in 6.2 scoreless innings while striking out three to ensure the Rockies didn't win their first NL West crown.Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy provided much of the offense with two-run homers Roy Oswalt Jersey , and Buehler even helped himself with an RBI single. One-Two Punch of Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw Makes Dodgers NL FavoritesThe emergence of Buehler in the Dodgers' rotation means the team that represented the National League in last year's World Series is primed to do so again this year.Buehler came out firing heat while mixing in filthy breaking balls to keep hitters off balance. It may have been the biggest start of his young career, but he has done nothing but thrive in the pressure-packed division race as evidenced by the two combined earned runs he allowed in his final three September starts.Jon Morosi jonmorosiWalker Buehler鈥檚 first eight pitches were fastballs. The slowest traveled 97 mph. The Dodgers ascendant ace looks sharp early. MLBNetwork MLBChad Moriyama ChadMoriyamaBuehlers new slider is filthy. Not necessarily cause of the movement but you have to cover 99 mph four and 93 mph cut as well.MLB MLB.buehlersdayoff can do it all. #Game163 ClrGL9Rp6pRockies manager Bud Black knew what he was up against."This kid is a really good pitcher鈥攁 big fastball at 97, 98 miles per hour with a good curveball, and he's athletic with a good feel for the slider while also mixing in the change," Black said, perKyle Newmanof theDenver Post. "He's a [first-round] pick, a college pitcher who's been built the right way."The right-hander entered Monday's game with a 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 148 strikeouts in 130.2 innings and gives the Dodgers another ace alongside Clayton Kershaw.The one-two punch of Kershaw and Buehler can control a series by starting up to four games. They need little run support as it is, and a powerful Dodgers lineup featuring the likes of Justin Turner, Muncy and Manny Machado, among others, is capable of providing it in spades.There is plenty of talent on the Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-carlos-lee-jersey , Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, but any of them face an uphill battle dealing with Buehler and Kershaw multiple times throughout a series while attempting to trade punches with the Los Angeles lineup.Rockies' Offensive Road Woes Will Cost Them Shot at World SeriesSometimes sports narratives are based on truth, and the idea the Rockies can't hit away from Coors Field was on full display Monday with the division title hanging in the balance.Colorado was second in the National League in runs scored this season, but playing in the thin Denver air bolstered that production. Buehler silenced the visitors' bats throughout the game, and the Rockies couldn't get to Pedro Baez or Kenta Maedafrom the bullpen either before Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered off Kenley Jansen.Rick Krajewski Rick_K21The Rockies averaged 5.50 runs/game in the month of September...however most of that production took place at homeRockies offense (in September)At home =7.12 runs/game amp;lt; - - 1st in NLOn road = 3.00 runs/game amp;lt; - - 13th in NL#Dodgers have held them to 0 so far todayMcCovey Chronicles McCoveyChronRockies since August 1st:HOME: 5.833 runs/gameROAD: 3.58 runs/game (shutout 3x)The Rockies won't have home-field advantage against the Cubs in the Wild Card Game or the Brewers in a potential Division Series, meaning their offensive woes on the road will linger over them as they pursue their first World Series championship in franchise history.DJ LeMahieu, David Dahl, Carlos Gonzalez and Ian Desmond combined for zerohits in Monday's loss, which is a formula that cannot happen if Colorado hopes to play deep into October.Unfortunately for Rockies fans, that decreased offensive production away from home is a familiar formula.Jon Lester, Schedule Leave Rockies in Even Bigger HoleColorado's offensive road woes will be under the spotlight again with its back against the wall heading into Tuesday's elimination contest.Not only do the Rockies have to fly to Chicago from Los Angeles in an immediate turnaround following a disappointing showing, but they also have to face Cubs ace Jon Lester in a must-win scenario. They won't be able to counter with German Marquez after he started Monday's contest and allowed four runs (two earned) and struck out nine in 4.2 innings.Tony Andracki TonyAndracki23What gives Steve Cishek confidence the Cubs are gonna win the wild-card game?Two words: quot;Jon Lester.quot;Chris Emma CEmma670Daniel Murphy: quot;Well come out tomorrow at 7:00 and hand Jonny Lester the ball, [and] I dont know if theres anybody better in the big leagues in a situation like this.quot;Colorado would love to have him at its disposal after he wasnamedNational League Pitcher of the Month in September for posting a 2.14 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 33.2 innings during the month.Lester has cemented his legacy with his postseason performances. He sports a World Series crown and National League Championship Series MVP on his resume and has a 2.55 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 25 playoff appearances.He has been an anchor for Chicago's recent success J.R. Richard Jersey , tallying a 1.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in three postseason appearances last year and a 2.02 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in six postseason appearances in 2016 as the Cubs won the World Series.There is nobody Chicago would rather be pitching in Tuesday's single-elimination clash, which spells trouble for the Colorado lineup.What's Next?The Rockies' season will be on the line Tuesday in the National League Wild Card Game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, while the Dodgers turn their attention to a Division Series showdown with the Atlanta Braves. TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to sweep the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon by winning the finale of the three-game series at the Rogers Centre.A victory would mean more than a series sweep for the Blue Jays as it would allow them to complete an umblemished home schedule against the Orioles this season at 10-0.By clubbing four solo home runs in an 8-2 victory Tuesday night, the Blue Jays moved to 11-1 against the Orioles this season. The Orioles’ only win over the Blue Jays this season was April 11 in the finale of a three-game series at Camden Yards.Article continues below ...The teams still have two more three-game series in Baltimore this season.The Blue Jays already have clinched their first home series win since they swept the Orioles in three games July 20-22.The Orioles will start right-hander David Hess (2-7, 5.95 ERA) on Wednesday while the Blue Jays will send out left-hander Thomas Pannone (0-0, 4.15), who will be making his first major league start.Pannone made his major league debut Aug. 10 and has appeared in four games as a reliever.Pannone started six games with Triple-A Buffalo this season and had a 4.91 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 40 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. He has pitched in only nine minor league games this season, going 0-4 with a 5.36 ERA, including stints at Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire because of an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.The 24-year-old was obtained in July last year in a deal that sent reliever Joe Smith to the Cleveland Indians.Hess made his major league debut May 12, winning two of his first three starts. He has not won since May 25, going 0-6 with a 6.61 ERA in 11 outings (nine starts) since his last win.He received a no-decision in his only appearance against the Blue Jays, allowing one run in six innings of Baltimore’s 5-4 loss at Toronto on June 7.Kendrys Morales hit one of the Blue Jays’ homers against the Orioles on Tuesday to add to the two he hit in the series opener on Monday. He has homered in three consecutive games for the third time in his career. The other two times were in 2016.He also had an RBI single in going 3-for-4 on Tuesday.Morales had overcome a poor start and now is batting .257 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs. He was slashing .188/.260/.312 on June 5.“He’s dangerous, he’s always dangerous http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-altuve-jersey ,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “But he works hard, too. He’s the first guy here just about every day, he spends his day in the cage. If anybody was going to come out of it, it was him.”Billy McKinney hit his first career home run for the Blue Jays.Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar was 1-for-4 with a double and has an eight-game hit streak, batting .419 with six doubles, one home run and eight RBIs during the streak.The Blue Jays scored seven of their runs and hit three of their homers against Orioles starter Dylan Bundy. The Orioles also suffered defensive lapses behind him, making two errors.“We’ve got to make some plays behind him,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “But his finish, the shape of his pitches, that’s very unlike Dylan. This is probably the toughest stretch that he’s had. It seems like every mistake he makes he’s paying a price for it.”Cedric Mullins hit his second career homer for the Orioles in going 1-for-4 on Tuesday. He hit his first big-league homer on Saturday at Cleveland. He has reached base in 10 of his first 11 major league games since making his debut Aug. 10 and is batting .333 (13-for-39) with five doubles, two homers and four RBIs.