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WASHINGTON — The New York Mets dinged Max Scherzer’s Cy Young chances Thursday night.Now the Nationals will get a shot at Jacob deGrom.Cy Young candidate deGrom (8-9 http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-panik-jersey , 1.78 ERA) opposes Washington right-hander Joe Ross (0-0, 3.60) on Friday night in the second contest of a four-game series at Nationals Park.Article continues below ...With two starts remaining, deGrom needs to win both to hit double digits and finish with a personal won-loss mark above .500. Though wins are devalued these days, the fewest by any starting pitcher to win the Cy Young is 14 by Mariners’ ace Felix Hernandez in 2010.DeGrom has allowed three runs or fewer in 27 consecutive starts, a major league single-season record. He has turned in 22 straight quality starts, tying him for the all-time single-season record.The right-hander picked up his last win Aug. 18. In his last start, he got a no-decision after allowing three runs in seven innings against the Red Sox in a game New York lost. He struck out 12 and walked one.“I want to win every baseball game I throw, but it hasn’t gone that way for me this year Willie McCovey Jersey ,” deGrom told the New York Post. “I definitely like wins, but more importantly you want the team to win when you are pitching, and it just hasn’t gone that way for me out there.”The Mets are 12-18 in his starts.DeGrom is 6-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 14 career starts against the Nationals. This season, he beat the Nationals on April 5 and got a no-decision on April 16.Scherzer allowed three runs in seven innings Thursday night, including back-to-back home runs in the third to Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce. His ERA ticked up to 2.57 and he left the game trailing.“We kept saying, ‘Keep on him, keep on him, keep on him http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-mel-ott-jersey ,'” Mets manager Mickey Callaway told mlb.com. “Unfortunately, it’s Scherzer, and that’s not easy to do. To do what we did was pretty good. To keep on scoring off a guy like that is pretty tough.”Scherzer, in fact, retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced, finishing with 13 strikeouts to give him 290, a Nationals record.“He fight. He never give up,” outfielder Juan Soto told the Washington Post. “He throw and throw. It doesn’t matter if you hit a homer Hunter Pence Jersey , he’s going to keep working.”Scherzer has 17 wins with two starts remaining.Washington rallied to tie the game in the eighth, but New York won 5-4 in 12 innings thanks to former National Jose Lobaton’s sacrifice fly.Ross allowed two runs on four hits over five innings last week against the Cubs in his first start of the season and first since undergoing Tommy John surgery in July of 2017. (He started against the Cubs on Sept. 7, but the game was rained out in the second inning.)“Hopefully next time I can get ahead a little bit better and pitch deeper into the game,” Ross told the Washington Post after throwing 74 pitches. “The first complete game back, feel pretty good about myself.”Ross is 2-2 with a 4.29 ERA in six starts versus the Mets. NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have acquired Adeiny Hechavarria in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing in a veteran infielder to back up injured shortstop Didi Gregorius.New York is sending a player to be named or cash to Pittsburgh for the 29-year-old Hechavarria, who is batting .254 with four homers and 29 RBIs in 76 games with the Rays and Pirates this season. As part of the deal, the Pirates will send New York $863 http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-williams-jersey ,709 to cover most of the $951,613 remaining in Hechavarria’s $5.9 million salary.The trade was completed just before Friday’s deadline for traded players to be eligible for the postseason. The Yankees are in position for the first AL wild card.Gregorius has been out since Aug. 20 with a bruised left heel. He could come off the disabled list this weekend.Hechavarria is a .255 career hitter over seven seasons with four teams. He has played mostly at shortstop with spot duty at second base and third base.To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated left-hander Ryan Bollinger for assignment.

Rich Schultz/Getty ImagesLongtime Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard announced his retirement from baseball Tuesday following a 13-year MLB career.Howard http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-lorenzo-cain-jersey , who last played in the major leagues during the 2016 season, confirmed the decision in an essay entitled "Thank You, Philly" for The Players' Tribune."And that's definitely something I've learned, one way or another, over these last 14 years: How Jhoulys Chacin Jersey , in baseball, man鈥ou truly do have to take the all of it," he wrote. "You truly don't get your share of the sweet, in this game, without taking your share of the sour."The Phillies selected Howard in the fifth round of the 2001 MLB draft. He made a quick ascent through the club's minor league system before making his debut late in the 2004 campaign Jeremy Jeffress Jersey , when he flashed his power potential with two home runs in 39 at-bats.He captured National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 after posting a .288/.356/.567 triple-slash line with 22 homers across 88 appearances.One year later, he was named the 2006 NL MVP after racking up an MLB-high 58 home runs and accumulating a career-best 1.084 OPS in 159 games for Philadelphia.Howard, who spent time in Triple-A for the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies in 2017, also features a 2008 World Series title, three All-Star Game selections and a Silver Slugger Award on his resume."It's been a wild ride鈥nd I'm glad that I got to stay on it for as long as I did Jesus Aguilar Jersey ," Howard wrote. "Which I guess has really also kind of become my overall perspective on things: How, when it's come to these last 14 years of mine鈥攏othing has ever been easy for long, and nothing has ever been perfect for long."But I wouldn't have it any other way."He finishes his career with 382 home runs鈥攖he second-most in Phillies history behind only fellow team legend Mike Schmidt (548)鈥?,194 RBI and 848 runs scored in 1,572 MLB games. The New York Mets provided some momentary joy for their fans Thursday in what has otherwise been a disastrous 2018 season.The Mets dropped a franchise-record 24 runs in a win over the Philadelphia Phillies.Jose Bautista was the standout performer http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-braun-jersey , going 3-for-4 with seven RBI, with his run-scoring double in the ninth capping off the offensive outburst.New York Mets Mets24 runs!Thats a new franchise record! WFp4KLYHYbKevin Plawecki was also 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Starting pitcher Corey Oswalt was the only member of New York's starting lineup to go hitless. Six Mets players had multi-hit games.To their credit, the Phillies took the heavy defeat in stride:Philadelphia Phillies PhilliesFINAL: #Phillies 4, Mets amp;gt;4 QjXfGB3AdDPhiladelphia trailed 15-4 entering the seventh inning when it decided to bring onutility man Roman Quinn to pitch. Michael Conforto deposited Quinn's second pitch over the right-field fence:New York Mets MetsPosition players hittingamp;gt;amp;gt;amp;gt; tSXyQuBRJNQuinn allowed seven runs over 1.2 innings before Scott Kingery replaced him in the eighth.Charitably speaking, one could describe Kingery as a finesse pitcher in that none of his pitches was fast enough to get picked up on the radar gun in the stadium. Kingery's velocity is completely absent in MLB.com'splay-by-playbreakdown.The Phillies don't have any time to wallow in their lopsided loss. First pitch for the second half of Thursday's doubleheader isscheduledfor 7:40 p.m. ET.

ATLANTA — Encouraged by the progress of their young pitchers Bill Melton Jersey , the Philadelphia Phillies decided not to add a proven starter to their rotation for the stretch drive.Former Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta and 2018 Cy Young Award candidate Aaron Nola will start for the Phillies against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday and Sunday, but first struggling Nick Pivetta (7-13, 4.67 ERA) must take the mound Friday night.It is almost a must win for Philadelphia, which fell behind the Braves by 6 1/2 games with an 8-3 loss in the series opener Thursday night at SunTrust Park. Atlanta’s magic number for winning the National League East was reduced to four.Article continues below ...Veteran right-hander Julio Teheran (9-8, 3.97) will start for Atlanta (85-68) opposite Pivetta as the Braves try to put the Phillies (78-74) on the verge of elimination.Philadelphia used seven relievers after slumping starter Vince Velasquez pitched just three innings to start the series, and the bullpen cracked late, giving up the tie-breaking run in the seventh and four more runs in the eighth as the Phillies fell to 6-12 in September.Pivetta hasn’t won since Aug. 7 and has lost his last four decisions, pitching just 13 1/3 innings in his three September outings.On a more positive note, though, the 25-year-old Pivetta beat the Braves three times as a rookie in 2017 while posting a 2.12 ERA and was solid against them early this season, going 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA in four starts.The Phillies also continue to point to Pivetta’s swing-and-miss stuff. He fanned eight in five innings against Miami last Sunday http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-robin-ventura-jersey , but was done in by a two-run homer from Pete O’Brien.“I think the only hard-hit ball that comes to mind for me was the home run to O’Brien,” manager Gabe Kapler said afterward. “Other than that, the curveball was working well, the fastball was working well, had a lot of life to it, obviously, getting tons of swings and misses on it. Looked like he was going to roll and just ran into a little bit of a buzz saw there.”Teheran had appeared back on track after an up-and-down season until he had a shaky outing in a loss to Washington last Saturday.The two-time All-Star allowed six walks and was pulled after four innings despite giving up just three hits and two runs while striking out seven.Walks have been Teheran’s downfall all season. Opponents are batting just .198 against him, but he has surrendered 79 walks in 163 1/3 innings.The 27-year-old from Colombia made his fourth consecutive start on Opening Day for the Braves this season, but his spot in a potential playoff rotation is far from a certainty.“I haven’t thought about that, but it is what it is,” Teheran said after the loss to the Nationals. “We still need to finish strong. I’ve got a couple outings to go. I’ve been feeling good my last couple outings. It’s getting there. You’re going to have difficult games. But I feel like I’ve been doing better now.”Teheran was 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in three April starts against the Phillies and is 9-6 with a 3.55 ERA in 22 career games Early Wynn Jersey , including 21 starts, against them.Outfielder-first baseman Rhys Hoskins is 5-for-10 with three doubles against Teheran, while first baseman Justin Bour went 7-for-18 with a homer while with Miami before joining the Phillies.Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte has gone 8-for-17 against Pivetta, but first baseman Freddie Freeman is just 2-for-15. LOS ANGELES — The first plot twist of the National League Division Series already arrived and the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have not even played a game.The Dodgers announced that Hyun-Jin Ryu and not Clayton Kershaw will start Game 1 of the series on Thursday at Dodger Stadium, even though Kershaw will be on regular rest after last pitching Saturday in San Francisco.A Braves team that finished 18 games below .500 last year and burst upon the scene in 2018 is actually the one with more predictability surrounding it in a series against the defending National League champions. Right-hander Mike Foltynewicz will take the ball in Game 1 as expected for Atlanta.Article continues below ...At face value, the Dodgers’ move to Ryu in Game 1 makes sense because it keeps their rotation in order.Ryu missed 3 1/2 months of the season with a groin strain, then returned Aug. 15 to post a 1.88 ERA in 52 2/3 innings. The left-hander has worked just 82 1/3 innings all season.But his move to the series opener bumps a Dodgers pitching legend to Game 2. Kershaw might not be as overpowering as he once was, but he still finished the season with a 2.73 ERA. And Kershaw can still pitch in a deciding Game 5, if necessary, on regular rest.Kershaw did have a 3.89 ERA in six September starts and gave up a combined eight earned runs in two key starts down the stretch, including five against the Giants on Saturday in a must-win game that the Dodgers ultimately won 10-6.There is no parsing the numbers for Foltynewicz Avisail Garcia Jersey , who emerged this season with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.082 WHIP in 183 innings. His strong late-season run was interrupted when an aggressive St. Louis Cardinals lineup roughed him up for six runs in 4 2/3 innings, but Foltynewicz finished the regular season with two strong starts against the Philadelphia Phillies.“We’ve wanted Folty to be ‘the guy’ for a couple years, and right now, I think he’s establishing himself as our legit first guy,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, according to mlb.com. “It wasn’t a hard decision at all.”Foltynewicz’s roughest stretch all season came in a four-start span when he gave up 18 earned runs in 23 1/3 innings. It concluded when he gave up four runs and six hits in five innings, including two home runs, in a 4-1 loss to the Dodgers.Despite vastly different lineups in the second half depending on whether they are facing a right-handed pitcher or a lefty, the Dodgers still managed to hit an NL-leading 235 home runs. They were sixth in the NL with 1,436 strikeouts.The Braves were 13th in the NL with 1,290 strikeouts and eighth with 175 home runs. But they cashed in their chances http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-frank-thomas-jersey , finishing fifth in runs with 759. The Dodgers led the category with 804.The Dodgers won the season series 5-2, scoring 5.0 runs per game to the Braves’ 2.6. The Dodgers’ starters also had a 2.20 ERA in the seven games and the Braves were at 4.69.The Dodgers might have lost a Game 7 in the World Series last year and they got off to a slow start this year at 16-26 on May 16, but they are a confident bunch now.“Dodgers, we are going for more,” Yasiel Puig said in the Dodgers’ celebratory clubhouse Monday on Spectrum SportsNet Los Angeles. “Hey, Atlanta, we’ll see you soon, baby. And the next one … no matter who’s going, we’re going to beat (them). And we’re going to the World Series again. And this time we’re going to win the World Series. In 2018, the big party is here in Los Angeles.”

The Baltimore Orioles will make history Tuesday when they become the firstAmerican professional sports team to feature Braille lettering on their uniforms.Baltimore Orioles OriolesOn Sept. 18 Thurman Munson Jersey , well recognize the 40th anniversary of NFB_voice moving their headquarters to Baltimore and become the first American professional sports team to incorporate Braille lettering into our gameday uniforms when we host National Federation of the Blind Night at OPACY. vU8ZDlXGOr"We've made a conscious effort to create an environment where everyone feels welcome at the ballpark," Orioles Vice President of Communications and Marketing Greg Bader said, according to theBaltimore Sun'sMike Klingaman."We take our role as entertainer very seriously, but we also want to serve as an escape for some people and as a platform to highlight the causes and morals that we feel strongly about. A 'blindness awareness night' puts it into perspective that there's more going on out there than just wins and losses."National Federation of the Blind President Mark Riccobono, who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game, expressed his appreciation for the Orioles' initiative:Orioles on MASN masnOriolesThe Orioles will become the first team in American professional sports history to incorporate Braille lettering into their gameday uniforms when they host NFB_voice on Tuesday! EliPQkPuLIPer Klingaman, the jerseys will be autographed and auctioned off online after the game, with proceeds going to theNational Federation of the Blind. The federation is celebrating its 40thyear based in Baltimore and wasestablished in 1940.The first 15,000 fans will receiveBraille alphabet cards upon entry to the game.Baltimore will debut the uniforms against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. The latest on Major League Baseball trades on the deadline day for deals without waivers (all times Eastern):5:15 p.m.The Arizona Diamondbacks have bolstered their bullpen for the second time at the trade deadline, acquiring left-hander Jake Diekman from the Texas Rangers for right-hander Wei-Chieh Huang and a player to be named.The deal comes after the Diamondbacks picked up right-hander Brad Ziegler in a trade with the Miami Marlins.The 31-year-old Diekman was 1-1 with two saves and a 3.69 ERA in 47 appearances with the Rangers this season. He is 4-4 with a 3.57 ERA in seven big league seasons with Philadelphia and Texas.The 24-year-old Huang was a combined 6-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 29 games with Class A Visalia and Double-A Jackson this season.Arizona also designed left-hander Jorge De La Rosa for assignment.—5 p.m.The Los Angeles Dodgers have bolstered their bullpen by acquiring right-hander John Axford from Toronto in exchange for minor league pitcher Corey Cropping.Axford is 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 45 games for the Blue Jays this season. He’s held hitters to a .234 average.Axford has been particularly strong against left-handed hitters, limiting them to a .147 average.During Axford’s 10-year big league career, he’s also pitched with Milwaukee http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-jorge-posada-jersey , St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Colorado and Oakland.Cropping is 4-0 with three saves and a 2.52 ERA in 35 combined games with Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa this season.—4:40 p.m.The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired second baseman Jonathan Schoop in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.The playoff-hopeful Brewers sent second baseman Jonathan Villar, along with two prospects to Baltimore.Schoop is the second infielder to be acquired in the last few days after Milwaukee traded for third baseman Mike Moustakas from Kansas City. The plan then was for left-handed hitting third baseman Travis Shaw to shift to second base. Schoop gives the Brewers a right-handed option at second.—4:25 p.m.The Atlanta Braves have acquired right-handers Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for four prospects.The 27-year-old Gausman is 5-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 21 games started for Baltimore. He is under team control through 2020.The Orioles acquired Triple-A Gwinnett right-hander Evan Phillips, Class A Rome infielder Jean Carlos Encarnacion and two Double-A Mississippi prospects – catcher Brett Cumberland and left-hander Bruce Zimmerman. Baltimore also received international signing bonus slot money.This is the second deal between the teams in three days. Atlanta boosted its bullpen by acquiring right-hander Brad Brach from Baltimore for an international signing slot on Sunday.Gausman will provide another veteran arm in a Braves rotation that has lost rookie Mike Soroka and right-hander Brandon McCarthy to injuries. O’Day is on the 60-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He has a 3.60 ERA and two saves in 20 games for Baltimore this season.Phillips had an 8.53 ERA in four relief appearances with Atlanta this season.—4:15 p.m.The Pittsburgh Pirates have bolstered their rotation at the deadline, adding right-hander Chris Archer from Tampa Bay for a pair of coveted prospects in outfielder Austin Meadows and pitcher Tyler Glasnow and a player to be named later.Archer, a two-time All-Star, is 3-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 17 starts this season for the Rays. The 29-year-old gives the Pirates a significant jolt in experience in a rotation that includes three starters — Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove — 26 or younger.The move is the second significant trade by the Pirates at the deadline. Pittsburgh acquired Texas Rangers closer Keone Kela in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Taylor Hearn and a player to be named.The Pirates, who have been reluctant to part with young prospects in recent years at the deadline, gave up a pair of promising talents.Meadows Don Larsen Jersey , a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, hit .292 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 49 for the Pirates after making his major-league debut on May 17. The 24-year-old Glasnow dominated as a starter in the minors but struggled as a starter during his first season-plus in Pittsburgh, going 2-7 with a 7.69 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) in 2017.The Pirates moved Glasnow to the bullpen this season with better results. The 6-foot-8 right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA in 34 appearances.—4:05 p.m.A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.The deal, done shortly before Major League Baseball’s non-waiver deadline, sends infielder Logan Forsythe and two minor league players to the Twins. The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.Dozier marked the fifth player the Twins have traded in the last five days, signaling their shift in focus to the future amid a disappointing season.Dozier joins a Dodgers team that’s in a tight race with Arizona in the NL West, aiming for a return trip to the World Series. Dozier’s production has dropped off this year, but he has some of the best power numbers in baseball for players at his position. The 31-year-old has spent his entire career with the Twins.Elsewhere as the deadline approached, Washington traded reliever Brandon Kintzler to the Chicago Cubs for minor league pitcher Jhon Romero, and the Philadelphia Phillies acquired left-hander Aaron Loup from the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league right-hander Jacob Waguespack.– Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis.—4 p.m.Miami Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin has been traded to the Seattle Mariners for minor league infielder Bryson Brigman and international slot money.Maybin is batting .251 with three homers and 20 RBIs in 99 games this season, but he’s batting .329 with a .912 OPS since June 29. The Mariners are the seventh team for the 12-year veteran, who has a $3.25 million http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-johnny-damon-jersey , one-year contract.Brigman is batting .304 this year for Class A Modesto.—3:40 p.m.The NL East-leading Phillies have acquired All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash.Ramos is batting .297 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs but is currently on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. He’ll upgrade an offense that has struggled during a four-game losing streak. Jorge Alfaro has been Philadelphia’s starting catcher with Andrew Knapp also seeing plenty of action.—1:50 p.m.Right-handed reliever Brad Ziegler has been traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who bolstered their bullpen for the pennant race and gave up Double-A reliever Tommy Eveld to the Miami Marlins.Ziegler, 38, is 1-5 with a 3.98 ERA this season. His ERA was 7.88 on June 1, but since then he has allowed two runs in 28 innings.He’s in the final year of a $16 million, two-year contract, which made the cost-conscious Marlins willing to trade him since they’re in last place in the NL East. Arizona is battling the Dodgers and Rockies for the NL West lead.The right-handed Eveld, 24, has a 1.11 ERA in 35 games in the minor leagues this season. He’s a native of the Miami area.Ziegler had 30 saves for the Diamondbacks in 2015. The following year, he was traded to Boston before signing with the Marlins.—1:05 p.m.Badly needing outfield help, the Cleveland Indians have acquired center fielder Leonys Martin from the Detroit Tigers.Cleveland also received right-hander Kyle Dowdy in the deal for shortstop prospect Willi Castro.The AL-Central-leading Indians have been pursuing an outfielder for weeks and pulled off the deal just hours before Tuesday’s non-waiver deadline. The 30-year-old Martins batted .251 with nine homers and 29 RBIs this season for the Tigers, who are 18 games behind Cleveland.Martin has also scored 78 runs in his first season with Detroit and he leads the AL with nine assists. He missed time in July with a strained hamstring.The Cuban has a career .248 average with 47 homers and 205 RBIs in 699 games with Texas Masahiro Tanaka Jersey , Seattle, the Chicago Cubs and Tigers.Dowdy, 25, is 8-8 with a 4.74 ERA between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo this season.—11:50 a.m.Washington Nationals president and general manager Mike Rizzo says Bryce Harper will not be traded before Tuesday’s deadline.Rizzo tells The Washington Post in a text message that Harper ”is not going anywhere.”The Nationals have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments. They entered Tuesday with a 52-53 record, but they are still within 5 games of the NL East lead and the second wild card.—11:30 a.m.The St. Louis Cardinals have traded outfielder Tommy Pham to the Tampa Bay Rays for three minor leaguers – outfielder Justin Williams, left-handed pitcher Genesis Cabrera and right-handed pitcher Roel Ramirez.The Rays also received international cap space in the four-player trade announced Tuesday, baseball’s deadline for trades without waivers.There had already been a flurry of moves this week, including closers Roberto Osuna (to Houston) and Ken Giles (to Toronto) switching teams, Seattle picking up Adam Warren and Zach Duke, Lance Lynn joining the New York Yankees, Adam Duvall moving to Atlanta and Ian Kinsler added to the Boston Red Sox.The 30-year-old Pham has been a member of the Cardinals’ organization since being drafted in 2006. He was batting .248 this season with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs as St. Louis opened the day seven games out of the NL Central lead during a season in which the team has already fired manager Mike Matheny.—

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.

ATLANTA (AP) — Already a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-szczur-jersey , Brandon Phillips learned this summer as a 37-year-old minor leaguer to relish playing baseball “until I wake up.”Added Phillips: “I’m still dreaming.”Phillips’ two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning off A.J. Minter highlighted his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday and capped the biggest comeback by the Boston Red Sox this year for a 9-8 win over the Atlanta Braves.“Honestly that was the most fun I’ve had all season, just watching the last few innings,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.Phillips took a big swing and then rocked back as he watched the ball head toward the left field seats.“My favorite part was the lean-back that he had,” teammate Brock Holt said.Said Minter: “I missed by an inch with the pitch and he made me pay.”After the game Phillips stood at his locker, attempting to untangle chains left knotted when Red Sox players dumped a cooler filled with a sports drink over his head. He kept grinning even when he gave up on solving the knot.“For us to come back like we did, that was amazing,” Phillips said.The Red Sox overcame a late six-run deficit and seesawed past Atlanta to sweep the three-game series between division leaders.Boston, with the best record in the majors, scored six times in the eighth to make it 7-all. After Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer with two outs in the Braves eighth, the Red Sox bounced back for their 97th win this year.Phillips sat out the first half of this year, signed a minor league contract with Boston in late June and was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday. He didn’t play that night, but started at second base in the final game of the interleague set.“When I was in the minor leagues with the guys, they really showed me why I still play this game,” he said. “… Just keep on having fun. You never know what might happen. Your career could be over.”After becoming the first player in Red Sox history to wear No. 0 Craig Stammen Jersey , in one swing the guy with the zero became a gameday hero. Andrew Benintendi singled with one out off Minter (4-3) and Steve Pearce struck out, bringing up Phillips, who homered on the first pitch.Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who hit another leadoff homer in the first, didn’t move as Phillips’ shot sailed over his head. Phillips scored three runs, drew two walks and made the most of his first hit with Boston.Braves stadium organist Matthew Kaminski played “Welcome Back” before Phillips’ first at-bat in the second inning. Phillips, a high school star in the Atlanta area who played most of last season with the Braves, tipped his helmet and then walked.“To be in Atlanta in front of my family and friends, that was pretty awesome,” he said.In a game packed with momentum shifts, Freeman hit his tiebreaking homer off Brandon Workman (4-0). Freeman was given his first break from the starting lineup this season before coming off the bench in a defensive switch.Atlanta led 7-1 before Boston scored six times in the eighth to tie the game. Atlanta reliever Dan Winkler gave up four hits and four runs without retiring a batter. Christian Vazquez got two hits in the inning, Blake Swihart hit a two-run double and pinch-hitter Ian Kinsler tied the game with a two-run single. The Red Sox sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, using five pinch-hitters and batting about 40 minutes against four relievers.Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 38th save.Ozzie Albies hit a two-run triple in Atlanta’s five-run fifth inning that made it 7-1.With the sweep, Boston has won 25 of its last 29 games against National League teams. Boston began the day leading the second-place Yankees by 8 ½ games in the AL East. NL East-leading Atlanta was three games ahead of Philadelphia.The Braves scored five runs in the fifth off reliever Drew Pomeranz, who recorded only one out.TRAINER’S ROOMBraves SS Dansby Swanson didn’t start and struck out as a pinch-hitter after he was hit on his helmet by an 85-mph slider from Rick Porcello in the second inning on Tuesday night. Swanson had ringing in his ears but passed the concussion tests.LEADOFF MAGICAcuna homered off Hector Velazquez’s second pitch http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-trevor-hoffman-jersey , giving the rookie a franchise single-season record eight leadoff homers. Acuna was tied with Marquis Grissom, who hit seven leadoff homers in 1996. Overall, Acuna has 24 homers, including 17 since the All-Star break.NOT FOLTY’S FAULTThe collapse by the Braves’ bullpen wasted a strong start by right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, who gave up only two hits and one run in six innings. He provided stability, with two walks and five strikeouts, one day after Braves pitchers combined for nine walks in a 5-1 loss.UP NEXTRed Sox: LHP David Price, who suffered a bruised left wrist when hit by a line drive in his last start against Miami on Aug. 29, will start when Boston opens a home series against Houston on Friday in another matchup of first-place teams. The Red Sox are off on Thursday.Braves: RHP Anibal Sanchez (6-5, 2.98) will face RHP Zack Greinke when the Braves open a four-game series at Arizona on Thursday night. PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks will play the final five weeks of the season against what the numbers suggest will be their most treacherous array of opponents yet. They shrug at the thought — open their arms, actually. The Diamondbacks will play 27 of their final 35 games — eight series — against teams that not only are above .500 and but also appear likely to stay that way.Article continues below ...On Friday though, the Diamondbacks got off on the wrong foot in a 6-3 loss to AL West contender Seattle. The Diamondbacks remained one game ahead in the NL West when Colorado lost at home to surging St. Louis.Arizona is ready to take on all comers, manager Torey Lovullo suggested.“To be conditioned to play against the best teams, those are conversations we have had since Day 1 here,” said Lovullo Evan Longoria Jersey , in his second season after winning the NL Manager of the Year award when the D-backs were an NL wild-card team in 2017.“We have to be at our best against the best, and they (players) want this. This is the greatest time of the year, and these players in this clubhouse know that. They walked through a very challenging year last year and came out on the right side of it, but we have more work we have to do. We know what we want to get to, and it’s right in front of us.”Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (3-2, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Seattle left-hander Wade LeBlanc (7-3, 4.04) in the second game of the series Saturday.The Mariners‘ final five weeks do not appear quite as challenging. They play seven games against Oakland and three against Houston and the Yankees, but they also have seven games with Texas, three with Baltimore and two with San Diego.Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger, traded with Jean Segura from the Diamondbacks for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte before the 2017 season, had three hits Friday, including his 21st homer.“You always want to do well against every team, especially a team that traded you,” Haniger said.Haniger, who played sparingly with Arizona in 2016 Andrew McCutchen Jersey , has five homers in 20 career games at Chase Field.A day after making his first major league start at third base, Robinson Cano made his third career start at first, all this season. He could not scoop two one-hop throws when the D-backs scored two unearned runs in the sixth inning, but the Mariners’ bullpen locked it down from there as Edwin Diaz recorded his franchise-record 49th save of the season. Ray was pushed back to start Saturday when Zack Godley was moved ahead to pitch Friday. Ray will pitch on seven days’ rest after giving up three runs and five walks in 4 1/3 innings while receiving a no-decision in an 8-3 victory at San Diego last Friday. Ray is 0-2 with a 5.55 ERA in his last nine starts. He missed two months with a strained oblique and threw six scoreless innings in his first game back June 27, but has not been as effective since.“It gives Robbie an extra day to work on the side with (pitching coach) Mike Butcher,” Lovullo said. “Robbie is throwing the ball well. He feels great. There is no injury whatsoever.”Ray has walked 15 in his last 20 innings over four starts. He has shown flashes of the form that saw him post a 2.89 ERA in a career-year in 2017 but has not found a rhythm this year.“It was all self-inflicted,” Ray said of his last start.Ray is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against Seattle. He won in Seattle on July 27, 2015, giving up two runs in seven innings while striking out eight.He has had difficulty at home this season, going 1-1 with a 7.18 ERA in seven starts at Chase Field. He has allowed 13 homers this season, 12 at home in 36 1/3 innings.LeBlanc joined the rotation in May but has scuffled a bit in August, giving up 15 earned runs in his four starts this month. He gave up three homers in 4 1/3 innings in an 8-3 loss against Houston on Aug. 1 and gave up three more in 4 1/3 innings in an 11-1 loss to the Dodgers on Aug. 17.LeBlanc, who spent the first four seasons of his career with San Diego, is 3-3 with a 4.47 ERA in 13 career appearances (nine starts) against Arizona. He is 1-3 with a 7.20 ERA in six games at Chase Field.

CHICAGO (AP) — In a story Nov. 1 about a couple transactions by the Chicago Cubs http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , The Associated Press reported erroneously that Cole Hamels‘ option is worth $19 million. The option is worth $20 million, not $19 million.A corrected version of the story is below:Pedro Strop, Brandon Kintzler stay with CubsChicago Cubs exercise $6.25 million option for key reliever Pedro StropCHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs exercised their $6.25 million option for Pedro Strop on Thursday, and fellow reliever Brandon Kintzler picked up his $5 million player option.Strop can earn $750,000 in performance bonuses next year based on games finished: $250,000 each for 45, 50 and 55 games. He has never finished more than 22 games in a single season.Strop would have received a $500,000 buyout if the option had been declined.The Cubs have to make another decision on one of their key pitchers by Friday when they face a deadline on whether to exercise Cole Hamels’ option for 2019. Hamels, who turns 35 in December, went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts after he was acquired in a July 27 trade with Texas.Hamels’ option is for $20 million. If the Cubs decline the option and pay a $6 million buyout, the Rangers would pay the Cubs an additional $6 million.Chicago could decline the option and work out a new contract with the left-hander http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-ross-stripling-jersey , who is 156-114 with a 3.40 ERA in 13 big league seasons.Kintzler had a 7.00 ERA in 25 games with Chicago after he was acquired in a July 31 trade with Washington. The Cubs declined their $10 million team option on Tuesday.Chicago also claimed outfielder Johnny Field off waivers from Minnesota on Thursday. Field made his major league debut this year and hit .222 with nine homers and 21 RBIs in 83 games with the Twins and Tampa Bay Rays.Strop, one of the baseball’s most consistent relievers since he was acquired in a July 2013 trade with Baltimore, went 6-1 with 13 saves and a 2.26 ERA in 60 appearances last season.The 33-year-old right-hander hurt his left hamstring while running to first base at Washington on Sept. 13. He missed the rest of the regular season and then threw a scoreless inning in Chicago’s wild-card loss to Colorado.Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward let the deadline pass for exercising an opt-out provision in his contract. Heyward keeps the $184 million, eight-year deal that pays him $106 million in the next five seasons.The 29-year-old Heyward, who in 2016 helped the Cubs to their first title in 108 years, hit .270 with eight homers and 58 RBIs in 127 games this season. He is owed $20 million in 2019, $21 million in each of the following two seasons and $22 million apiece in the final two years. If he has 550 plate appearances next year, he would again have the right to void the deal and become a free agent. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays finished a long day of making trades by producing a long inning for Los Angeles starter Tyler Skaggs on Tuesday night in a win over the Angels.After making a series of deals just before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Rays broke through with a seven-run inning and beat the Angels 10-6 Tuesday night despite Mike Trout’s 30th home run.Trout’s homer, which came off Ryan Yarbrough in the seventh inning Yasmani Grandal Jersey , made him the second major leaguer to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season three times before the age of 26. The only other player to do it was Willie Mays.”It’s a cool accomplishment,” said Trout, who also doubled and scored the Angels’ first run.Yarbrough (10-5) became the first rookie to win 10 games this season despite giving up a career-high six runs on nine hits in five innings.”Obviously I’m happy about getting the win for the team and everything, but it’s not the way I envisioned my outing to go,” said Yarbrough. ”All I was worried about was being aggressive and sometimes you give up runs like that.”Yarbrough took over in the second inning after Rays starter Ryne Stanek pitched the first.”We probably pitched just good enough,” noted Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose staff had given up 37 runs in the last three games of a weekend series at Baltimore. ”Yarbs got hit a little but . . . it was better than what we saw over the weekend.”Carlos Gomez had two of the Tampa Bay’s six hits in a seven-run fourth inning off Angels starter Tyler Skaggs (8-7). That inning left the Rays with a 10-1 lead.Matt Duffy had three of the Rays’ 14 hits and every hitter in the lineup had a hit by the sixth inning.Jake Bauers‘ eighth home run got the Rays on the board in the second inning.”It was a crazy day. So to go out and put up the numbers that we did, that was a big thing for us,” Bauers said. ”We did it our way, good at bats strung together.”Skaggs lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his shortest start of the season, giving up 10 runs. The left-hander had given up only eight earned runs in his preceding eight starts http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-joc-pederson-jersey , which included five wins.”Baseball is a humbling game,” he said. ”I really didn’t give our team a chance to win today. I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball as well as I ever had and today was probably the worst outing I’ve ever had in my life.”Skaggs entered the game with a 2.62 ERA, sixth in the American League, but it rose to 3.34.Kole Calhoun had three hits for the Angels including a two-run homer, his 13th of the season and seventh in 13 games.TRADE DEADLINE AND BEYONDIn the final hours before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Rays acquired OF Tommy Pham from St. Louis, traded C Wilson Ramos to Philadelphia, and traded RHP Chris Archer to Pittsburgh for OF Austin Meadows and RHP Tyler Glasnow. It was their 17th trade since Jan. 1 involving players on their 40-man roster, one short of the club record for an entire calendar year, set last year.The Rays also traded LHP Hunter Schryver to the Chicago White Sox for international signing bonus pool money. Schryver, 23 Clayton Kershaw Jersey , is a combined 1-3 with a 2.40 ERA and nine saves in 31 Class A appearances.INFIELD SHUFFLEDavid Fletcher is the regular second baseman in the wake of Ian Kinsler’s trade to Boston, manager Mike Scioscia said, and the Angels will ”mix and match” at third base with Luis Valbuena, Jefry Marte and Kaleb Cowart. Fletcher played shortstop Tuesday night with Andrelton Simmons getting a day off.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: P/DH Shohei Ohtani is ”out to 90 feet” on his long tosses, according to Scioscia, but will throw longer tosses before any consideration is given to starting the process of his return to the mound. He has not pitched since June 6.Rays: LHP Blake Snell (left shoulder fatigue) will have a bullpen session Wednesday in the hopes of turning to the rotation this coming weekend. Snell last pitched in the All-Star Game on July 17. . . RHP Jake Faria (left oblique strain) will be re-activated Wednesday. RHP Andrew Kittredge was optioned to Triple-A Durham.RAYS TWO-WAY PROSPECTBrendan McKay, Tampa Bay’s version of Ohtani, hit .209 with three homers and 14 RBIs through his first 18 games as a 1B/DH since a promotion from Low-A Bowling Green to High-A Charlotte. The left-hander has gone 2-2 with a 4.10 ERA in six mound appearances, including four starts entering Tuesday.UP NEXTRHP Nick Tropeano will pitch for the Angels on Wednesday night against newly acquired Glasnow. The newly acquired Pham will be in the lineup, Cash said.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Injured Brewers pitcher Brent Suter says he’s no longer allowed in the dugout during the NL Championship Series. He was with his teammates for Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Suter tweeted about the situation before Game 2 on Saturday and then deleted his post. A spokesman for Major League Baseball says players who are not on the 40-man roster are not allowed in the dugout during playoff games.Suter tweeted an apology and asked for MLB to let him back in. The gregarious left-hander promised “to behave and be only mildly weird!” before the post was taken down.The 29-year-old Suter went 8-7 with a 4.44 ERA in 20 games this year before he was sidelined by a torn ligament in his left elbow. He was removed from the 40-man roster when he was placed on the 60-day disabled list on July 26. DETROIT (AP) — Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria has returned to the dugout.Renteria missed four games after experiencing lightheadedness Monday in Minnesota Womens Bradley Chubb Jersey , but doctors cleared him to return for Friday night’s game at Detroit, and he was in the dugout while the White Sox were batting in the top of the first inning.Bench coach Joe McEwing had been managing the White Sox in Renteria’s place. He was prepared to do so again, saying a couple hours before the game that he wasn’t sure when Renteria was arriving.“He’s on his way back now Authentic Phillip Lindsay Jersey ,” McEwing said. “He’s in air as we speak, and hopefully we’ll get to see him soon. We’re all very excited.”Renteria had been in Chicago, but the team said his medical tests are now finished.The White Sox also play at Detroit on Saturday night and Sunday. Chicago went 2-2 in the four games under McEwing.“Under the circumstances Authentic Todd Gurley Jersey , it’s not the way you want to go about it, but it’s been fun,” McEwing said. “It’s been a lot of fun. We prepare the same anyway Todd Gurley Jersey Elite , as a staff. … In that respect, everything stays the same on a daily basis, but being able to manage it and put your twist on it Authentic Cooper Kupp Jersey , it’s been a great learning experience and one that I never take for granted.”

The New York Mets are expected to retain manager Mickey Callaway despite the team sitting at 45-64 after Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Braves.Steven Marcus of Newsday reported the news.Callaway http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-adeiny-hechavarria-jersey , 43, is in his first season with the Mets after being hired last October. The Mets opened the year 11-1 but are 34-63 since, leading to some speculation that Callaway could be on the outs."Obviously everybody, as a person you think about what could happen, you know, reality of the situations," Callaway told reporters this weekend. "But I always try to just go out there and approach the game and the job every day like this is going to be my job forever and try not to worry about the repercussions of us not winning games and things like that as far as it pertains to me. I'm just worried about the players Sergio Romo Jersey , the work, do the best we can."Callaway was hired by Sandy Alderson, who took a leave of absence in June to receive treatment for cancer. The Mets are expected to hire a replacement this winter, which Marcus reported could be an outside candidate.Callaway's job is viewed as safe regardless of who the Mets hire as Alderson's replacement.The Mets' payroll, which is the 12th-highest in baseball, features more than $80 million worth of players currently on the disabled list. That is by far the highest number in the sport, nearly $18 million more than the San Francisco Giants.Yoenis Cespedes and David Wright account for $49 million of that total. CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer isn’t going to let a stress fracture in his right leg get in the way of throwing a baseball.Cleveland’s right-hander Matt Duffy Jersey , one of the leading candidates for the AL Cy Young Award, will be out four to six weeks with the injury, but that’s not stopping him from keeping his arm in shape.Bauer played catch from his knees while wearing a walking boot with an athletic trainer Friday afternoon at Progressive Field, more than four hours before the Indians game against Baltimore.“It’s something I can do every day, something I plan on doing every day, because the overall stress is way less relative to what I’ve been experiencing the whole season,” Bauer said.The right-hander admitted he didn’t take the news very well when he learned he’ll be out for an extended period of time.“I was furious http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-steven-souza-jersey ,” he said. “I’ve pretty much felt the same way since.”Indians manager Terry Francona gave the timetable for Bauer’s return Friday. Bauer believes he’ll return sooner.“We’ll find out,” he said. “You’re going to get a very different answer if you ask me that question and if you ask the medical staff that question, so probably should defer to doctors on that.”Bauer was hit by Jose Abreu’s liner Saturday against the Chicago White Sox. He experienced soreness and swelling, and an MRI revealed the injury Tuesday when he was placed on the 10-day disabled list.Cleveland holds a 12-game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central entering Friday. The right-hander is 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA in 25 starts. He’s third in ERA, second in innings pitched (166) and fourth in strikeouts (214) in the AL.Bauer could return during the regular season in mid-to-late September. Francona knows the pitcher’s arm will be ready.“I think in about 10 days he can throw standing, and then in another 10 days, it’s probably close to the mound work Chris Archer Jersey ,” Francona said. “My guess is his arm is going to feel pretty good.”Bauer believes some critics haven’t fully recognized the kind of season he’s had to date.“I’m sure there’s plenty of people out there that are happy about the fact that they get to ignore that I’m one of the best pitchers in the league for another year,” he said. “They don’t have to face that reality. …. But, they’ll have to deal with it at some point.”

KANSAS CITY http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-aaron-nola-jersey , Mo. (AP) — Jack Flaherty got a lift from St. Louis’ lineup, and the rookie right-hander made the most of it.Flaherty struck out nine in seven innings, and the Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win.Harrison Bader and Jose Martinez each hit a two-run homer, helping the Cardinals move seven games above .500 for the first time since June 12. They are 15-9 since Mike Shildt was named interim manager on July 15.“It’s a lot easier when the offense goes out and gets you four runs, gets you ahead like that,” Flaherty said. “And then, you give up two and they get two right back. You look up and you’ve got a four-run lead again. Offense did their thing tonight.”Bader drove a full-count pitch over the wall in left with Jedd Gyorko aboard in the sixth. Danny Duffy (7-11) came close to striking out Bader earlier in the bat, but first base umpire Adam Hamari ruled Bader did not go around on a check swing.When manager Ned Yost came out to remove Duffy after the homer, the pitcher headed for Hamari instead of the dugout. Pitching coach Cal Eldred had to restrain Duffy, who was ejected by Hamari.“He missed that call,” Duffy said. “It was so blatant that he went. I was upset with the missed call and I let it out. I didn’t think it was enough to walk toward me, to instigate it Juan Samuel Jersey , which he did, baited me for sure. It’s not what lost us the game. It certainly isn’t. I didn’t pitch a good game.”Bader had a different view, saying “a hundred percent” he checked his swing.“He made the right call,” Bader said.Bader said he was “just reacting” on his homer.“Loading up early to make sure that I could hit everything, because he has a big arsenal,” Bader said. “With two strikes he expands a lot, so I was just loading up early and he left something up and I just put a good swing on it.”Duffy indicated his arm is not feeling the best.“I looked up when I was rarin’ back for a normal 95-96 (mph fastball) and I saw 87 up there,” Duffy said. “I don’t think it’s a mystery that I don’t feel great, but I’m not going to run from it. I’m used to throwing in the mid-90s and I’m not. I’m not a doctor. I can’t diagnose what’s going on, but whatever it is we’ll get through it and I’ll be fine.”Flaherty (6-6) was charged with two runs and three hits. Martinez connected in the ninth and drove in three runs.The Cardinals (62-55) scored four runs after Duffy retired the first two batters in the third.Yadier Molina sparked the rally by finishing a 10-pitch at-bat with a double. Molina advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Martinez’s infield single.Marcell Ozuna tripled home Martinez and scored on Paul DeJong’s double. Jedd Gyorko’s RBI single, St. Louis’ fifth straight hit, made it 4-0.“Danny was really rolling the first two innings Larry Andersen Jersey ,” Yost said. “Until the Yadier at-bat, he was doing a great job of managing his pitch count. Yadier started that long inning for him.”Alcides Escobar hit a two-run homer in the fifth for Kansas City. Escobar, who reached three times, also scored in the eighth on Dakota Hudson’s wild pitch.Jordan Hicks got four outs for his third save in seven chances.The Royals (35-81) picked up their 81st loss at the earliest point in franchise history. The 2005 Royals were 38-81 on Aug. 17 on their way to a team record 106 losses.ERROR-FREEThe Royals have not committed an error in 11 straight games, tying the club record.MOLINA TIES REDMolina’s third-inning double was his 352nd, tying Red Schoendienst for seventh-most in Cardinals history.CARDS ADD WISDOMThe Cardinals purchased the contract of infielder Patrick Wisdom from Triple-A Memphis, where he was hitting .289 with a .363 on-base percentage and 14 homers. Wisdom’s 31 home runs last year ranked fifth in the minors, but he wasn’t added to St. Louis’ 40-man roster and wasn’t selected in the Rule 5 draft.“Disappointed, I wouldn’t use to describe my feelings,” Wisdom said. “I would just say frustrated. I was like ‘OK, obviously I need to get better.’ I didn’t pout or anything. I took it head on and kept working. Things worked out.”TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: OF Yairo Munoz (sprained right wrist) was placed on the 10-day DL. He aggravated the injury on a swing Friday. He will see a hand specialist Monday. … RHP Luke Gregerson (shoulder impingement) was transferred to the 60-day DL.UP NEXTCardinals: RHP Luke Weaver is 6-10 with a 4.66 ERA in 23 starts heading into Sunday’s series finale.Royals: RHP Jakob Junis is winless in his last seven home starts. Blake Snell has faced the Toronto Blue Jays twice this season en route to what looks like the second Cy Young Award in the 20-year history of the Tampa Bay Rays.In those two games, Snell has pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-robin-roberts-jersey , striking out 17.Saturday night, he faces the Jays in his final start of the year, looking for his 22nd win when he faces Ryan Borucki in the second game of the final three-game series of the season.Article continues below ...Snell has 26 starts of two earned runs or less — 20 of one run or less. He has won nine straight starts, with a 1.03 ERA and is undefeated in 10 starts in August and September. His last loss came on July 12, before he went on the disabled list.The left-hander just defeated the Blue Jays last weekend in Toronto, when he outpitched Borucki, a hard-luck loser.“I think I’ll be telling my grandkids that I played behind him,” Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said after that game.Said manager Kevin Cash: “I think he’s pretty much cemented his case that he belongs, not just in the conversation but right at the top of the list. He’s been dominant now for a couple of months.”Snell’s last win came with his team still mathematically alive in its late-season charge at a wild-card berth. That changed the next night when the Rays were officially eliminated, making the final days less meaningful.Not for Snell, who broke David Price’s franchise record of 20 victories.The Jays were playing meaningless games a long time ago, and this weekend they’re playing their final series under manager John Gibbons after word came out Wednesday that Gibbons will not be overseeing the team’s rebuild.Friday night Tug McGraw Jersey , Toronto nipped the Rays 7-6 as Tampa Bay lost its second straight game, its fourth in five home games this week.Borucki has been a bright spot in a tough season, coming into this start 4-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 16 starts.He has faced the Rays twice, going 0-2 but allowing just four runs in 13 innings while striking out 12.Before last Sunday’s start, the lefty threw eight scoreless innings, striking out seven, in a win at Baltimore. Then he ran into Snell.“It was definitely cool, he pitched a really good game,” Borucki said. “He had all of his stuff working, kept us off balance and did a really good job. I was just trying to keep us in it, as close as we could. I had a couple of costly errors that cost me a couple of runs, but that’s just how it goes. He’s a pretty good pitcher.”So Drew Hutchison Jersey , apparently, is Borucki, who tossed his 11th quality start out of 16.“The kid can just pitch,” said Gibbons. “I think his breaking ball has gotten better since he has been here and he knows what he’s doing. He can throw different things in different times. … The bottom line is he can pitch. He has a feel for what he is doing and that can take him a long way.”The current Rays are just 6-for-44 (.176) with no homers against Borucki, Mallex Smith 1-for-7 (.143) and C.J. Cron 1-for-6 (.167).Devon Travis is 3-for-7 (.429) and Kevin Pillar 5-for-14 (.357) with a home run against Snell, but Kendrys Morales is 1-for-11 (.091), the hit a homer, Randal Grichuk 1-for-8 (.125) and Justin Smoak 2-for-12 (.167) against him.