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The two wild-card games are in the books http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-keith-hernandez-jersey , in the hunt for the 2018 World Series title.After the Colorado Rockies bested the Chicago Cubs by 2-1 score in a thrilling 13-inning affair Tuesday, the New York Yankees' high-powered offense came out on top Wednesday with a 7-2 win over the Oakland Athletics.Focus now shifts to the Division Series, where the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are all waiting to begin their respective playoff runs.The full playoff bracket can be found here. Division Series MatchupsALDSGerrit ColeGreg Fiume/Getty Images(1) Boston Red Sox vs. (WC) New York Yankees(2) Houston Astros vs. (3) Cleveland IndiansSurviving the AL Wild Card Game means the Yankees are headed to Boston to take on the rival Red Sox, who finished the regular season with a franchise-record 108 wins.The Red Sox won the season series by a 10-9 margin Bob Gibson Jersey , but the Yankees took two of three during both of their meetings in September.There promises to be plenty of offense in this matchup.Boston led the majors in runs scored (876), batting average (.268) and OPS (.792), while New York slugged an MLB-record 267 home runs and finished second in runs scored (851).Meanwhile, pitching will be the big story in the other ALDS matchup.That's not to say the Astros (797 runs, sixth in MLB) and Indians (818, third in MLB) don't both have high-powered offenses, but it's their arms that will likely determine their matchup.Houston led the majors in team ERA (3.11), WHIP (1.10) http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-willie-mcgee-jersey , strikeouts (1,687) and opponents' batting average (.217), while Cleveland was the first team in baseball history to have four pitchers record 200 strikeouts in the same season.It will be the Astros' Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton squaring off against the Indians' Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Trevor Bauer.The first team to get to the other one's bullpen should come out on top. NLDSChristian YelichDylan Buell/Getty Images(1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (WC) Colorado Rockies(2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (3) Atlanta BravesThe Brewers and Rockies were both forced to play a Game 163 after finishing the regular season tied for their respective division leads, so both clubs have already had a taste of the postseason atmosphere. The Rockies also played in the NL Wild Card Game.Both teams finished the regular season strong.The Brewers went 19-7 with a plus-67 run differential in September to erase a four-game deficit in the NL Central standings Mike Matheny Jersey , while the Rockies were 19-9 with a plus-59 run differential to overtake both the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.Milwaukee won the season series 5-2, which included taking three of four at Coors Field, but the teams haven't met since early August.Christian Yelich (MIL) and David Dahl (COL) might be the two hottest hitters on the planet, so keeping them from doing further damage will be key for the pitching staffs.In the other NL matchup, a Dodgers team that has won six straight division titles will square off against a Braves team that only recently emerged from a full-scale rebuild and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2013.L.A.'s rotation is finally all healthy at once, and the starting staff of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill might be the deepest of any of the Dodgers' recent postseason squads.Buehler could be the real X-factor http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-red-schoendienst-jersey , as he's pitched like a legitimate ace of late. The 24-year-old rookie posted a 1.95 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 32.1 innings over five September starts. Then he tossed 6.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in the tiebreaker against the Rockies.As for the Braves, the emergence of Mike Foltynewicz, steady production of Anibal Sanchez and impact addition of Kevin Gausman give them a formidable staff of their own.Experience looks like a major factor here, but Atlanta has been surprising people all season after losing 90 games a year ago. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted. The Oakland Athletics made the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 campaign and decided to keep the major pieces in place heading into the 2019 season.The A's announced they have agreed to long-term contract extensions with executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, general manager David Forst and manager Bob Melvin. Melvin has been the manager since he took over for the fired Bob Geren in 2011 and has helped lead the Athletics to the postseason four times during his tenure.Beane, who was famously portrayed by Brad Pitt in the movieMoneyball, became the Athletics general manager in 1997. He served in that role for 18 years before shifting to his current position and has overseen nine playoff appearances in the past 21 seasons. He is also a minority owner of the team.Forst took over as general manager after Beane moved toward baseball operations.Oakland was one of baseball's biggest surprises under the trio during the 2018 campaign after finishing in last place in the American League West the prior three years. The A's went 97-65 and reached the American League Wild Card Game Enos Slaughter Jersey , and Melvin is a candidate for AL Manager of the Year as a result."I'm proud of the tremendous success of our team under the leadership of Billy, David and Bob and am excited to have that continue for years to come," owner John Fisher said, perJon Beckerof theMercury News.Susan Slusserof theSan Francisco Chroniclereported Melvin's contract extension will keep him in place through 2021 and make him one of the five highest-paid managers at around $3.5 million a year.The report also noted Forst's extension is through the 2023 campaign, while Beane is thought to be with the team indefinitely even though the exact specifications of the contract were unknown.

due to an elbow injury.Per The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma Babe Ruth Jersey , an MRI showed Darvish has a stress reaction in his right elbow and a triceps strain. He is going to be shut down for six weeks and won't pitch again this season.This comes after Darvish left a rehab start with Low-A South Bend on Sunday after one inning because of discomfort in his pitching arm.The Cubs signed the 31-year-old to a six-year contract in the offseason, hoping he would play a big role in their quest to get back to the World Series after winning a title in 2016.Instead, the four-time All-Star stumbled out of the gate with a 4.95 ERA in eight starts. He's also had two stints on the disabled list in 2018. The first came in early May due to a virus and again on May 27 with tendinitis in his right triceps.Because of Darvish's extended absence already this season, Cubs manager Joe Maddon won't have an issue forming a rotation without the right-hander. They acquired Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers on July 27 to add depth to a group that includes Jose Quintana, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Tyler Chatwood. Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw couldn't point to one thing that caused his struggles against the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday:USA TODAY Sports usatodaysports#Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on what went wrong in Game 1 of the #WorldSeries. 0mynAH6T8F"I made some mistakes, but you know http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-david-ortiz-jersey , like I said, my slider wasn't very good tonight, didn't have a lot of depth on it," Kershaw said. "Yeah, I made some mistakes in the zone, too, that they made me pay for. Yeah Bobby Doerr Jersey , just all the way around, it wasn't a great night."The Dodgers ace allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings in the Red Sox's 8-4 win.Manager Dave Roberts agreed on the problems with the pitcher's stuff Tuesday."Slider didn't have depth, fastball command wasn't there," Roberts said of Kershaw, per Arash Madani of Sportsnet.The left-hander finished with three walks in limited action, his most in any game this postseason. He walked more than one batter in a start only six times this season, and he had more than two walks only three times.These types of postseason struggles aren't new for Kershaw http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-jimmie-foxx-jersey , as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times noted:Bill Shaikin BillShaikinClayton Kershaws career postseason ERA: 4.28.He has pitched 145 career postseason innings. That is not a small sample size.Considering he has a 2.39 career ERA in the regular season, this is a significant drop for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.In the 2018 postseason, Kershaw has now failed to escape the fifth inning in three of his five starts, although the other two were absolute gems.There is no denying Kershaw is as good as they come when he's at his best. However, his inconsistency in the postseason has hurt the Dodgers once again.

deadline and the rumors are reaching a boiling point.We've seen so many trades go down already that it's hard to believe there could be more.But that's the thing with baseball here's always more deals to be made http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-mark-reynolds-jersey , especially with a number of teams vying for a playoff spot.There are several players with rumors surrounding them, but we will look at three here that really stick out.Let's start with a veteran outfielder. Maybin a Stopgap for Yankees?With New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge out for a few weeks with a wrist injury, the Yankees could take to the trade market to help ease the burden.According to George A. King III of theNew York Post,one player that could make sense is Miami Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin, who is reportedly available per a "person with knowledge of the Marlins' plan."Maybin is in the final year of his contract with the Marlins, so if they could get something in return for the 31-year-old outfielder, they'd likely be happy to.His statistics aren't anything overly impressive, with a .250/.338/.339 line with three home runs, but again, he'd be just to help until Judge gets back.Bringing in Maybin would allow for the Yankees to rotate Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter, and they could use Maybin's ability in the field instead.What will it take for the Yankees to make this kind of move for an outfielder to use in the meantime?"They will have to establish the value," a Yankees scout said, per King.Padres Favorites for ArcherWith each passing day, the prospect of the Tampa Bay Rays dealing pitcher Chris Archer seems to grow.According to Jon Heyman ofFancred,the Rays had scouts on hand to see Yankees prospect Justus Sheffield pitch Brandon Kintzler Jersey , but Heyman still thinks Padres are the favorite:Jon Heyman JonHeymanrays had two scouts watching top yankees lip prospect justus sheffield yesterday, adding intrigue to chris archer rumors (as Joelsherman1 mentioned). another scout said: quot;was just ok ... fighting fastball command.quot; padres still seen as current favorites for archer -- if he goesNo matter who is interested in him or who gets him, Archer has found the rumors unsettling, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.Archer has an ERA of 4.31 across 17 games started. He's having a down year, but he's just 29 years old and is signed through the 2021 season with a team option heading into the 2021 season.The Padres would want Archer as they load up for the future with their slew of young talent coming up through the ranks.Being the subject of rumors can be difficult for players.Archer did not hold back on his thoughts, either."I've got the baseball in my hand. And now my career is not in my hands. That's fine, that's the business part of it. But that's why it's unsettling," said Archer.Pirates Want GausmanAfter dealing Brad Brach to the Atlanta Braves, the Baltimore Orioles have dealt three of the four of their walk-year assets, including third basemen Manny Machado and pitcher Zach Britton.The last being outfielder Adam Jones, but it doesn't appear he'll be moving.However, the Orioles aren't done there it seems.According to Rob Biertempfel ofThe Athletic, the Orioles could look to trade their more controllable assets, such as pitcher Kevin Gausman, who the Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly "chasing" after:Rob Biertempfel RobBiertempfelWith Brach deal done http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-tanner-roark-jersey , #Orioles likely now will pivot to mulling offers for their controllable guys. If #Pirates continue to chase Gausman, perhaps theyll expand parameters to see if Mychal Givens can be part of a package.Adding Gausman would bring in another young pitcher with numerous years of team control.Fellow pitcher Ivan Nova has just one more year left on his deal, and Nick Kingham is still young, too.Gausman could be a solid addition to their rotation for the foreseeable future.Will the Pirates give up the assets for him, though? That's the biggest looming question. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins‘ blueprint for 2018 included a dynamic young center fielder making great plays on defense and coming up with big hits. Of course, that role was supposed to be filled by Byron Buxton, once considered the top prospect in baseball.Instead, the Twins are rallying around Jake Cave.Cave hit his first career grand slam and closer Fernando Rodney survived a chaotic ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Sunday.Buxton’s 2018 has been mostly a washout due to injuries. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft was optioned to Triple-A Rochester and is currently on the minor league disabled list with an injured wrist. That opened the door for Cave, a 25-year-old rookie the Twins acquired in a minor league trade with the Yankees this spring.“This is my dream,” said Cave, who’s more or less been the Twins’ everyday center fielder since late June. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”Cave homered in his major league debut on May 19, and he established himself with a number of highlight-reel catches along the way, earning him the trust of manager Paul Molitor. The latest step in that process is came Sunday as Molitor started the left-handed hitting Cave against a hard-throwing lefty in Kansas City’s Danny Duffy (7-10), who had been tough on the Twins in three prior starts this season.That trust was rewarded with two outs in the second inning when Cave jumped on a full-count fastball for his first career grand slam and fourth homer of the season to put the Twins on top 4-2.“I know Duffy’s got good stuff, I know he’s a competitor Authentic Pat Tillman Jersey , and I know he’s going to come right at me at some point with the heater,” Cave said. “I got it, just stayed short, didn’t try to do too much, and I was rewarded.”Cave fell behind 1-2 in the at-bat and then laid off some tough pitches, including a curveball that just missed inside at 1-2 and a fastball just below the knees one pitch before the grand slam.“I had him punched out twice, and it’s tough to see the ball go out of the yard,” Duffy said. “But you still have to keep pitching.”Molitor likes what he’s seen so far from the Twins’ second choice in center field.“He’s got a little moxie to his game. He’s not afraid to take some chances on the bases and defensively, which is good because when he got up here we said, ‘Don’t play tentative.’ If you play timid, the game will bite you,” Molitor said. “I think he’s taking advantage so far. Hopefully it’s a good step for him as he tries to get himself established up here.”RODNEY WALKS THE TIGHTROPERodney came on to protect a one-run lead and promptly gave up Whit Merrifield’s fourth hit of the game leading off the ninth. But catcher Mitch Garver threw out Merrifield trying to steal second. Alex Gordon then struck out. Big sigh of relief, right?Hold that thought. Salvador Perez lined a single to center. Pinch runner Adalberto Mondesi stole second, then took third as Lucas Duda walked on a full-count pitch. Duda even stole second, his first stolen base since 2014.But with the tying run 90 feet away Pat Tillman Jersey Limited , Rodney retired Rosell Herrera on a ground ball to earn his 24th save in 30 chances.“I thought that we were going to find a way to score a run there,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We just couldn’t muster it.”QUOTABLE“It’s easy to get frustrated, which I did. I came back to the dugout and I had my little 30 seconds of being upset. But I know we’re winning this game, we’re up by one and we’ve got our big man (Rodney) coming in in the ninth. I’ve got no choice but to give my best for him.” — Garver, on refocusing after he grounded into a rally-killing double play in the eighth inningSHORT STARTTwins starter Ervin Santana lasted just 4 1/3 innings in his third start since spending half of the season on the disabled list. Santana gave up three runs on seven hits and left after throwing 78 pitches.Lefty Gabriel Moya (2-0) got out of the two-on, one-out jam and earned his second career victory. He picked up career win No. 1 in Friday’s series opener.“I just kind of felt we were at a little bit of a crossroad there,” Molitor said about pulling Santana in the fifth inning. “My gut told me we wanted to go ahead and try to get those last two outs with Moya, and thankfully he got it done.”TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: Mondesi got a second day off to rest his right shoulder, which he strained while diving for a ball on Friday.Twins: Grossman was replaced by a pinch runner after hitting a one-out single in the seventh. After initially listing him as day-to-day with a mild right hamstring strain, the team announced after the game that Grossman would be placed on the 10-day disabled list.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Jakob Junis (6-11, 5.12 ERA) takes the mound on Monday to open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs in Kansas City. In his last start, Junis pitched into the sixth inning and struck out five White Sox to pick up his first victory since May 18.Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (5-8, 3.47) will face the Indians for the second straight outing as the Twins open a three-game series in Cleveland on Monday. Gibson pitched six innings and allowed three earned runs while fanning six in a 6-2 loss to the Indians last Tuesday.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —  Danny Santana Jersey , St. Louis infielder Matt Adams couldn’t buy a hit.He struggled just to make contact, and was mired in a 0-for-27 slump.Those days are apparently over.Adams hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning on Monday night to rally the Cardinals to an 8-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.St. Louis, which overcame deficits of 4-0 and 6-4, moved two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the second wild card spot in the NL. Cincinnati beat Los Angeles 10-6 Monday.Josh Harrison, Colin Moran and Starling Marte homered for Pittsburgh, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.Adams homered off Edgar Santana (2-3) to erase a 6-4 deficit.“He threw a slider middle of the plate, it stayed up and I put the barrel to it,” Adams said.Adams, a former Cardinals player claimed off waivers from Washington on Aug. 21, hit his first homer at Busch Stadium since Sept. 27, 2016. It was his 21st of the season http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-mccarthy-jersey , a career high.St. Louis manager Mike Shildt remained confident in Adams despite his struggles. Adams struck out eight times during his hitless skid, which spanned Aug. 5-28.“You have to have a short memory at this level,” Adams said. “Or it tends to have a snowball effect.”John Brebbia (2-3) picked up the victory for St. Louis, which has won two in a row.Carlos Martinez, a former starter, recorded his third save in as many chances. He gave up run-scoring double to Josh Bell with two out. But Martinez got Francisco Cervelli to ground out to Paul DeJong at deep short to end the game. The bang-bang play at first was challenged, but Cervelli was ruled out after a 31-second video review.DeJong ranged onto the outfield grass to make the play.“He knows the speed of the runner, he knows the speed of the ball,” Shildt said. “He can beat you in a lot of different ways.”St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright, making his first start since May 13, gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings. He retired the last eight batters after giving up three runs in the third.“I’ve got to execute a lot better than I did today Ender Inciarte Jersey ,” Wainwright said. “It’s good to be back competing. I love being out there.”Shildt said Wainwright will get another start.“He’s earned the opportunity to go again,” Shildt said. “I trust his stuff, he’s still making pitches.”Matt Carpenter walked to start the go-ahead rally. Jose Martinez followed with a hit to set the stage for Adams’ heroics.Harrison broke a 4-4 tie with a solo shot off Chasen Shreve in sixth. Adam Frazier added a run-scoring hit for a 6-4 lead.The Cardinals scored four times in the fourth off Trevor Williams, who had allowed just four earned runs over his previous nine starts. DeJong had a two-run double and scored on Harrison Bader’s game-tying sacrifice fly.Williams allowed six hits, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. He was making his sixth start of the season against St. Louis.“I’m just thankful I’m not pitching against the Cardinals again for the rest of the year,” Williams said. “They’re a great ball club and I wish them nothing but success going into October.”Williams came into the game on a big-time roll.“It’s been really a strong stretch,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “(Tonight) he rolled his sleeves up, went to work, stopped the bleeding that was going on.”Moran homered in the second off Wainwright, who struck out three and did not walk a batter. Marte ripped a two-run shot in the third, his 19th of the season http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-ramirez-jersey , for a 3-0 lead.St. Louis is 33-18 under Shildt, who took over for Mike Matheny on July 15.TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: C Yadier Molina missed his fourth straight game with left hamstring tightness suffered Wednesday in Washington. He is expected to return sometime during the current seven-game homestand that began on Monday. … RHP Adam Wainwright was activated from the 60-day disabled list prior to the game.UP NEXTRHP Joe Musgrove (6-8, 3.75) takes on RHP Miles Mikolas (14-4, 3.06) in the second game of the three-game set on Tuesday. Musgrove has gone at least seven innings in five of his last nine starts. The Cardinals are 7-1 in Mikolas’ last eight starts. The New York Mets introduced new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen Tuesday and he used his press conference to convert fans that were unsure of the hire."We will win now. We will win in the future," Van Wagenen told reporters. "We're going to develop a winning culture and a winning mindset, and we will deliver this city and this fanbase a team they can be proud of."The new GM joins the team after spending his career as an agent, serving as a co-head ofCAA's baseball division. In this capacity, he represented several current Mets stars like Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes.However, he explained that there wouldn't be a conflict of interest in his new role.Van Wagenen said he has divested all of his current and future commissions from CAA. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon also noted that the GM will have to recuse himself from negotiations of former clients.On the other hand, fans will be excited to hear of Van Wagenen's interest in targeting big-name players on the open market."I expect to be in on every free agent Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey ," Van Wagenen said, per Tim Healey of Newsday.Fans have complained for years about the New York squad acting like a small-market team when it comes to acquiring talent, but the new administration could seek to change that.Another significant change could be the increase in analytics, which Van Wagenen also discussed Tuesday:Anthony DiComo AnthonyDiComoNew Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen discusses his experiences in scouting and analytics, and his plans for the latter: 9gsGa0tq1W"I look forward to working with the analytics team here and building it out," he said. "And I think we need to make sure our in-game management is bolstered, and have an understanding of how to value assets, both in the minor leagues and major leagues."The question now is whether he can turn these plans into practice and help the Mets become a winner after back-to-back losing seasons.

ATLANTA (AP) —  by taking an important win over their closest pursuer.Even better http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-willie-mcgee-jersey , some players who could play key roles on Atlanta’s postseason roster looked playoff-ready. Luca Duda’s pinch-hit double drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 on Thursday night to move within reach of their first NL East title in five years.Atlanta leads the second-place Phillies by 6 1/2 games following the opening game of the four-game series. The teams close the season with three games at Philadelphia, but the Phillies need to win at least three of four in Atlanta to retain hope of making the final series meaningful.The Braves have a magic number of four over Philadelphia to clinch their first division title since 2013. Following the Mets’ 5-4 win over Washington, Atlanta needs to win only two of the remaining three games in the series to clinch the division.“It’s fun; these games mean a lot,” said Kevin Gausman, who allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings, adding another strong start to his case to be included in the postseason rotation.Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler didn’t want to talk about now having to win three straight over the Braves.“I don’t think we think about that right now,” Kapler said. “The most important thing is we did not execute winning tonight’s ballgame. That puts us in a position where we need to come out and win tomorrow’s ballgame.”Freddie Freeman had two hits and scored two runs. He has eight hits in his last three games.Tommy Hunter (4-4) Mike Matheny Jersey , the Phillies’ fifth pitcher, gave up a leadoff double to Dansby Swanson in the seventh. The left-handed hitting Duda pulled the run-scoring double into the right-field corner, giving Atlanta the 4-3 lead.The Braves pulled away with four runs in the eighth.Swanson, who had two hits, drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Garcia in the eighth to force in a run. Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson and Ronald Acuna Jr. drove in runs with back-to-back fly balls off Austin Davis, the Phillies’ eighth pitcher, and Ender Inciarte added a run-scoring single.Garcia gave up four runs without recording an out.Kapler said he would have used Hector Neris or Seranthony Dominguez instead of Garcia, whose ERA rose to 5.77 http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-red-schoendienst-jersey , if the game had been tied.Jesse Biddle (6-1), the Phillies’ 2010 first-round pick, gave up one hit while recording two outs in the seventh.Vince Velasquez, who began the night 0-4 with a 7.41 ERA in his first four starts against Atlanta this season, allowed three runs on five hits in three innings.The Phillies scored two runs on three hits, including RBI singles by Odubel Herrera and Jorge Alfaro, in the third.TRAINER’S ROOMKapler said SS J.P. Crawford’s shoulder was “a little sore.” He said Crawford felt better hitting than playing in the field, and his status contributed to a lineup that included Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop and Carlos Santana at third base. 3B Maikel Franco (shoulder) was available off the bench.DOUBLE-GUESSING DEFENSEAtlanta had runners on first and third with one out in the first when Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins fielded a grounder by Johan Camargo. Instead of immediately throwing to second base Enos Slaughter Jersey , Hoskins stepped on the bag at first . That enabled Atlanta’s Nick Markakis, who had been on first, to force a long run-down sequence while Freeman scored from third for a 2-1 lead.Hoskins’ obvious disappointment on the field showed he regretted his decision. Kapler acknowledged “the run is important” but defended Hoskins. “It’s a judgment play and we trust Rhys,” he said.Kapler did say he thought left fielder Aaron Altherr should have more aggressively charged a hit Swanson turned into a double in the seventh.RELIEF FOR OCTOBERTwo Atlanta relievers also had important outings. Arodys Vizcaino, the former Atlanta closer who came off the disabled list on Sept. 14 after missing 55 games with right shoulder inflammation, threw a perfect eighth inning. Chad Sobotka, a 6-foot-7 rookie right-hander, struck out the side in the ninth.“That’s huge http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-chris-carpenter-jersey ,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, referring to possible added depth in the team’s postseason bullpen that could be provided by the right-handers.UP NEXTPhillies: RHP Nick Pivetta (7-13, 4.67) will start in Friday night’s second game of the four-game series. Pivetta is 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA in four starts against Atlanta this season. For his career, he’s 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA against the Braves.Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (9-8, 3.97) is 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in three starts against the Phillies this season. The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros are the co-betting favorites to win the 2018 MLB World Series with the postseason field locked in ahead of the respective wild-card games.According to OddsShark, the Red Sox and Astros are both +350 (bet $100 to win $350), with the Los Angeles Dodgers right behind at +450.OddsShark OddsSharkUpdated odds to win the World Series heading into the Wild Card round (betonline_ag):Red Sox +350Astros +350Dodgers +450Indians +800Cubs +1000Brewers +1000Yankees +1000Braves +1200Athletics +1200Rockies +2000The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 games, which was also the most in MLB this season. If history is any indicator Kolten Wong Jersey , then Boston will take part in this year's Fall Classic. The Red Sox's other three 100-win teams all reached the World Series.Boston has the offense to go all the way. Mookie Betts is the likely American League MVP, and the Sox are first in weighted on-base average (.340), per FanGraphs.Likewise, the Astros are essentially the same team that won a World Series title in 2017. One could argue Houston is even better following the offseason addition of Gerrit Cole and Alex Bregman's breakout.No team has successfully defended a championship since the 2000 New York Yankees won their third World Series in a row. The Astros have the pieces to end that streak.Despite winning 12 fewer games in 2018 (92) compared to a season ago, the Dodgers are the logical betting favorite out of the National League.Much of their struggles can be attributed to injuries, most notably Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner.Los Angeles' 5-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday secured the NL West title, which meant avoiding the one-game playoff as well. And a National League Division Series with the Atlanta Braves is arguably preferable to facing off with the Rockies or Chicago Cubs in the NLDS.

NEW YORK (AP) — manager Carlos Gonzalez Jersey , they found one in a peculiar place.On the other side of the bargaining table.Longtime baseball agent Brodie Van Wagenen is switching roles to become GM of the Mets, the team announced Monday evening. Contract details were not disclosed.“Brodie is an extremely knowledgeable, creative, progressive and collaborative leader, who I’m confident will lead us toward sustainable success,” Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. “I’m very excited for our fans to hear and see the direction Brodie outlined for us.”A news conference to introduce Van Wagenen was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field. He was chosen by Wilpon and his father, Mets owner Fred Wilpon http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-dj-lemahieu-jersey , to replace Sandy Alderson, who took a leave in June following a recurrence of cancer. Alderson said the club’s poor performance did not merit him returning.And so, at the start of a pivotal offseason, the Mets’ first pitch is a changeup.“I’m beyond excited and motivated to take on this new challenge,” Van Wagenen said. “I want to thank Fred and Jeff for believing in my vision and abilities. I look forward to beginning the progress of getting the Mets to contend for a championship year after year.”The 44-year-old Van Wagenen is swapping sides in labor relations. He has represented high-profile players all around the majors, including current Mets stars Jacob deGrom, Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier. Van Wagenen also represented Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow Gerardo Parra Jersey , the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback.Van Wagenen co-founded the baseball division of CAA Sports in 2006 and had been co-head of CAA Baseball. He emerged as New York’s top choice for general manager from a list of 10-12 initial candidates. He must leave his clients and give up his career as an agent to take the job.With buzz building about Van Wagenen flipping roles, players and rival agents around the majors have expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest — though the move is not unprecedented. Former big league pitcher Dave Stewart made the switch from agent to front-office executive with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a couple of GMs in the NBA did the same.NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum, vice president of football operations for Miami, worked as an agent between jobs with the Jets and Dolphins.Following the Mets’ second consecutive losing season, Jeff Wilpon said he would look outside the organization for the 13th GM in franchise history. He said he was open to “untraditional candidates” and preferred to have someone in place by the Nov. 5-8 general managers’ meetings.“Brodie showed us he is a progressive thinker, who is prepared for this role and has great baseball acumen http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-todd-helton-jersey ,” Fred Wilpon said. “Jeff brought forward an array of candidates and we all agreed that Brodie’s high character, blend of analytics, scouting and development ideas illustrate why he will be successful in this role.”Tampa Bay Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom was the other finalist.Doug Melvin also had a second interview with ownership last week. But the former Texas and Milwaukee general manager was told days ago he was no longer in the running.Alderson was hired as general manager in 2010. He helped lead New York to consecutive playoff berths in 2015 and ’16, including a trip to the 2015 World Series.Since he stepped down, baseball decisions have been made by the trio of assistant general manager John Ricco and special assistants Omar Minaya and J.P. Ricciardi, all reporting to the Wilpons.Jeff Wilpon also said he would like Ricco, Ricciardi and Minaya to return — but that didn’t guarantee they would be retained.Van Wagenen was an agent at IMG from 2001 until joining CAA. He played college baseball at Stanford with Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch Nolan Arenado Jersey , and the two became good friends.A native of California, Van Wagenen and his wife, Molly, have three children and live in Connecticut. Molly’s stepfather was late astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. SOMERVILLE, Mass. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have not clinched this year’s American League East division championship, but a banner marking the accomplishment has already been accidentally unveiled.Boston-area friends Louie Iacuzzi Charlie Blackmon Jersey , James Amaral and Randy Baldasarri say they found the banner on a road Monday morning after it apparently fell off a delivery truck in Somerville, Massachusetts.But the trio held onto the banner for two days, hoping they’d be rewarded with game tickets or a chance to meet their favorite players.Instead, the Boston Globe reports , the men brought the banner to Fenway Park Wednesday afternoon and returned empty handed.Iacuzzi said he always intended to return the banner and rejected accusations he stole it.The team can clinch the division if they defeat the New York Yankees Wednesday night.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — him and pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers forward — one victory from a return trip to the World Series.With so much at stake Carlos Correa Jersey , the three-time Cy Young Award winner bounced back from one of his worst postseason starts with one of his best, pitching the Dodgers past the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 Wednesday for a 3-2 lead in the NL Championship Series.“I don’t really think about the one before. And after this one I’m not going to think about this one, either,” Kershaw said.Max Muncy hit a go-ahead single in the sixth inning for the defending NL champs. Kershaw held the lead, scoring an insurance run in the seventh and then exiting.Roughed up in the NLCS opener, Kershaw mixed his fastball and slider on a hot day to shut down the Brewers. The Dodgers ace didn’t allow a baserunner past the third inning.“He just has a knack,” Brewers star Christian Yelich said. “He has the ability to punch guys out.”Game 6 is Friday night in Milwaukee. The Brewers will start left-hander Wade Miley, who walked Cody Bellinger to open Game 5 before getting pulled in an interesting piece of strategy by manager Craig Counsell. Hyun-Jin Ryu will go for the Dodgers.“To go back to Milwaukee up 3-2 as opposed to being down 3-2 is huge for us,” Kershaw said. “It’s been a battle every single game we’ve played them so far and we don’t expect anything different when we go back.”The Brewers do.“We’re in a good spot, man,” Counsell said. “We’re going back home, to me, in a position of strength.”The Dodgers haven’t been in back-to-back World Series since losing to the Yankees in 1977 and ’78. They were beaten by Houston in Game 7 last year.“You’ve seen it this entire postseason, even when we’re behind, we’re battling back, putting ourselves in a position to possibly tie games or take the lead late,” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said. “That’s where our experience comes in. We never count ourselves out.”If the Brewers rally to win the series and this ends up being Kershaw’s last start for the Dodgers, he left behind a gem. The left-hander can opt out of the last two years and $70 million remaining on his contract after the World Series and become a free agent. He said Tuesday he hasn’t made a decision about his future.The teams reconvened less than 15 hours after the Dodgers eked out a 2-1 victory Tuesday night on Cody Bellinger’s RBI single with two outs in a 13-inning game that lasted over five hours.Pitching in 82-degree sunshine, Kershaw was well-rested and masterful in allowing one run and three hits over seven. He struck out nine, all on breaking pitches Dallas Keuchel Jersey , and walked two.Kershaw recovered from the shortest postseason start of his career. He lasted just three innings in losing the NLCS opener while giving up five runs — four earned — at Miller Park.“I don’t know if it was that much, just a little bit better execution maybe,” Kershaw said of his repertoire. “Maybe I threw some more curveballs today than I did in Game 1.”Kershaw pitched in and out of trouble in the third, when the Brewers loaded the bases and scored their lone run. Kershaw struck out Jesus Aguilar to end the third, the first of 13 consecutive batters that the left-hander retired.“Anytime you can work yourself out of situations like that that’s going to make or break the game,” Kershaw said. “Minimizing damage as best you can as a starting pitcher is huge.”Curtis Granderson hit an RBI double in the ninth. Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers’ third pitcher of the ninth, came in for the last two outs and the save.Yelich, who nearly won the NL Triple Crown this season, was hitless in four at-bats. He is 3 for 20 without an RBI in the NLCS.“Just not capitalizing,” he said. “It’s frustrating.”The Dodgers’ offense broke loose with five runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings that had the sellout crowd of 54,502 on its feet whipping blue towels and cheering loudly.The team that hit a franchise and NL-leading 235 home runs in the regular season did it playing small ball instead, driving in all but one of its runs on singles.“The little things played a big part,” Roberts said.The Dodgers tied the game 1-all on Austin Barnes‘ RBI single up the middle in the fifth. Chris Taylor singled leading off, took second on shortstop Orlando Arcia’s throwing error and stole third.“It was huge to get there to third base, less than two outs, give us a shot to do some things,” Barnes said of Taylor. Muncy grounded a 1-2 pitch from Brandon Woodruff into left field, scoring Turner http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-jeff-bagwell-jersey , who led off with a single. Yasiel Puig singled to center with two outs, bringing home Manny Machado after he was hit by a pitch from Corbin Burnes.Los Angeles extended the lead to 5-1 in the seventh on Turner’s RBI single that scored Kershaw, who walked, and pinch-hitter Brian Dozier’s RBI groundout.Kershaw has struggled in the postseason during his career, with his numbers never matching his excellence during the regular season.But his outing Wednesday nearly matched what he did in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against Atlanta. Kershaw allowed two hits over eight shutout innings, struck out three and walked none in the best postseason outing of his career.“It’s just a classic case of he executed a lot of pitches,” Counsell said.The Brewers led 1-0 in the third on Lorenzo Cain’s RBI double to deep center.WORKING WITH A LEADThe Dodgers are 5-1 in series when they own a 3-2 lead. Their only loss came in the 1952 World Series against the Yankees. Teams with a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven NLCS have a 15-6 series record.GET TO THE ‘PENMilwaukee’s starters have tossed just 14 innings in the NLCS, the lowest total ever through five games, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The 2008 Dodgers and 1984 Padres share the record for fewest innings by starting pitchers with 21 1/3.TOOTH HUNTINGGranderson chipped his right front tooth in the ninth and wore a bandage on his lower lip where his helmet hit him. He never did find his tooth despite help from Turner, Machado and Dozier.“We couldn’t find it out there. Too small,” Granderson said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to eat tonight, which is the biggest concern.”UP NEXTMiley will become the first pitcher to start consecutive games for his team in the same postseason since George Earnshaw of the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930 World Series against the Cardinals, STATS said. He pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings in Game 2 vs. the Dodgers, allowing two hits and walking none. Ryu gave up two runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings in that game. Ryu pitched seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against Atlanta, allowing four hits and striking out eight. CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs have had their eye on the National League playoffs from Opening Day. But in the final week of the regular season, just how the two-time defending Central Division champions will factor into the postseason picture remains unclear.With five games remaining starting with Wednesday’s divisional test against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cubs are attempting to hold off the Milwaukee Brewers for the division title, but also can’t lose sight of the St. Louis Cardinals, who are hoping to join the postseason push as the third representative from the Central Division.The Cubs still remain the front-runner despite carrying a two-game losing streak into Wednesday following a 6-0 loss to the Pirates on Tuesday. The loss Lance McCullers Jersey , coupled with the Brewers’ 12-4 victory over the Cardinals, leaves the Cubs’ lead at just a half a game as Chicago once again was unable to inch closer to a division title.Article continues below ...Despite that and a second straight night when the offense sputtered, the Cubs aren’t concerning with themselves with shrinking margins as they understand the level of competition they’re facing down the stretch.“I just want to point out we have the best record in the National League and we haven’t clinched yet,” Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward told reporters Tuesday, according to the team’s official website. “That shows you how good our division is. That shows you how good this league is. I feel like it’s time to pay respect to how good these other teams have been playing baseball.”As much as the Cubs hope to secure another division title, they realize that they could still find their ways into the playoffs as a wild card should they fail to put away the Brewers. That would set up a much different scenario, but one Cubs manager Joe Maddon said his team will deal with if necessary.“I hope we avoid that,” Maddon told reporters on Tuesday, according to MLB.comJose Quintana (13-11, 4.11 ERA) will start for the Cubs. Quintana is hoping to bounce back from consecutive losses, including in his last outing against the Chicago White Sox. Quintana allowed five runs and nine hits over five innings, which snapped a string of six straight starts in which he didn’t allow more than two earned runs. Quintana is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh.Ivan Nova gets the start for Pittsburgh. Nova (9-9, 4.01) is 2-0 with a no-decision in three starts this month and has surrendered just two earned runs in those three starts and has struck out 15. Nova looks to continue his run of good fortune he has enjoyed during his career against the Cubs as he is 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA in seven career starts.Nova was scheduled to make another start following Wednesday’s outing but the Pirates’ scheduled makeup game against the Miami Marlins on Monday was canceled. That means that Nova will make his final start against the Cubs, which is an outing he looks forward to despite the fact the Pirates have nothing to play for.“I just want to go pitch,” Nova told reporters on Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “As long as you feel good, you want to keep pitching. A lot of guys are ready to go home now that we have been eliminated from the playoffs. I’m excited to have another chance to pitch (on Wednesday).”

One week remains in the 2018http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-sean-rodriguez-jersey , and the playoff picture is finally starting to take shape.So far, five teams have clinched a spot in the postseason. The Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves have secured their respective divisions, the Houston Astros have sealed a spot andhave a lead in theirdivision race, and the New York Yankees will be one of the participants in the AL Wild Card Game.What remains is essentially six teams fighting for five spots, with three division titles still to be decided.An updated look at thepostseason bracket is available at MLB.com.Below are the AL and NL wild-card standings, along with each team's odds of reaching the postseason following Sunday's action, according to FanGraphs.American Leaguex-New York Yankees,95-60 (WC1); 100.0 percent playoff oddsOakland Athletics,94-62 (WC2); 100.0 percent playoff oddsTampa Bay Rays, 87-68 (6.5 GB); 0.0 percent playoff oddsSeattle Mariners, 85-70 (8.5 GB); eliminated from playoffsNational LeagueMilwaukee Brewers Felipe Vazquez Jersey , 89-67 (WC1); 99.0 percent playoff oddsSt. Louis Cardinals, 87-69 (WC2); 79.6 percent playoff oddsColorado Rockies,85-70 (1.5 GB); 27.4 percent playoff oddsArizona Diamondbacks, 79-77 (8.0 GB); eliminated from playoffs OutlookThearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesThe American League side of things is all but decided, as the Rays' elimination number stands at one heading into the week. That means that the next win by Oakland or loss by Tampa Bay will officially clinch a spot for the A's.The AL Wild Card Game will be played on October 3and can be seen on TBS.The National League side is a bit more cluttered.The Chicago Cubs hold a 2.5-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central standings, with the Cardinals at 4.5 games back, so there's still a chance for both of those teams to seize the division title.The same goes for the Rockies, who trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 1.5 games in the NL West standings.So let's take a closer look at the remaining schedules for each of those five teams:CHC:vs. PIT (4), vs. STL (3)MIL:at STL (3), vs. DET (3)STL:vs. MIL (3), at CHC (3)LAD:at ARI (3), at SF (3)COL:vs. PHI (4) Starling Marte Jersey , vs. WAS (3)And here's a look at how each team has performed in September, to give an idea of their momentum:CHC:12-9 (+5 RD)MIL:13-7 (+43 RD)STL:11-10 (+8 RD)LAD:14-7 (+47 RD)COL:13-8 (+22 RD)The Cardinals have the toughest road ahead as they face off against the Cubs and Brewers. That also means they control their own destiny to some degree, as a big final week could vault them into the division lead.The Rockies might actually have the most favorable remaining schedule with series against a pair of non-contenders at home, but they're at an obvious disadvantage with a 1.5-game deficit to bridge in both the wild-card race and the NL West standings.The NL Wild Card Game will be played on October 2, and ESPN will have the broadcast. ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have built a 7 1/2-game lead in the National League East thanks to 42-21 record within the division and a 45-30 overall road record — the best in the league.Now the Braves (82-64) can wrap up the division title by turning SunTrust Park into a real home-field advantage during their final homestand beginning Friday night. Atlanta, just 37-34 in its home ballpark, welcomes Washington and St. Louis for three games each, then Philadelphia for four games before playing the final week of the regular season on the road against the New York Mets and Phillies.Article continues below ...Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the NL East race might go right to the wire. But the Phillies (74-71) fell on hard times and the Nationals (74-73) didn’t get things turned around quite fast enough.“We’ve worked hard to get to this point,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday after his team completed a 6-1 road trip by allowing just three total runs in a three-game sweep at San Francisco. “We’ve grinded through things to get to this position. We can look to bigger things now.”The Braves’ magic number for clinching the division title with 16 games to go is 10 versus the second-place Phillies and eight versus Washington, which fell 8 1/2 games behind with a 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in a makeup game at home. The Braves are 5-2 at home and 9-7 overall against the Nationals, who will pitch defending two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in the series opener. He is 17-6 with a 2.31 ERA and leads the major leagues with 271 strikeouts.Fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman will get the start for Atlanta http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-willie-stargell-jersey , which lost at least 90 games each of the past three seasons before turning things around this season. He is 9-10 with a 3.89 ERA overall but 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA since being acquired by the Braves at the end of July. Scherzer is coming into his fifth start of the season against Atlanta off his second complete game of the season. Gausman will face the Nationals for the first time with the Braves after his shortest outing for his new team.Gausman lasted just 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs in a loss at Arizona a day before Scherzer struck out 11 in nine innings in a home victory over the Chicago Cubs.“I had plenty in the tank,” Scherzer said after reaching double-figure strikeouts for the 16th time this season.Scherzer is 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 27 innings against Atlanta this season, improving to 9-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 21 career games versus the Braves.Gausman is 3-1 with a 4.34 ERA in five career outings against Washington, all while with Baltimore. He allowed four hits and two runs in six innings of a no-decision against the Nationals for the Orioles in June.Braves third baseman Johan Camargo is nursing a slight groin strain, but fill-in Charlie Culberson has flourished against the Nationals this season, batting .350 (14-for-40) with five homers and eight RBIs. Culberson has four hits, including a homer, in 10 at-bats against Scherzer.

 Dansby Swanson has been diagnosed with a partially torn ligament in his left hand after undergoing an MRI http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-yogi-berra-jersey , the team announcedon Wednesday.Swanson is scheduled to undergo daily treatment through the end of the regular season and will be re-evaluated next week.The 24-year-old previously landed on the 10-day disabled list May 4 because of left wrist inflammation, but the injury only sidelined him 14 games before he returned May 19.When healthy, Swanson has been a key piece for a Braves team that has gone 89-68 en route to a National League East title.To date Roger Maris Jersey , he has slashed .238/.304/.395 with 14home runs and 59RBI. He also ranks sixthamong all shortstops with 11defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.In the event the Braves have to tread water without Swanson again, third basemanJohan Camargocould slide inas Atlanta's stopgap starter at shortstop.If Camargo isn't the replacement Phil Rizzuto Jersey ,Charlie Culbersonshould see some time at short with the Panamanian holding down his usual post at the hot corner. Jason O. Watson/Getty ImagesBaseball Hall of Famer Willie McCovey died on Wednesday at the age of 80.Per Steve Kroner and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, McCovey died at Stanford Hospital following a "long battle with many health issues."The San Francisco Giants confirmed McCovey's death with a message on Twitter:San Francisco Giants SFGiantsIt is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie McCovey passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 80 after losing his battle with ongoing health issues.#Forever44 | #SFGiants ooOYg4ESolKroner and Shea noted McCovey was hospitalized last week after developing an infection.McCovey was previously rushed to a hospital in September 2014 after contracting an infection that nearly took his life."It almost killed me," McCovey told Shea in January. "It had spread Brett Gardner Jersey , and they had to take all the hardware out of my knees. That's why I can't stand now. That's why they put something in there to keep my legs straight. That's why I don't fly anymore, because I can't sit on an airplane.""Stretch" spent 19 of his 22 MLB seasons with the Giants. He was named to six All-Star teams, won NL Rookie of the Year award in 1959 and was named NL MVP in 1969. The Alabama native hit 521 career homers http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-wade-boggs-jersey , tied for 20th in MLB history, and was voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.

in the National League East race and will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday night against a team they’re still ahead of in the standings.The Phillies host the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game set. Jake Arrieta (9-9 Brandon Crawford Jersey , 3.37 ERA) will face Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez (7-11, 4.35) at Citizens Bank Park.The Phillies (70-62), following a ninth inning meltdown in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss, have fallen 4 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. It ties their largest deficit in the division this season.Article continues below ...They are also 2 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot after the loss Tuesday. The Phillies are 6-13 in their last 19 games and, including the current series against Washington, have not won any of their last seven series.“It’s a super difficult loss to swallow. And we’ll be ready to come out and fight (Wednesday),” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after Tuesday’s game. “… I don’t worry about this group at all. This group is so tenacious and so resilient, they’re going to get up (Wednesday) and we’re going to be ready to take on Gio Gonzalez. We’re already looking forward to that.”Arrieta http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-belt-jersey , one of the most-seasoned Phillies’ players and a 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, is trying to stop a personal losing streak. Philadelphia has lost all four of Arrieta’s starts in August, though the veteran right-hander has a 3.60 ERA this month and opponents are hitting .226 against him in that span.Arrieta gave up four runs on six hits, including two homers, and three walks across six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last start. It was Arrieta’s third straight outing in which he took a loss.Arrieta is 1-2 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 11 career starts against Washington.Gonzalez, a fellow 32-year-old, also has picked up three losses in his last three starts.Gonzalez has struggled in August with a 6.84 ERA in five starts, but he was much sharper in his last outing. Gonzalez allowed one run on seven hits and went seven innings against the New York Mets on Friday. Washington Jeff Samardzija Jersey , however, was shut out 3-0.“It was just one of those games,” Gonzalez told reporters after the game. “I’m happy to turn things around, but I wish I could have been better.”Gonzalez will be making his 26th career start against the Phillies on Wednesday. He is 11-7 with a 2.69 ERA versus Philadelphia.The Nationals (67-66), who are eight games behind Atlanta, are 8-7 against the Phillies this season after taking the first two games of this series.Ryan Zimmerman has been a big part of a few of those wins, including a 3-for-4 performance with three doubles Tuesday night. Zimmerman is hitting .474 with six extra-base hits in five games against the Phillies this season.Zimmerman, though http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-johnny-cueto-jersey , is 5-for-21 with 10 strikeouts versus Arrieta. MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former baseball commissioner Bud Selig still would like to cut down the time it takes to play a game.The average length of time for a nine-inning game was 3 hours, 44 seconds this year, down from 3:05:11 in 2017. Games have gradually taken longer since 2005, when the average length was 2:46.Speaking before Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Friday night, Selig said 2:45 would be an ideal length.“I keep being reminded by guys who played the game for years, they never stepped out of the box, nobody ever allowed them to step out of the box,” Selig said.A Hall of Famer and former Brewers owner. Selig threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Milwaukee hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers.Replay reviews and commercials are among factors that have lengthened games.“There were things that we did that I didn’t like Mark Melancon Jersey , and I worried about what it would do to the game, like pitch clocks, but we’re living in a different generation,” he said. “They’re very sensitive. If we can get back to 2:45, I’d be very happy.”Selig said it was hard to be critical of teams that chose to long-term strategies to rebuild back to contender status, a path followed by the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs in recent years.“Tell me another way, especially if you’re in a medium to small market, but even in a big-market club http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-deion-sanders-jersey , that you can rebuild if you don’t have a farm system that’s producing top-notch talent. There is no other way,” Selig said.So all these people that (complain) and yell and scream and holler — if you ask, ‘What’s your alternative?’ They don’t have one,” he added.