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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.

The 2018 MLB playoff bracket is finally set Carlos Carrasco Jersey ,  and Los Angeles Dodgers won their tiebreaker games on Monday to take home the NL Central and NL West division crowns, respectively.Milwaukee left Wrigley Field with a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, clinching home field advantage throughout the NL. The Dodgers won the NL West after beating the Colorado Rockies 5-2.The Cubs and Rockies will meet in Chicago on Tuesday evening to determine the NL Wild Card winner, with the victor playing the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. The Dodgers will welcome the NL East champion Atlanta Braves on Thursday.advertisingOn Wednesday, the Oakland Athletics will visit the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game. The winner will play the 108-win Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, beginning on Friday at Fenway park.Meanwhile, the defending World Series champion Houston Astros will take on the Cleveland Indians Roy Oswalt Jersey , who won their third consecutive AL Central division title. The Astros are aiming to be the first team to successfully defend its World Series since the 2000 New York Yankees. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY SportsThe two NLDS series begin Thursday, and the ALDS will begin on Friday. The Division Series is scheduled to conclude by Oct. 11 at the latest, while the NLCS and ALCS聽 will begin on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, respectively. Game 1 of the World Series is slated for Oct. 23, and Game 7 (if necessary), will happen on Halloween night.advertisingThe 2018 MLB playoffs should be extra exciting this year, since the field is wide open. The Red Sox http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-carlos-lee-jersey , Yankees and Astros each reached the 100-win mark, while the Brewers and Cubs won 96 and 95, respectively. The Dodgers and Indians didn't come close to 100 victories, but we know how dangerous both teams can be in the playoffs.It's all about which team gets hot at the right time in October. Anybody can win the World Series this year, and it promises to be another great season of playoff baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals (69-57) will try to stay hot and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (67-59) for the fourth consecutive time on Tuesday when they visit them again as large road underdogs at the sportsbooks.The Cardinals won the series opener 5-3 on Monday to earn their third straight victory against the Dodgers and 11th in 13 games overall after losing six of the previous seven meetings, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -155 favorites (wager $155 to win $100); the total is at eight runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)MLB betting pick J.R. Richard Jersey , via OddsShark computer: 4.0-0.6, Dodgers (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news. Why the Cardinals can pay on the MLB linesSt. Louis is playing as well as any team in baseball right now and has passed Los Angeles in the National League standings. If the postseason started today, the Dodgers would not be in the playoff field, and the Cardinals would like to keep it that way since they are in direct competition with them for one of the two wild-card spots.Rookie pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon (0-0, 2.04 ERA) will make his second career start, and he was nearly perfect in his first back on July 23 against the Cincinnati Reds. In that road game at Cincinnati http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-altuve-jersey , the 26-year-old threw seven hitless innings en route to a 2-1 win, walking three and striking out three on 116 total pitches. So the potential is there. Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB linesLos Angeles got great news before Monday's game when it was announced that closer Kenley Jansen is back from an irregular heartbeat with no restrictions. The Dodgers struggled without Jansen, going 4-7 in the 11 games he missed and falling out of first place in the NL West.Despite losing the series opener, they also have to be happy with how Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-0, 1.77 ERA) pitched after returning from a groin injury. The 31-year-old threw six scoreless innings in a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants last Wednesday, scattering three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. He had not pitched since May 2. Smart betting pickEven though the price is a bit high on Los Angeles in this spot, the right team is favored with a much more experienced starting pitcher on the mound. The Dodgers simply cannot afford to lose here Craig Biggio Jersey , so look for them to bounce back with a big victory Tuesday. MLB betting trendsThe total has gone under in four of St. Louis' last six games.The total has gone under in 15 of Los Angeles' last 23 games.The total has gone under in four of Los Angeles' last five games when playing St. Louis. All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

SEATTLE (AP) — d Lorena Martin this season in part because she created a hostile work environment and ignored recommended treatments for injured players issued by team doctors.The Mariners’ claims were revealed in a filing in King County Superior Court in response to Martin’s lawsuit against the team filed earlier this month. The club’s response was an eight-page Reggie Jackson Jersey , weeks-old letter originally filed in an attempt to have her situation settled in private arbitration, but it became public after it was attached to a motion filed by Martin’s attorney.The Mariners say unnamed employees had warned general manager Jerry Dipoto last March that Martin was ignoring medical advice on treatment of injured players and that she was misrepresenting herself “as a medical doctor to other MLB teams’ staff.”The team also said it had received “overwhelming and accumulating” employee complaints about Martin.Martin’s wrongful-termination lawsuit claimed she went to team owners John Stanton and Buck Ferguson and CEO Kevin Mather as far back as March to complain about alleged discriminatory treatment.The lawsuit also says several Latino players complained to Martin about feeling excluded and that Dipoto took midseason steps to deliberately undermine the progress and mental state of star pitcher Felix Hernandez.The Mariners have denied all of Martin’s claims.“Martin’s allegations of discrimination are not true,” the Mariners’ letter states. “No indication, much less evidence, of such was identified during the course of the independent investigation which involved personal interviews of approximately 20 individuals who were in position to know.” ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fortunately for the Milwaukee Brewers, they didn’t slip up.The Brewers clinched their first playoff spot since 2011 by ensuring at least a spot in the NL wild-card game, helped Wednesday night when a rookie St. Louis pinch-runner suddenly fell on his way to the plate in a 2-1 win over the contending Cardinals.“I saw him go down and luckily we were able to put a tag on him and get him out,” Brewers reliever Josh Hader said. “I’ve never seen that before but it was definitely good on our side.”The Brewers (92-67) remained a half-game behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee’s win also sealed a postseason berth for the Cubs.Milwaukee began the day 3 ½ games ahead of Colorado for the top wild-card slot. St. Louis (87-71) entered a half-game behind the Rockies for the final wild-card berth.The Cardinals missed a big chance to tie it in the eighth inning. Matt Carpenter drew a two-out walk and was lifted for pinch-runner Adolis Garcia. Jose Martinez then hit a slow roller to third baseman Mike Moustakas http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-bernie-williams-jersey , who threw wildly to first.Garcia was waved home, but slipped rounding third base and fell halfway to the plate. He got to his feet and had no chance, easily tagged out after second baseman Hernan Perez made a strong throw.“The kid’s giving you everything he’s got, it’s just unfortunate he fell,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “It’s one of those things that happened. Clearly, it would’ve tied the game but it wasn’t for lack of effort. Things happen and he was giving everything he had.”Milwaukee turned that break into a three-game sweep at Busch Stadium. And while the Brewers enjoyed an enthusiastic celebration in their clubhouse, the prospect of catching the Cubs still hung in the air.“We like our chances, but obviously winning the division would be huge C.C. Sabathia Jersey ,” outfielder Ryan Braun said. “The wild-card game, no matter how good you are, it is always somewhat of a coin flip. So we have to take care of business. We have to continue to win games and continue to play the way we’ve played to this point and hopefully find a way to win the division.”Milwaukee advanced to the NL Championship Series in 2011 before being eliminated in six games by the eventual World Series champion Cardinals.Jhoulys Chacin pitched five strong innings and Travis Shaw hit a pair of RBI singles for Milwaukee.“When you’ve got games left still and you’ve got something to play for there’s stuff ahead of us, but you do this to enjoy what you’ve accomplished,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “We know that we’ve made the playoffs, we have a chance to play in the playoffs and we have three big games left.”Chacin (15-8), who had lost his last three decisions, gave up one run on just one hit over five innings. He needed a season-low 60 pitches and faced three batters over the minimum.“We definitely caught a break there http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-randy-johnson-jersey , it was a strange play,” Counsell said of the Garcia fall. “We pitched really well tonight. Chacin was brilliant. It was just a really well played game.”Xavier Cedeno, Corbin Burnes, Hader and Jeremy Jeffress combined for four shutout innings as the Brewers held the Cardinals to a season-low two hits. Jeffress earned his 13th save in 18 chances.Milwaukee now returns to Miller Park to take on the lowly Detroit Tigers in the three-game series starting Friday to end the regular season. The Cardinals travel to face the Cubs for the three-game set.Shaw’s single scored Christian Yelich, who walked all five times he came to the plate, and gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the third.Shaw broke a 1-all time with an RBI single off Dakota Hudson in the fifth, again scoring Yelich, to make it 2-1.“It’s cool Andy Pettitte Jersey ,” Shaw said. “I mean anytime you do that it’s cool but especially on a clinching night, it feels pretty good.”Yelich, who reached on a walk by Chasen Shreve (3-4), became the ninth inherited runner out of 18 that Hudson has allowed to score.“Hopefully this is the first of many celebrations and rightfully so to celebrate this moment,” Yelich said. “But we’ve got a big weekend ahead so we’re going to enjoy it tonight and get back to work.”Cardinals starter John Gant stranded runners in each of his first four innings before being lifted with one out in the fifth. It is the fourth time in his last five starts that Gant failed to go more than 4 1/3 innings.Jedd Gyorko’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fourth made it 1-all.Cardinals infielder Paul DeJong hung back to watch the Brewers’ on-field celebration.“They earned it,” DeJong said. “It’s something that I want. It’s something that I’ve done in the minor leagues. I really wanted to be out there doing it with us but we’re going to have to keep pushing and try to pull something out.”TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers: Jeffress, who missed the series opener because of neck spasms, pitched for the first time since Friday went 1 1/3 innings.UP NEXTBrewers: RHP Zach Davies (2-7 http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-gary-sanchez-jersey , 4.65 ERA) begins the three-game series at home Friday night against Detroit and RHP Jordan Zimmermann (7-8, 4.31 ERA). Davies, who is making his first career start against the Tigers, gave up two runs in four innings in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last Saturday.Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (2-3, 4.08 ERA) gets the start in the opener of a three-game series at Chicago and RHP Kyle Hendricks (13-11, 3.49 ERA) on Friday afternoon. Wainwright leads all active pitchers with 15 wins against the Cubs and his 11 career wins at Wrigley Field is third all-time in franchise history behind Bob Gibson (15) and Harry Brecheen (13).

 Red Sox are both sending their ace left-handed pitchers to the mound in Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday night http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-brian-mccann-jersey , and that could give the National League champions a strong opportunity to set the tone in the Fall Classic.The Red Sox won 108 games during the regular season while the Dodgers won 92, but if Los Angeles wins the opener on the road, it is likely to create confidence in the winners' locker room.The first pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET and the game will be televised by Fox. Partly cloudy skies and high 40s to low 50s temperatures are expected at game time, although showers are a possibility during the game, per the Weather Channel. World Series ScheduleTuesday, October 23 (Game 1): Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETWednesday, October 24 (Game 2):Los Angeles DodgersatBoston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETFriday, October 26 (Game 3):Boston Red SoxatLos Angeles Dodgers, 8:09 p.m. ETSaturday, October 27 (Game 4):Boston Red SoxatLos Angeles Dodgers, 8:09 p.m. ETSunday, October 28 (Game 5, if necessary):Boston Red SoxatLos Angeles Dodgers Josh Reddick Jersey , 8:15 p.m. ETTuesday, October 30 (Game 6, if necessary):Los Angeles DodgersatBoston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETWednesday, October 31 (Game 7, if necessary):Los Angeles DodgersatBoston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETAll World Series games will be televised by Fox. The matchup between Clayton Kershaw facing and Chris Sale has a chance to be a classic. If the Dodgers ace has his good fastball and dynamic curveball working, the Red Sox batting order is going to have a difficult time stringing hits together. The same holds for the Dodgers lineup if Sale is throwing his fastball in the 95-96 miles per hour range and has command of his slider.However, both star pitchers have issues. Kershaw has been one of the dominant pitchers of his generation in the regular season, but his postseason performances have been mostly ordinary throughout his career. Kershaw takes a 9-8 career postseason record onto the Fenway Park mound, and he has had his biggest issues away from home.The Dodgers are 5-6 in Kershaw's 11 road postseason starts, and one of those was Game 5 of last year's World Series against the Houston Astros. Kershaw gave up six earned runs in that game, and the Astros prevailed by a 13-12 margin.Sale suffered from shoulder difficulties throughout the second half of the season. He was on the disabled list twice, and while he performed well against the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, he was off of his game when he started against Houston in Game 1 of the ALCS. Sale has not pitched since October 13 Tyler Clippard Jersey , and the Red Sox are hoping he will be near his best form in this game.The Red Sox are -160 favorites in Game 1 (bet $160 to win $100), while the Dodgers are +135 underdogs, per OddsShark.The Red Sox led the major leagues in scoring and have strength throughout their lineup. Jackie Bradley Jr., who often bats ninth for Boston, won the ALCS MVP after driving in nine runs with a bases-loaded double, a grand slam and a two-run homer.Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez are Boston's best hitters, while Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi and the first base combination of Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce are capable of big hits.The Dodgers are a powerful team that had seven hitters with 21 or more home runs. Max Muncy led the Dodgers with 35 long balls, and Los Angeles also depends on Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Manny Machado and Yasiel Puig. World Series PropsProp bets also come into play during the World Series, and while they don't have the same kind of popularity as those offered in the NFL postseason or before the Super Bowl, it gives fans a chance to show off their knowledge and perhaps win some cash.Vegas Insider reports key prop bets on the World Series MVP and the number of games needed for each team to win the series.Kershaw is the slight favorite to win the series MVP award at 7-1, followed by Betts at 15-2 and Sale and Martinez at 8-1. Machado follows at 10-1, while Benintendi is listed at 15-1 Marwin Gonzalez Jersey , along with Turner, Puig and Chris Taylor.The Red Sox winning the World Series in six games is the most popular choice in potential outcomes at +350, followed by Boston winning in seven at +400. The Dodgers winning in six games is next at +500.A Red Sox sweep will pay off at +1000 while a victory by the Dodgers in four games would pay off at a whopping +1400. New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez will reportedly be placed on the disabled list after suffering a groin injury during Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.Olney reported a Tuesday MRI confirmed Sanchez's injury. Per Jon Heyman of Fancred, it is believed the catcher reaggravated the injury on a first-inning passed ball, which allowed a run to score from second:Sanchez later received criticism for not running out a grounder that ended the game, keeping the tying run from scoring in a 7-6 loss:As it turns out, he was hurt.Sanchez has been one of the most productive catchers in MLB since breaking out with 20 home runs in 53 appearances for the Yanks in 2016. While his batting average is below the Mendoza Line, his power numbers (14 HR, 42 RBI) have remained valuable.The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native suffered the first significant injury of his Yankees career in late June when he was placed on the disabled list with a right groin strain.After Sanchez's latest setback, Austin Romine should see a lion's share of the starts behind the plate for New York.Although the Yanks should have enough offensive depth to survive a short-term absence from Sanchez, any type of extended DL stay would limit the team's upside. He's a key piece of the puzzle, especially at a position where most teams don't receive high-end hitting numbers.

NEW YORK (AP) —of the AL wild-card game Michael Pineda Jersey , though some viewers on its digital app complained of technical issues leading to accidental blackouts.The telecast of the New York Yankees’ 7-2 win over the Oakland Athletics was the most-watched program on cable Wednesday night, based on overnight delivery. It reached a peak of 7.5 million viewers, the best for an AL wild-card game ever on TBS. Its average viewership of 6.4 million was up 51 percent from TBS’s 2016 broadcast of the AL game between Baltimore and Toronto and 45 percent from last year’s NL game between Arizona and Colorado.TBS broadcasted both wild-card games in 2012 and ’13 and has alternated hosting the AL and NL wild-card games since.Turner also said viewership was up 120 percent on its digital platforms versus the 2016 AL game, though some viewers complained on social media the broadcast was blacked out. The technical issues are believed to have been resolved after the first few innings. DENVER (AP) — Viewed as a power pitcher, Jon Gray always felt he needed to rely on strikeouts.He altered that thinking. This is Jon Gray: Version 2.0.Gray threw effectively into the seventh inning and Ian Desmond hit a two-run triple in the sixth, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.“Jon wasn’t as crisp as we’ve seen him, but yet he pitched into the seventh inning,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.All part of his change.He was sent to the minors earlier this season to hone his command and Gray returned a different pitcher. He doesn’t rely on his fastball as much as he placed more faith in his breaking pitches.“It’s more of a controlled aggression than being aggressive Fernando Rodney Jersey ,” Gray explained. “I’m not trying to make it nasty and throw it under their bat. I’m trying to make a quality pitch that’s sharp, that’s in the strike zone, but keeping it out of the heart of the plate.”Gray (10-7) went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs before running out of steam and turning it over to the bullpen. He’s now 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA over seven starts since his recall from Triple-A Albuquerque.“I hit the reset button,” Gray said.After allowing a run in the first, Gray settled into a groove against a Padres team that was missing infielder Wil Myers after he was a late scratch. Myers sustained a cut on his nose when a grounder hit him in the face while he was fielding during batting practice.Padres manager Andy Green said after the game there was no concussion.“He definitely took a hard one off the face. I don’t know that he was ever pretty but he’s definitely not pretty right now,” Green said. “Probably down (Thursday) and hope we can get him back in rhythm in L.A.”Myers was scheduled to make his eighth start at third base as the Padres experimented with sliding the veteran first baseman across the infield. Instead, Cory Spangenberg moved to third and Jose Pirela played second.Rockies catcher Tony Wolters added an RBI triple and a run-scoring sacrifice fly for the rolling Rockies, who began the day 1 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Arizona.Jacob Nix (1-2) turned in a solid outing in his first career road start. He allowed three runs over five innings.“There’s still very much to like and a lot to look forward to http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-addison-reed-jersey ,” Green said of his right-hander.The Rockies improved to 24-24 against teams with a losing record. In contrast, they’re 45-33 versus those at or above the .500 mark.“It shows you why you can’t sleep on anybody,” said Carlos Gonzalez, who had an RBI single in the first.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: INF Christian Villanueva has a fractured finger and will be placed on the disabled list, Green said.ROSTER MOVEThe New York Yankees acquired catcher Chris Rabago off waivers from the Rockies and optioned him to Double-A Trenton. The move freed up a spot on the 40-man roster for the Rockies, which could potentially be used to add Matt Holliday. The slugger is currently hitting .346 with Triple-A Albuquerque.GONE TO THE DOGSIt was a “ruff” night as a parade of pooches made their way around the field before the game as part of a promotion called “Bark at the Park.”“This is the tail end of the dog days” of summer, Black joked. “This is the back end of the dog days.”TROUBLESOME INNINGSpangenberg had an RBI double in the first, which has turned into a problematic inning for the Rockies. The starting pitchers have allowed 110 runs in the opening inning this season.START OF SOMETHINGThe Rockies have now won each of Gray’s last nine starts. It matches Ubaldo Jimenez’s stretch in 2010 for the team’s longest win streak during a pitcher’s starts in franchise history.THIS & THATGray was cruising along http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-mauer-jersey , retiring 12 straight, before SS Freddy Galvis lined a solo homer in the seventh. … Desmond scored two runs and stole a base.UP NEXTPadres LHP Joey Lucchesi (6-7, 3.79 ERA) makes his fourth career start against Colorado on Thursday. The Rockies counter with LHP Kyle Freeland (11-7, 2.96). He’s 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts at home.

Red Sox Huston Street Jersey , free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel is generating a lot of interest on the open market.Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals are all possible suitors for Kimbrel.The Red Sox extended Kimbrel aqualifying offer http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-rod-carew-jersey , which would guarantee him $17.9 million in 2019 if he accepts it before the Nov. 12 deadline.Red Soxpresident of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters at Tuesday's general manager meetings he anticipates Kimbrel will turn down the offer."He may be calling around seeing what else is out there," Dombrowski said (h/t MassLive.com'sChris Cotillo). "You don't want to be caught by surprise when you're out there pursuing something real strong."The Phillies, Braves and Cardinals all ranked in the bottom half of Major League Baseball in bullpen ERA last season. The Cardinals have the most pressing need for a closer http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-nolan-ryan-jersey , as Bud Norris is a free agent.Kimbrel posted a 2.74 ERA with 42 saves, 96 strikeouts and 31 hits allowed in 62.1 innings for the Red Sox in 2018. PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies did not tender contracts to first baseman Justin Bour and left-hander Luis Avilan, allowing the players to become free agents.Both players were acquired in trades during the season and saw limited action in Philadelphia.Bour hit .224 with one homer and five RBIs in 49 at-bats after batting .227 with 19 homers and 54 RBIs in 112 games for the Marlins.Avilan had a 3.18 ERA in 12 games for the Phillies Cameron Maybin Jersey , spanning 5 2/3 innings. He was 2-1 with two saves and a 3.86 ERA in 58 appearances for the White Sox.The Phillies tendered contracts to other arbitration-eligible players on Friday, including right-handers Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-reggie-jackson-jersey , Hector Neris, Jerad Eickhoff and Luis Garcia; left-hander Adam Morgan; infielders Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco; and outfielder Aaron Altherr.

BALTIMORE (AP) — http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-clay-buchholz-jersey , circling the bases in a display that manager Bob Melvin described as “remarkable.”Finally, deep into the third inning, Ramon Laureano hit a popup to the shortstop. A mock cheer swelled from the small crowd of 10,480 at Camden Yards.“I was like, ‘Ooh.’ I didn’t realize nobody had gotten out yet,” Oakland slugger Matt Olson said. Olson homered during a 10-run inning in which the first 11 batters reached base, and the Athletics blanked the Baltimore Orioles 10-0 Wednesday night. With their sixth straight victory, the A’s moved within one game of the Yankees for the top AL wild card. New York lost 3-1 at Minnesota.Oakland totaled 10 hits and two walks in its biggest inning of the year. Olson provided the big blow — a three-run shot off Andrew Cashner (4-15) — and three different players had two hits.“I don’t know if I’ve been a part of one of those,” Olson said. “It seemed like everybody was working the count and getting a good pitch and squaring it up.”Oakland sent 15 batters to the plate and generated more than enough offense to match its longest winning streak of the season. The A’s trail first-place Houston by three games in the AL West and own a comfortable lead for the second wild card. Daniel Mengden (7-6) pitched five innings of no-hit relief after entering in the second for starter Liam Hendriks, who went one inning by design.Baltimore’s lone hit was a clean single to left field in the first by Trey Mancini. The final 20 batters went down in order following a third-inning walk to Jace Peterson.“We didn’t hit anything hard,” manager Buck Showalter said. “Nothing to really put your arms around and feel proud of.”The A’s have already clinched their 10th series win in the last 13 (10-1-2) and will go for a three-game sweep of the woeful Orioles on Thursday night. After going a major league-best 34-15 since the All-Star break, Oakland is 32 games over .500 (89-57) for the first time since September 2003.Baltimore has lost six in a row to fall to 41-104 Aaron Altherr Jersey , the worst record in the majors. It’s the eighth time this season the Orioles have been mired in a skid of at least six games.After breezing through the first two innings, Cashner never got another out. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Matt Chapman, who hit a two-run double.Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis followed with singles before Olson hit his 26th home run. Three singles and a walk followed before Cody Carroll retired Laureano.Chapman followed with an RBI single for the 10th run.“Pretty remarkable inning,” Melvin said. “You don’t see that happen very often. It was nice to be able to create a little distance.”There was one remaining moment of suspense. Needing a home run to complete the cycle in the ninth inning, Laureano looked at a called third strike.TRAINER’S ROOMAthletics: Oakland has used the disabled list 26 times this season, compared to 23 last year. The club record is 27, set in 2016.Orioles: DH Mark Trumbo (knee surgery) and LHP Richard Bleier (lat surgery) dropped by the clubhouse, even though both are done for the year. The hope is that both will be available at the start of the 2019 season. “We like where it’s headed. Everything’s been fine,” Showalter said. “I wouldn’t commit that they’re both going to be there on opening day, but there’s a chance.”YOUTH IS SERVEDLeft fielder DJ Stewart became the 14th player to make his major league debut with Baltimore this season, tying the Orioles record set in 1955.The Orioles will start a pair of rookie pitchers in the upcoming series against the White Sox. Luis Ortiz — part of the haul in the July trade for Jonathan Schoop — makes his first major league start Friday night, and Yefry Ramirez will go Saturday.UP NEXTAthletics: LHP Brett Anderson (3-4 http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-chase-utley-jersey , 4.02 ERA), who has a 6.55 ERA in two career starts against Baltimore, gets the ball in the series finale Thursday night.Orioles: Dylan Bundy (7-14, 5.58 ERA) looks for his first victory since July 29. He’s 0-5 in his last seven starts with 11 home runs allowed. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Another solid outing from Mike Fiers and Jed Lowrie’s 100th career home run helped the surging Oakland Athletics move a step closer to first place in the AL West.The Seattle Mariners, who were eight games ahead of Oakland six weeks weeks ago, are just trying to stick around in the wild-card race, a task that got a little tougher following an injury to ace James Paxton’s pitching arm.Jed Lowrie hit a two-run homer after his line drive knocked Paxton out of the game in the first inning, and Oakland beat Seattle 3-2 on Tuesday night to move within one game of the slumping Houston Astros.Fiers (8-6) gave up two runs on six hits in six innings with five strikeouts in his second start since being acquired in a trade from Detroit.Oakland won its fourth straight and improved to 17-6 since the All-Star break. The Astros have been in first since June 14 and led by as many as six games in late July, while the A’s haven’t had a share of first place this late in a season since Aug. 25, 2014.“We feel good,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ve got some confidence Richie Ashburn Jersey , obviously, because of the stretch. But I don’t think anybody’s thinking about that right now. We’re just trying to win.”It got a bit easier after Paxton’s early exit. He allowed a home run to Marcus Semien and struck out Matt Chapman before Lowrie lined a 2-1 pitch up the middle that hit the left-hander.“It got all muscle,” Paxton said. “It’s just swollen right now. It tightened up right away. By the time I walked off the mound it was starting to puff up.”Mariners manager Scott Servais said Paxton will miss at least one start.“We’ll know more in the next coming days and how the swelling is,” Servais said. “It’s unfortunate, but looking on the bright side, we probably got a little lucky. It could have been a lot, lot worse.”Felix Hernandez replaced Paxton in the first relief appearance of his career after 398 starts. The former Cy Young Award winner, who has struggled all year and was demoted to the bullpen last week, allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.“It was weird,” Hernandez said. “I just grabbed the ball and tried to throw as many pitches as I could, trying to get loose. I know my body, I know my arm. I was ready to go.”Hernandez’s stay in the bullpen might not last long. He’s expected to take Paxton’s turn in the rotation until the left-hander returns.“Paxton has been a horse for us all year. He’s had a great season Chuck Klein Jersey ,” Servais said. “But there’s nothing you can do. It was a comebacker that was hit really hard. I knew right away when I went out there it wasn’t going to be good.”Robinson Cano returned to Seattle’s lineup after serving an 80-game suspension for using a diuretic that can mask performance-enhancing drugs. The eight-time All-Star batted second and played first base, going 1 for 4.Four Oakland relievers combined to pitch three scoreless innings. Blake Treinen worked the ninth for his 32nd save in 36 opportunities.Hernandez (8-11) walked Khris Davis but pitched out of the jam in the first. He ran into trouble in the third after a two-out walk to Chapman. Lowrie followed with his 19th homer this season.“It was a pretty good curveball. I think he was sitting on it,” Hernandez said. “I just have to attack the hitters, attack the strike zone and make good pitches.”Cameron Maybin homered for Seattle.ODDS AND ENDSThe A’s are 38-12 since June 16, their best 50-game stretch since 2005. … Semien’s leadoff homer was the second of his career. The other came Sept. 26, 2017 and was also off Paxton. … Maybin has a nine-game hitting streak.TRAINER’S ROOMMariners: 2B Dee Gordon was back in the lineup after sitting out the series opener with a bruised right shoulder he suffered sliding into a base in Houston on Sunday.UP NEXTSeattle RHP Mike Leake (8-7, 4.11 ERA) seeks his first win in three starts against Oakland this season. Leake has five consecutive quality starts. LHP Brett Anderson (2-3, 4.53) is 2-1 since coming off the disabled list.

League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers Asdrubal Cabrera Jersey , according to David O'Brien of The Athletic.Swanson has been out since Sept. 25 with a partially torn ligament in his hand, and the issue is bad enough to keep him off the playoff roster for the opening series.The 24-year-old finished the season hitting .238 with 14 home runs and 10 stolen basis in 136 games.Perhaps most importantly, he is an above-average defender at a premium position who ranked third in the National League with a .981 fielding percentage at shortstop, per Baseball Reference.The Braves were reportedly "cautiously optimistic" that Swanson would be healthy enough to return to the field in time for the start of the postseason, per Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Unfortunately, he felt discomfort after taking swings on Saturday http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tug-mcgraw-jersey , according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.Swanson will hope he can be healthy enough to play in time for the NLCS, assuming Atlanta is able to advance beyond the first round.Meanwhile, utilityman Charlie Culberson will likely move into the starting lineup at shortstop after filling in for Swanson over the final week of the regular season.The 29-year-old has played seven different positions this season verything but catcher and center field ncluding 15 starts at shortstop. After hitting .270 with a .792 OPS this year, the Braves will be in good shape even without one of their top young players. Not long after he was traded to the Seattle Mariners, the Tampa Bay Rays are set to acquire former Cleveland Indians slugger Edwin Encarnacion in a three-team trade.Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had the details of the trade.Encarnacion to #Mariners, Carlos Santana to #Indians in three-team trade Juan Lagares Jersey , sources tell The Athletic. #Rays also involved, getting player from CLE. First: @jonheyman.— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2018Money exchanged in the three-team trade, per source:$5M from #Rays to #Mariners.$6M from #Mariners to #Indians.Encarnacion owed $25M for one year, including $5M buyout.Santana, headed to #Indians http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-travis-d_arnaud-jersey , owed $35M for two years, including $500K buyout.— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2018So Encarnacion's tenure as a Seattle Mariner will be very short and sweet. The Mariners acquired Carlos Santana from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Jean Segura blockbuster trade completed last week. In flipping Santana to Cleveland and Encarnacion back to Tampa, the rebuilding Mariners clear out more money.As for the Rays, the front office finally found that slugger they've wanted for quite some time. The addition of Encarnacion comes a day after Tampa signed former Houston Astros pitcher Charlie Morton to a two-year deal worth $30 million.advertisingEncarnacion is in the final season of a three-year deal worth $60 million, signed with the Indians in the 2016 offseason. He was part of two AL Central division winning teams Noah Syndergaard Jersey , but Encarnacion's stats dipped significantly when he left the Toronto Blue Jays for 'The Land'. Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY SportsDespite a lower batting average and higher strikeout rate in Cleveland, Encarnacion remains one of the most potent sluggers in all off baseball. He's now hit 30-plus homers in seven straight years, with at least 100 RBIs in six of those seasons.advertisingWhat This MeansThe Rays finished with a 90-72 record last season, good for third in the AL East. With a new standout pitcher in Morton and a big time hitter on the way, this team has the chance to make some serious noise and contend for the playoffs.Cleveland brings back a fan favorite that spent eight years in the organization, all while cutting payroll. And the Mariners clear out even more money as they try to save up http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-yoenis-cespedes-jersey , with an eye on the future.This looks like a clear win-win for all three teams.