Oct 18

ALCS Game Five, 2018

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Red Sox at Astros, 5:09 PM PDT, TV: TBS

Backs to the wall, the Astros send ace RHP Justin Verlander to the mound to stop the Red Sox. The Sox counter with LHP David Price. Verlander gave up two runs on two hits in six innings in Game One of this series, while Price went 4 2/3 innings in Game Two, giving up five hits and four runs. The Sox scored five in the first three innings and were never caught, so for the first time in Price’s career his team won a postseason game he’d started.

Today in Red Sox history:

  • 1971 Dick Williams is named the Associated Press American League Manager of the Year after guiding the A’s to their first playoff appearance since the franchise faced St. Louis in the 1931 Fall Classic. The 42 year-old skipper also copped the honor for piloting the Red Sox during the team’s Impossible Dream season in 1967.
  • 1999 The Yankees win their record 36th pennant when the team beats the Red Sox, 6-1, in Game 5 of the ALCS. Orlando Hernandez blanks Boston into the eighth inning with Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada providing the offense punch with two-run round-trippers, respectively in the first and ninth frames of the Fenway Park contest.
  • 2004 After 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 471 pitches, the Red Sox outlast the Yankees, 5-4, in Game 5 of the league championship. Boston’s DH David Ortiz, who is the first player in baseball history to hit two walk-off home runs during the postseason, ends the longest game in ALCS history at 1:22 a.m. with a two-out single into center scoring Johnny Damon from second in the 14th inning at Fenway Park.
  • 2008 The Red Sox, scoring in each of the last three innings, erase a seven-run deficit in the seventh to beat the Rays, 8-7, in Game 5 of the ALCS. The Philadelphia A’s, who rallied after trailing 8-0 to beat the Cubs, 10-8, in Game 4 of the 1929 World Series, are the only team to have made a bigger comeback in the postseason.

Today in Astros’ history:

  • 2001 Larry Dierker, who left the Astros’ broadcast booth to take over the dugout duties as the team’s skipper in 1997, resigns as Houston manager (448-362, .553, four divisional titles), despite tying the Cardinals for the best record in the National League (93-69) and winning the Central Division. The team failed to win a playoff series in his five-year tenure, going 2-12 in postseason action.
  • 2017 Masahiro Tanaka pitches seven innings of three-hit ball and the Yankees shut out the Astros in Game Five of the ALCS to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Astros won the next two games and moved on to the 2018 World Series for the second time in team history (2005).

Lineups when available.

Oct 17

NLCS Game Five, 2018

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Brewers at Dodgers, 2:05 PM PDT, TV: FS1

Wade Miley goes for the Brewers on short rest. He threw 5 2/3 innings in Game Two of this series and watched the bullpen give up four runs late. Clayton Kershaw pitches for the Dodgers after a lackluster outing in Game One.

Why is Kershaw getting fewer strikeouts this season? Possibly because the respective speeds of his fastball and slider are converging.

Due to his second-inning ankle injury, the Brewers have removed LHP Gio Gonzalez from their 25-man roster and added RHP Zach Davies as his injury replacement.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1978 The Yankees capture their twenty-second and second consecutive World Championship, beating Los Angeles with a 7-2 victory at Dodger Stadium. Playoff hero Bucky Dent, who collects ten hits in the six-game series, is named the Fall Classic’s Most Valuable Player.

Today in Brewers’ history:

  • 1982 In Game 5 played at County Stadium, Robin Yount becomes the first player in World Series history to have two four-hit games. In addition to today’s 4-for-4 performance, the Brewers’ third baseman collected four hits in 6 at-bats in the opening game of the Fall Classic, helping Milwaukee to beat the Cardinals, 10-0.

Lineups when available.

Brewers:


Dodgers:


Oct 16

NLCS Game Four, 2018

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Brewers at Dodgers, 6:09 PM PDT, TV: FS1

LHP Gio Gonzalez (10-11, 4.21 ERA) goes for the Brewers and LHP Rich Hill (11-5, 3.66 ERA) for the Dodgers. Gonzalez started Game One of this series but by design went only two innings, giving up a home run to Manny Machado. He faced the Dodgers in Game Three of the 2016 NLDS while with the Nationals, going 4 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and three runs and not figuring in the decision. Hill walked five in Game Four of the NLDS against the Braves but limited the damage to two runs in 4 1/3 innings. He faced the Brewers twice in the regular season, giving up one run in six innings each time.

People are writing:

Machado on hustle.

“It was a pretty bad game for everybody calling himself a Dodger.”

‘You don’t rise to the occasion, the occasion rises to you’: The mysticism of Rich Hill.

Kiké Hernandez on Twitter.

The Brewers’ Counsell shares the Sporting News NL Manager of the Year award with the Braves’ Brian Snitker. Counsell won the award outright last season.

Matt Kemp is the Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year. David Price of the Red Sox won the AL award.

Today in Brewers’ history:

  • 1982 The Brewers defeat St. Louis in Game Four of the World Series with a six-run seventh-inning.
  • 2011 The Cardinals capture their 18th pennant with a 12-6 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park in Game 6 of the NLCS. The Redbird relievers toss 28 2-3 innings, accounting for three of the wins while compiling a 1.88 ERA.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1949 Brooklyn does not renew Branch Rickey’s contract as president of the Dodgers. The ‘Mahatma’ will join the Pirates as the team’s executive vice president and general manager, with his son, Branch Jr., assuming the post of Pittsburgh’s vice president and farm system director.
  • 1985 In Game 6 of the NLCS, Cardinal first baseman Jack Clark’s dramatic come-from-behind two-out, three-run home run in the ninth inning stuns a sold-out Dodger Stadium. St. Louis wins the game, 7-5, and captures the National League flag.

    • 1988 At Dodger Stadium, Don Baylor becomes the first player to participate in three consecutive World Series for three different teams when he pinch-hits in the eighth inning of the A’s 6-0 loss to L.A. in the second game of the Fall Classic. The 39 year-old veteran played with the pennant-winning Red Sox in 1986 and the World Champion Twins in 1987.

Lineups:

Brewers:


Dodgers:


Oct 16

ALCS Game Three, 2018

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Red Sox at Astros, 2:09 PM PDT, TV: TBS

RHP Nathan Eovaldi goes for the visiting Sox while LHP Dallas Keuchel goes for the Astros. Both were very good in Game Three of their respective ALDS series: Eovaldi went seven innings and gave up five hits and one run to the Yankees, while Keuchel went five innings and gave up two runs to the Indians.

On this date in Red Sox’ history:

  • 1912 Fred Snodgrass’ 10th inning two-base error of pinch-hitter Clyde Engle’s routine pop fly in center field sets up the tying run en route to the 3-2 Red Sox victory over the Giants and a World Championship for Boston. The play, which becomes infamously known as “Snodgrass’ Muff,” is followed by his spectacular catch of a long drive hit by Tris Speaker, but the 20 year-old outfielder historically becomes known as the goat in the Fall Classic.
  • 2003 In Game 7 of the ALCS, the Yankees capture their 39th American League pennant, beating the Red Sox, 6-5, thanks to Aaron Boone’s 11th inning home run at the Bronx ballpark. The defensive replacement becomes the fifth player to end a postseason series with a homer, joining Bill Mazeroski (’60 Pirates, WS Game 7 vs. Yankees), Chris Chambliss (’76 Yankees, ALCS Game 5 vs. Royals), Joe Carter (’93 Blue Jays, WS Game 6 vs. Phillies), and Todd Pratt (’99 Mets, NLDS Game 4 vs. Diamondbacks).

On this date in Astros’ history:

  • 2005 The Astros won Game Four of the NLCS on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh inning by Morgan Ensberg. The Cardinals threatened in the ninth but the Astros’ Brad Lidge managed to induce a game-ending double play.

Lineups:

Red Sox:


Astros:


Oct 15

NLCS Game Three, 2018

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Brewers at Dodgers, 4:39 PDT, TV: FS1

The series is tied at one game apiece, and the next three games will be played at Dodger Stadium. The Brewers send RHP Jhoulys Chacín (15-8, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to face the Dodgers’ RHP Walker Buehler (8-5, 2.62 ERA). Chacín pitched five innings of shutout ball against the Rockies in Game Two of the Brewers’ side of the NLDS, while Buehler had one horrific inning against the Braves in Game Three of the Dodgers’ side of the NLDS, giving up a grand slam after three walks. He avoided the loss when the Dodgers came back to tie, although they lost on a Freddie Freeman home run in the eighth inning.

Today in Brewers’ history:

  • 1982 Willie McGee becomes the third rookie to hit two home runs in the same World Series game. Going deep off Brewers starter Pete Vuckovich in the fifth and seventh innings in Game 3 of the Fall Classic, the Cardinals’ center fielder joins Charlie Keller (1939) and Tony Kubek (1957), who also accomplished the feat in the third game of their respective Fall Classics.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1981 With Dave Righetti, Ron Davis, and Goose Gossage combining to shut out Oakland, 4-0, the Yankees sweep the A’s to capture their thirty-third American League pennant. The Bronx Bombers will face the Dodgers in the World Series for the third time in the past five Fall Classics.
  • 2008 In Game 5 of the NLCS, the visiting Phillies beat the Dodgers, 5-1, to win their first pennant since 1993. Southpaw Cole Hamels, the series MVP, hurls his third postseason gem, and Jimmy Rollins starts the Philadelphia attack with a leadoff home run to start the game.

Lineups when available.

Dodgers’ lineup:


Brewers’ lineup:


Oct 14

ALCS Game Two, 2018

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Astros v. Red Sox, 4:09 PM PDT on TBS.

This game features the Astros’ RHP Gerrit Cole (15-5, 2.88 ERA) versus the Red Sox’ LHP David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA). Cole pitched in Game Two of the Astros’ ALDS series against the Indians and got the win, going seven innings and giving up just one run on three hits over that stretch. Price’s postseason woes have been thoroughly covered by the press; he’s 0-9 with a 6.03 ERA in ten career playoff starts. In his latest one he went 1 2/3 innings against the Yankees in last week’s ALDS, giving up two home runs among the three hits he surrendered in Game Two, the only game the Red Sox lost in that series.

Today in Red Sox’ history:

  • 1986 Riding the momentum from their dramatic come-from-behind 7-6 extra inning win to stave off elimination in California, the Red Sox cruise to a 10-4 win over the Angels. The Fenway Park victory evens the ALCS at 3-3.

Today in Astros’ history:

  • 2017 Carlos Correa’s ninth-inning double scored Jose Altuve from first base in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a 2-0 lead over the Yankees in the ALCS.

A few other things happened on this date in baseball history which did not include either team playing today.

Lineups:

Astros:
1. George Springer, CF
2. Jose Altuve, 2B
3. Alex Bregman, 3B
4. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
5. Tyler White, DH
6. Marwin Gonzalez, LF
7. Carlos Correa, SS
8. Martin Maldonado, C
9. Josh Reddick, RF
LHP David Price

Red Sox:


Oct 13

ALCS Game One, 2018

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Astros at Red Sox, 5:09 PM PDT, TV: TBS. Brian Anderson and Ron Darling will be the broadcasters.

Two of the best pitchers the AL has to offer face one another in this game: RHP Justin Verlander (16-9, 2.52 ERA) goes for the Astros and LHP Chris Sale (12-4, 2.11 ERA) for the Red Sox. Verlander went 5 1/3 innings in Game One of the ALDS against the Indians, striking out seven while walking only two and allowing just two hits. Sale got the win in Game One of the Red Sox’ ALDS matchup with the Yankees, going 5 1/3 innings, striking out eight, walking two and giving up just two runs.

Today in Astros’ history:

  • 2017 Dallas Keuchel gives up four hits in seven innings of shutout ball against the Yankees in a 2-1 win in Game One of the ALCS.

Today in Red Sox’ history:

  • 1903 In Game 8 of the series, the Boston Pilgrims (Red Sox) defeat the Pirates, 3-0, to take baseball’s first ever world championship, five games to 3. In the 95-minute contest, Bill Dinneen gets the win over Pittsburgh’s Deacon Phillippe in front of a Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds crowd of 7,455 fans.
  • 2003 A tearful 72 year-old Don Zimmer apologizes for his part in yesterday’s brawl during Game 3 of the ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox. During the fourth-inning matinee melee at Fenway, the Yankees’ assistant to the manager is thrown to the ground by Pedro Martinez, after charging the right-hander.
  • 2013 David Ortiz hits a game-tying grand slam home run in the 8th inning against the Tigers.

Lineups when available.

Oct 13

NLCS Game Two, 2018

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Dodgers at Brewers, 1:09 PM PDT, TV: Fox

Lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu goes for the Dodgers. He has come off a three-month stint on the DL like gangbusters, going 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA. He went seven innings in Game One of the NLDS and got the win against the Braves, too. He’ll face lefty Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57 ERA), who threw a 4 2/3 inning shutout performance of the Rockies in Game Three of the other National League divisional matchup.

Today in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1974 Herb Washington, representing the tying run in the top of the ninth is picked off first base by Dodger closer Mike Marshall for the second out of Game 2, the only contest the A’s will lose in the Fall Classic. The world-class sprinter, who will never have a plate appearance in his brief 105-game career, was selected by Oakland owner Charlie Finley to become the team’s “designated runner,” a position that doesn’t exist with any other major league club.

Today in Brewers’ history:

Lineups when available.

Dodgers’ lineup:


Brewers’ lineup:


Oct 12

NLCS Game One, 2018

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Dodgers at Brewers, 5:09 PM PDT, TV: FS1. Who’s gonna do the talking on FS1?

For the National League Championship Series and World Series, Smoltz reunites with multi-Emmy Award-winning announcer Joe Buck in the booth, as well as Rosenthal and Verducci.

The Dodgers start LHP Clayton Kershaw (9-5, 2.73 ERA), who’ll be making his 21st postseason start. He’s 8-7 with a 4.08 ERA in his playoff career. The Brewers give LHP Gio Gonzalez (10-11, 4.21 ERA) the ball. This will be his 7th postseason start; the previous six were with the Nationals, from whom the Brewers acquired him in August. He was 3-0 with the Brewers in September, but his postseason record is 0-0 with a 4.78 ERA.

Today in baseball history:

  • 1916 In front of a record crowd of 43,620 fans at Braves Field, Red Sox right-hander Ernie Shore three-hits the Robins in Game 5 of the World Series, 4-1, to capture the team’s fourth World Championship in the 13-year history of the Fall Classic. Boston, as it did last season, plays its Fall Classic home games in their crosstown National League rival’s larger ballpark, which allows more fans to attend the game than if the contest had held at Fenway Park.
  • 1920 At Cleveland’s League Park, the Indians’ hurler Stan Coveleski blanks the Robins, 3-0, to win the 1920 World Series. The Tribe, en route to the franchise’s first World Championship, wins the best of nine series five games to 2.
  • 1948 The Yankees surprise their fans and a skeptical press when they name Casey Stengel to replace Bucky Harris as the team’s manager. In his previous stints as the skipper with the National League’s Braves and Dodgers, the ‘Old Perfesser’ had never finished higher than fifth place.
  • 1949 Vin Scully, working his first broadcast ever, does the play-by-play when Maryland defeats Boston University at Fenway Park, 14-13. The football assignment marks the start of a 67-year career in the broadcast booth for the Hall of Fame baseball announcer, who becomes the iconic voice of the Dodgers.

Today in Brewers’ history:

  • 1982 In Game 1, the Milwaukee Brewers’ leadoff batter Paul Molitor becomes the first player to collect five hits in a World Series game. The third baseman’s 5-for-6 Fall Classic performance helps Harvey’s Wallbangers rout the Cardinals, 10-0, the largest shutout margin since the Yankees blanked the Bucs 12-0 in 1960.

Lineups when available.

Dodgers:


Brewers: