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PEORIA Zach Duke Jersey , Ariz. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi felt the nerves Monday that would normally accompany taking the mound in front of tens of thousands of fans in a major ballpark, not the few thousand who showed up for a spring training game in the desert.“I’ve been pitching in Japan for the last nine years and I wanted to test what I was doing in Japan against major league hitters and I wanted to see how they reacted,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “So I was really kind of excited and also nervous about that.”Kikuchi made his debut for the Seattle Mariners throwing two innings against the Cincinnati Reds in a start that featured a little bit of everything, from moments of dominance to Kikuchi working out of a jam.The Mariners were pleased with what they saw.“He had a little nerves, no doubt about it, but fastball was really good, he was up to 95 (mph), the breaking pitches we know are outstanding. Thought he handled it really, really well,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “He’s going to take a little time to get his routine. You saw him throwing outside the dugout before, there’s a few adjustments there, but really happy for him getting that first outing under his belt.”Kikuchi’s most notable at-bat was his lone strikeout, when he tied up Joey Votto on a deceptive 2-2 curveball that left the veteran slugger waving unsuccessfully. While Kikuchi has a fastball in the mid-90s, his breaking pitches and the ability to hide the ball in his windup add to the challenges of facing the lefty.“It’s spring training and I’m sure he’s tuning up his swing as well but to strike out someone the caliber of Joey Votto, a hitter of that caliber http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey , I’m really happy about the result of today,” Kikuchi said.The rest of the outing forced Kikuchi to do a little bit of everything. He had to scamper off the mound to cover first base on a groundout by Yasiel Puig. He faced the challenge of traffic on the bases after a rough second inning that featured a leadoff walk, two errors and giving up two runs — although both were unearned.Kikuchi threw 29 pitches with 19 strikes, the first step in a transitional season.“Obviously, when you’re up on the mound you want to shut them down one, two, three when you’re up there but after I let some guys on today I think I was able to keep my pitch count low and get some double play balls so I’m happy with what I did,” Kikuchi said.One of the biggest adjustments will be Kikuchi’s pregame routine. Servais noted Kikuchi was on the field nearly an hour before first pitch and still figuring out the timing led to Kikuchi playing catch in front of the dugout several minutes before the team took the field.“What we wanted to do is let him go through his normal routine,” Servais said. “He was out here probably 50, 55 minutes before the game started. That’s what he normally does and over time, that’s why we’ve got the four, five outings through spring to tighten up that routine and as the season goes on it will be a learning curve for him as well.”The first outing for Kikuchi was documented from all angles by Asian photographers following his every move, from his warmup in the bullpen to the scrum after his outing with dozens of reporters.Seattle wants to limit Kikuchi’s innings during the regular season and make the first-year transition from pitching in Japan less arduous. But the Mariners also need to build up Kikuchi so he is ready to take on a starter’s load when his innings won’t be limited.Kikuchi said he hadn’t been told what comes next, but he’s likely to get his second start sometime this weekend.“It’s my first start and I felt really good throwing the ball. Going into the game I was a little nervous, obviously Fernando Rodney Jersey , but it ended up well,” Kikuchi said. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — For nearly three years, Johnny Cueto pitched with a stabbing pain in his right elbow. He won 18 games for San Francisco in 2016 and started the All-Star game that year dealing with the discomfort.How he did so, Cueto isn’t sure. And the animated right-hander can now envision how great it will be once he’s back on the mound and pain-free following Tommy John reconstructive surgery.“It was a lot for me to deal with. It was almost three years with pain in the elbow, and strong pain,” said Cueto, who turns 33 on Friday. “It’s not easy. Last year I started well, but it’s a mental pain, it’s a pain that felt like someone stuck a knife in my elbow and stabbed it over and over again. It was unbearable and I don’t know how I was able to pitch and block the pain.”Cueto arrived in Arizona a couple of days behind the Giants pitchers and catchers because of personal reasons and had his physical Thursday. He is scheduled to throw next week for the first time since his August operation.The Giants’ rotation was plagued by injuries for a second straight year in 2018 with Cueto, ace lefty Madison Bumgarner and right-hander Jeff Samardzija all missing significant time.Cueto is down about 20 pounds to 226 thanks to regular meals of salad and fish. Yet he expects to be back at 230 or more once he’s ready to return — hopefully before season’s end around Sept. 1, to which Cueto noted, “If that’s the case I’ll be very happy.”“We would love to see Johnny start. That means we probably are sitting in a pretty good position,” manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday following a successful workout after one rainstorm, before it began pouring again. “But we’re not going to do something that doesn’t make sense with our medical staff and where he’s at. Because you get through that then you have another offseason to really heal up. We’ll see where he’s at when we get to August.”Cueto acknowledged he will let the experts guide him when it comes to a timeline and taking each important step along the way to come back.“Right now I feel like I’m ready but I know I’m not http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey ,” he said. “My frustration was at the beginning when I couldn’t move the arm to take a shower, but right now I feel normal and like any other pitcher. I know what my problem is. The only thing I have to do is take it easy and continue with my rehab.”He begins the fourth season of a $130 million, six-year contract he signed before the 2016 season.Cueto did his offseason rehab back home in the Dominican Republic, where one of his half-dozen horses, Popeye, just died.He made 25 starts in 2017 then just nine with 53 innings last year before surgery. On Friday, he plans to throw a plastic ball against a trampoline-like screen.When appropriate, he will embrace the chance to mentor the young pitchers, particularly those from Latin America who look up to Cueto’s example in training and his accomplishments on the mound.“I feel really good. I’m working out and conditioning,” Cueto said. “I’m working hard to return strong to help my team. … I just want to make sure that my rehab is coming along well, that’s my main concern right now.”
"Fast FactsRight-handed pitcher26 years oldFinished eighth in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2017Better at baseball than you or any of your friendsOrganizational historySigned by the San Francisco Giants as an international free agent in 2011Traded by the Giants with Kendry Flores to the Miami Marlins for Casey McGeheeTraded by the Marlins to the San Diego Padres in a six-player deal Mike Scott Jersey , then given back to Miami when Colin Rea’s medicals were called into questionTraded by the Marlins with Zeek White and Austin Brice to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Dan StrailyWill be arbitration-eligible after 2020, and a free agent after 2023Career statsScouting reportKen Gif-y Jr.Luis is likeAnd then I’m likeProjectionsOutlookIn retrospect, it was always going to be difficult for Luis Castillo to finish the 2018 season having fully lived up to the potential his 2017 debut hinted at. The Cincinnati Reds hadn’t had a pitcher look the way he did in his rookie season in some time, as Castillo threw 89.1 innings with a 3.12 ERA, a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, and a 84 FIP-. His xwOBA allowed was in the 92nd percentile among among MLB pitchers, his fastball was Noah Syndergaard-esque, and his change-up was nightmare fuel for hitters. Lots of digital ink was used to declare Castillo an ace-in-waiting, with a breakout campaign in 2018 all that was needed to solidify him as one of the game’s most dominant young starters.The breakout didn’t happen. Castillo finished April with a 7.85 ERA, with 24 strikeouts and 13 walks in 28.2 innings. Questions swirled about what was holding him back, and as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon wrote about at the time, everything from a changed arm angle to a dip in velocity to even tipping pitches was discussed as explanations for Castillo’s sudden struggles. He steadied himself a bit over the next couple of months, but when the All-Star break rolled around, his ERA was still sitting at 5.49, with 19 home runs allowed in 103.1 innings.When the Reds returned for the second half of the season Alex Bregman Jersey , however, Castillo pitched like a man who had figured things out. He owned a 2.44 ERA in 66.1 innings the rest of the way, with 69 strikeouts, 14 walks and nine homers allowed. He was at his best in the month of September, posting a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings with a dreamy line of 34 strikeouts, eight walks and four homers allowed.Where does all of that leave Castillo and the Reds? Oddly enough, in a place very similar to where they were a year ago. Castillo didn’t achieve the breakout many envisioned in 2018, but because he finished the season with such a compelling run of performances, we’ve found ourselves once again optimistic that he’ll establish himself as a frontline starter this year.For that to happen, Castillo will need to prove that the regression in both his batted ball profile and his overall stuff in 2018 was a mirage. His four-seam velocity dropped from 97.4 to 95.8, and lost a considerable amount of the spin it had when he first broke into the majors. Opponents’ average exit velocity also climbed from 84.9 to 88.1, and their xwOBA went from .264 to .318. It was a clear step back across the board, and if those are the kind of numbers he’s settled into, Castillo is much closer to a No. 4 than a No. 1.What Castillo does still have going for him, though http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , is a fastball that remains near elite in terms of its velocity, and a change-up that might be one of the best pitches in the sport. He also throws tons of strikes, and still has plenty of projection in his slider. There’s a reason that, even after his disappointing 2018, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris essentially said Castillo is as close to a perfect prototype of a young pitcher as we have in today’s game.If he doesn’t make the jump he seems capable of making, it will be another disappointment for an organization who has seen one arm after another fail to live up to their potential over the past five seasons. He’ll still settle in as a mid-to-back-end rotation cog, but it will mean the Reds’ search for an ace will need to continue in free agency — good luck with that — or in still-developing prospects like Tony Santillan and Hunter Greene.If he does become an ace, though, then that doesn’t just make Cincinnati a dangerous team in the long-term — it makes the team a contender right now. The Reds, after all, were in trade talks earlier in the winter regarding Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber, with the idea that adding a No. 1 starter was the difference between the team merely playing meaningful games in September and the team actually making the postseason. If Castillo is a six-win kind of pitcher in 2019, and the trio of Sonny Gray, Alex Wood and Tanner Roark each perform in the roles they were brought in to fill, then the Reds’ playoff push becomes a very legitimate possibility. Returns last year were quite poor Brian McCann Jersey , but he’ll have another opportunity this year."Divisiveness is a key feature of prospect evaluations. Perhaps no one in the Detroit Tigers’ system has exemplified that as much as Dawel Lugo. His selection to play in the 2018 Futures Game illustrated that some still believe Lugo is a quality infield prospect with a bright future in Detroit. Others believe there are holes in his game that players simply don’t grow out of, and he will ultimately top out with the unfortunate label of being a “4A player”. At Bless You Boys, our meager optimism waned during a bleak 2018 campaign, but Lugo still checks in at #15 on our Top 30 Prospect List. While his chances of reaching his ceiling as a decent regular now appear pretty bleak, expect the Tigers to give him every opportunity to produce some value at the major league level. BackgroundJuly 18, 2017. That’s the day the Tigers dealt JD Martinez to Arizona for three infield prospects — an 18-year old speedy lottery ticket in Jose King, a 21-year old glove-first shortstop in Sergio Alcantara, and a 22-year old former shortstop with blossoming power in Dawel Lugo.Lugo, from Bani, Dominican Republic, had originally signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a 16-year old in 2011. He played exclusively shortstop in his first four professional seasons, and while the arm played just fine, he didn’t display the necessary range to stick around at short in the upper levels of the minors. After being dealt to Arizona in a post-waiver deadline trade for Cliff Pennington in 2015, Lugo played out the season at short but was converted to a third baseman the following spring. He had a bit of a breakout season in 2016, when he mashed 13 taters for Visalia in the high-A California League http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , and four more upon being promoted to Double-A Mobile, finishing with an .831 OPS across both levels. time to time. If he can eliminate years of bad habits in the batter’s box, which seems to be a dwindling possibility, Lugo’s ceiling is that of an everyday second baseman and top of the order threat. Otherwise, he is headed down a similar path to that of teammate and fellow Dominican native, Ronny Rodriguez. Rodriguez has suffered from the same crippling lack of patience at the plate, himself posting a 4.1% walk rate in 3,300+ plate appearances. The result is a talented Triple-A player who is just hoping to catch on in a utility role somewhere. Lugo seems very likely to follow in those footsteps. The Tigers will probably give Lugo plenty of opportunities this year. However, by season’s end, there may be a lot more competition in the middle infield department. If it’s going to happen for Lugo, it needs to happen now. We will just have to wait and see if there’s any helium left in that balloon.
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Sunday night to take the Fall Classic in five games.The baseball world's focus now turns to 2019 and a wild hot-stove season highlighted by free agents Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.There should be a lot of offseason overhauling as 29 teams look to take down the Red Sox Willie Mays Jersey , but what are the chances we'll see the same World Series matchup again next season? We'll take a quick look below and make some early predictions.Boston Red SoxDon't expect too many changes in Boston, as much of the team is under contract through 2019. The biggest free-agent names are out of the postseason bullpen, as closer Craig Kimbrel and right-handed flamethrowers Joe Kelly and Nathan Eovaldi can walk. First baseman Steve Pearce and second baseman Ian Kinsler may also be on the move.While it's possible a few players parlay their postseason appearances into big paydays that the Red Sox aren't willing to match, Boston's core is still intact.Ace Chris Sale will be back, and left-hander David Price can opt in for 2019 for $31 million if he so chooses. Rick Porcello should take the mound once again for Boston, so the team's top three starters should be back.The batting lineup cifically an excellent outfield what makes this team tick, however, and most of those players will be back. Boston will have a young 26-and-under core leading into 2019 led by likely American League MVP Mookie Betts, shortstop Xander Bogaerts, third baseman Rafael Devers and left fielder Andrew Benintendi.The team will also welcome back defensive wizard (and clutch slugger) Jackie Bradley Jr. and designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who led the team in home runs (43) and runs batted in (130).As long as Boston figures out a good plan for its bullpen with three key free agents potentially leaving, the Red Sox should enjoy another fantastic season.Their chief competition is the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.The Red Sox and Yankees have easier 2019 schedules simply because they get to play the Baltimore Orioles 19 times each. The O's won just 45 games last year and are in the midst of a significant rebuild. The Toronto Blue Jays are tearing things down as well, so the two AL East powerhouses should have an advantage so long as the pesky Tampa Bay Rays don't spoil the party (which isn't out of the realm of possibility).But the Yankees' problem is that it doesn't have as strong of a starting pitching staff as Boston's, as evidenced in the American League Division Series. Chris Sale gets the edge over Luis Severino in the battle of the aces, and the Yankees' best pitcher down the stretch (J.A. Happ) is a free agent who could head elsewhere.Of course, plenty will happen between now and next October, but right now, the Sox look like favorites to win the American League, with the 103-win Astros not far behind. The guess here is an American League Championship Series grudge match next year, with the Red Sox winning a much closer battle.Way-too-early prediction: a return trip to World SeriesLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers have significant question marks heading into the offseason, which makes it difficult to back them as 2019 National League pennant winners right now.The biggest one is the status of left-hander Clayton Kershaw http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , who can opt out of his contract and become a free agent. If he does so and leaves town, then the L.A. starting rotation loses its anchor. Kershaw has gone 148-64 in his last 10 seasons with a 2.29 ERA and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Although his playoff struggles are well-documented, he's still been the best pitcher in the game over the last 10 years hands down. Losing him would be a tremendous loss.Kershaw could certainly return, and the team should welcome back a few solid starters including young right-hander Walker Buehler, veteran left-hander Rich Hill and 2017 All-Starsouthpaw Alex Wood. However, left-hander Hyu-Jin Ryu is a free agent and could head elsewhere.The Dodgers are known for their league-best lineup depth and should retain that into next year, but Machado may be a half-season rental if he chooses to go elsewhere in free agency. He smacked 37 home runs and drove in 107 runners as a member of the Baltimore Orioles and Dodgers. He was L.A.'s best slugger and can play shortstop and third base.L.A.'s other problem is that a few NL teams could be on the rise. The Atlanta Braves are well ahead of their rebuilding schedule and surprisingly won the NL East. They lost to L.A. in four NLDS games but could make another run toward the World Series with a fantastic lineup, led by future superstar Ronald Acuna and first baseman Freddie Freeman.Keep an eye out for the Philadelphia Phillies, who were strong for most of the season before wilting. However, they were the fourth-youngest team in baseball and have a bona fide ace in right-hander Aaron Nola. The Phils should also be active in free agency this season, per Matt Breen of Philly.com, and Machado or Harper have been mentioned as possibilities.Couple that with stout teams looking to continue playoff runs (e.g. the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies) and senior-circuit sides who could have resurgent years (e.g. the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets), and the NL could be a fight to the finish. The competition may be too strong for L.A.Way-too-earlyprediction: a playoff trip, but no World Series The Twins somehow managed to exceed and disappoint, the Red Sox dominated, and analytics started to rub me the wrong way"Noted baseball manager and All-Star Game tumbler Tommy Lasorda once said: “The saddest day of the year is the day the baseball season ends”. While personally I might amend that statement to “the day after the Super Bowl” (at least I have football to get me through to early February), I can in part share Lasorda’s sentiment.Unfortunately, this was “one of those years” for the home ball-club where by the end of September, the final game seemed merciful rather than sad. I hate when seasons end like that. I want to be devastated at the end (unless popping bottles), as that is how I know I wanted the ride to continue.With the calendar now firmly into November and all its autumnal goodness Barry Bonds Jersey , I’d like to take a moment and give my thoughts on the 2018 Twins, the postseason, and how analytics are kind of going “the other way” for me at the moment:The Twins somehow managed to both extremely disappoint and somewhat surprise me (sardonically) over the recent 162. On one hand, a team that made the Wild Card Playoff game in 2017 (albeit in a weak American League) was never anything more than ultra-fringe contenders for a berth in ‘18. The last two months of the season were a total wash. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Ervin Santana were basically non-contributors (whether on the field or off of it). Jorge Polanco’s suspension reduced him to a second-half player only. Eddie Rosario looked pretty “Super” indeed...until he got hurt and all the air left that balloon, and Max Kepler looked to be primed for a career season after April and then just “was around” for the rest of the way. The only two pitchers that could be counted on for consistent quality performances were Jose Berrios & Kyle Gibson, as the rest of the staff (thought to be bolstered by new additions Lance Lynn & Jake Odorizzi) severely underachieved and the bullpen fell into ruin due to the combo of ineffectiveness and overuse (dole out the blame how you will on this issue).Considering all the failures listed in the above paragraph, one can imagine the season looking like the “total system failure” that was 2016. This was not exactly the case. Instead of the wheels falling off in, you know, the FIRST WEEK OF THE SEASON, we hung with Cleveland for a couple of months, began a deep slide in mid-July, and then finished the last few weeks on kind of a winning tear (albeit against the dregs of the AL Central). All of this added up to the odd-shaped 77-85 record, meaning we were technically only six games worse than 2017.I think the bottom line of the 2018 season for the Twins might have been this: Now-former manager Paul Molitor managed every game, to a certain extent, as if it were Game 7 of the World Series. While seeming like an admirable trait, that strategy works a heck of a lot better when talented players are on the field and have a chance to contribute at least something each and every night. Without that talent spread, however, you end up burning through your few legitimately talented players (via injury/fatigue) in pursuit of a few extra meaningless wins.I’m not suggesting a full-on tank job would have been a better result for the ‘18, but I would have rather seen moves made for the long-term instead of Molly grinding it out each and every day/night.Moving on to the MLB postseason Madison Bumgarner Jersey , I have to congratulate the Boston Red Sox on another round of playoff dominance. (I know, I know, the above clip is from 2004, but Joe Buck’s “Red Sox fans have longed to hear it” is one of my favorite calls ever.Still gives me goosebumps.) When they make the postseason, they don’t mess around, taking home the big trophy in ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, and now ‘18. Since 1969, only 12 teams with that year’s best record went on to win the World Series, which amounts to about one in every four teams over that span. To be honest, I thought the number would be even less. This is now the third time a BoSox team has accomplished the feat, and this playoff bracket was easily the most difficult for them. They first knocked off the 100-win rival Yankees, losing just one game. Then, they smothered the 103-win defending champion Astros, again only dropping a single tilt. Finally, they beat down the 92-win supposed “Super Dodgers” (now with Manny Machado!) in five as well. Before the playoffs started, I told my brother “when Boston has had home field throughout the playoffs, Fenway has reigned supreme” and that’s exactly what happened.I know that to many, the Red Sox are “the new Yankees” in terms of their ability to retain talent long-term and build super-teams, but likely because of that magical ‘04 season it’s still tough for me to really root hard against them. I came into the World Series nominally pulling for the Dodgers so my LA-dwelling brother could have something to celebrate Juan Marichal Jersey , but with the Blue Men seemingly out-maneuvering themselves and Machado acting the fool, I couldn’t help but be won over but Boston again when all was said and done.To wrap things up, the topic of analytics in baseball is one that has been on my mind a lot the last few weeks. I was introduced to the concept by “Moneyball” (like most others) and became fascinated with the new ways in which people were thinking about my all-time favorite sport. I’m terrible at math, so the underpinnings of the new-age stats go completely over my head, but shaking up the old adages or that “medieval approach” Jonah Hill discusses was enough to re-invigorate my love of baseball statistics.Moneyball is now a teenager in terms of how long it has been adapted into the game of baseball. Some teams dove in right away, others had to dip a toe in for quite some time, but now all teams rely on analytics departments to a certain extent. What’s becoming a little worrisome to me is that we are getting so good at “crunching the numbers” that all games/teams/outcomes will start looking the same. If every GM and manager is basing their organizational and in-game philosophy strictly on something like, say, win probability, at what point do we just simulate the games? I know I’m taking things way too far with that last statement, but it’s something I’ve thought a lot about recently. Baseball has, for example, basically expelled the stolen base because the numbers tell us it is a high-risk, low-reward play. The same basic argument can be had with hitting for contact vs. launch angle or velocity. Is baseball a better overall sport with no stolen bases and a bunch of walks, strikeouts, and home runs? There are a lot of ways to answer that question. I just wonder if perhaps it is time for the pendulum to swing back a little bit in terms of analytics.One of my favorite baseball quotes of all-time goes as such: “People ask me what I do in the winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” (Rogers Hornsby).Fortunately, I believe us die-hard Twins fans will have something to stare out the window at this offseason, what with a new manager (Rocco “Best Named Manager of All-Time” Baldelli) and coaching-staff-to-be at the helm and seemingly flush with cash to invest back into the on-field product. It will surely be interesting to see how it all plays out!
Ohtani won't be ready for Opening Day as he recovers from Tommy John surgery Paul Konerko Jersey , according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.Angels general managerBilly Eppler said he has been cleared for "full strengthening" rehab, although his next step is to take dry swings.Ohtani underwent the surgeryOct. 1 following his successful rookie season.Bollinger explained why Ohtani's recovery is different than usual:Rhett Bollinger RhettBollingerShohei Ohtanis rehab is a bit more complicated than most cases because while hes going through his progressions to get ready to hit http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-konerko-jersey , hell also be building up to throw again as a pitcher in 2020.The Japanese star was named the American League Rookie of the Year this season after playing well both as a hitter and pitcher in 2018.He hit 22 home runs in 104 games as a hitter, posting a .285 batting average and .925 on-base percentage. As a pitcher Nellie Fox Jersey , he made 10 starts and finished 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 51.2 innings.The Tommy John surgery will prevent him from returning to the mound until 2020, but he will at least be able to contribute as a hitter during the 2019 season.Considering his 2.7 WAR at the plate last season ranked fourth among Angels hitters Harold Baines Jersey , perBaseball Reference, it's clear he can still make an impact even without his pitching.Los Angeles will hope he can recover from his surgery and get on the field as soon as possible. LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Houston Astros placed starting pitcher Lance McCullers on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with right elbow discomfort and activated right-handed reliever Roberto Osuna.Osuna was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade-deadline deal last week and is coming off a 75-day MLB-imposed suspension for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.McCullers pitched four scoreless innings Saturday against the Dodgers but left as he warmed up for the fifth inning.Astros manager A.J. Hinch said he will take advantage of some upcoming days off and go with a four-man rotation through the middle of August.McCullers returned to Houston on Sunday morning to get a more detailed examination from team doctors.McCullers is 10-6 for the World Series champion Astros with a 3.93 ERA in 22 starts.
National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers.Brewers manager Craig Counsell removed starting pitcher Wade Miley after he threw just five pitches. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal Jimmie Foxx Jersey , that was all part ofCounsell's strategy:Ken Rosenthal Ken_RosenthalRemoving Miley was Brewers plan. He will start Game 6.Brandon Woodruff came on in relief and pitched a scoreless first inning.Plenty of writers had fun with Counsell's unique approach:Joe Sheehan joe_sheehanquot;Wade, what kind of stuff did you have out there today?quot;Bill Plunkett billplunkettocrFor all of you old-schoolers who think todays starting pitchers are coddled -- Wade Miley will probably start consecutive games in this #NLCS.Satisfied?joon joonleewade miley ellXjan1NFD.J. Short djshortAnother scoreless start for Wade Miley, wowCounsell has pushed the idea of "bullpenning" to its extreme throughout the postseason.Entering Wednesday, the trio of Miley, Jhoulys Chacin and Gio Gonzalez had combined to pitch 23.2 innings in six games.Taking Miley out of the game so quickly is obviously risky, but Counsell's thinking is easy to understand. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will have built his starting lineup around facing a left-handed starter. Instead, Los Angeles gets the right-handed Woodruff.GiveCounsell credit for thinking outside the box, though he'll likely face a lot of criticism if the Brewers drop Game 5 and fall behind 3-2 in the series. LOS ANGELES (AP) — By the time Manny Machado rounded third base, the Los Angeles Dodgers had already started streaming out of the dugout.After more than five hours of tension-filled baseball, they were certainly eager to celebrate.Cody Bellinger singled home the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning Tuesday night to give Los Angeles a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that tied the NL Championship Series at two games apiece.The slumping Bellinger, who began the night 1 for 21 in these playoffs, was chased all the way into left field by teammates. Even manager Dave Roberts ran out to congratulate his outfielder, who got soaked with a Gatorade shower.“I think we gave each other a big hug,” Bellinger said. “I think it was the first time I ever got mobbed out in the outfield.”Bellinger laced a full-count pitch from Junior Guerra into right field to score Machado, who was nearly picked off second base moments earlier. Instead, he slid home and touched the plate with his left hand to beat Christian Yelich’s throw and finally end an October nail-biter that took 5 hours http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-dustin-pedroia-jersey , 15 minutes.“One of the crazier games, where there’s really no margin on either side,” Roberts said. “The bullpen, what they did tonight against a very good offensive club, my hat’s off to these guys.”It was the fourth extra-inning postseason game in Dodger Stadium history, and the home team’s first such win since beating Philadelphia in Game 4 of the 1978 NLCS.“It was a great baseball game, it really was,” Yelich said. “Both sides had opportunities and they were just able to cash one in there at the end.”After a quick turnaround, Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday afternoon, with Wade Miley pitching for the Brewers on three days’ rest against fellow lefty Clayton Kershaw.The teams return to Milwaukee for Game 6 on Friday.“We lock it in, win one tomorrow, and we feel a lot better heading home,” Yelich said.With one out in the 13th, Machado hit a broken-bat single to left field and went to second on Guerra’s wild pitch. With first base open and a struggling Yasmani Grandal on deck followed by the pitcher’s spot, the Brewers chose to pitch to Bellinger — and it cost them.“Honestly, I didn’t think he was going to throw me a strike Carl Yastrzemski Jersey ,” Bellinger said. “And then once I noticed he was attacking me, I just tried to put the ball in play and hopefully find a hole this time.”Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said: “I thought it was worth the risk of trying to expand to Bellinger, and if the at-bat goes to Grandal, we walk Grandal.” Bellinger, who entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth, also made a diving catch on his belly of a ball hit by Lorenzo Cain leading off the 10th, spreading his arms out and sliding like a snow angel in right field.“I played right field in the minor leagues a lot before I started playing center field. I haven’t been there much lately,” Bellinger said. “But it’s kind of like riding a bike. I saw it hanging up there, and ran as fast as I could and dove for it.”Both teams used all their position players and wasted numerous chances. Los Angeles went through its entire bullpen.The Dodgers struck out 17 times — all against Milwaukee relievers — and have whiffed 49 times in the series. The Brewers fanned 15 times.“Exhausting,” Los Angeles outfielder Chris Taylor said. “Just a mental and physical grind all the way to the end.”Dodgers starter Rich Hill allowed one run and three hits in five innings.The Brewers tied it 1-all in the fifth on pinch-hitter Domingo Santana’s RBI double that took one hop against the right-field wall with Yasiel Puig scrambling in pursuit.The Dodgers led 1-0 on Brian Dozier’s RBI single in the first off Gio Gonzalez, who left after twisting his ankle while trying to field an infield single by Puig in the second.Gonzalez has a high ankle sprain and will probably need to be replaced on the roster, Counsell said.The sellout crowd of 53,764 was considerably noisier than on Monday, when Enrique Hernandez criticized Dodgers fans for being too quiet. Joc Pederson and Bellinger waved blue rally towels in the dugout.But the Dodgers again struggled at the plate after going 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position during a 4-0 loss in Game 3.Milwaukee put the potential go-ahead run on third in the seventh before Cain grounded out against Dylan Floro.The Dodgers had runners at the corners in the eighth against hard-throwing Josh Hader, who pitched for the second consecutive day. Pinch-hitter Matt Kemp struck out to end the threat.The Brewers had another chance in the ninth against closer Kenley Jansen. With fans on their feet, pinch-hitter Travis Shaw struck out with a runner on third to end the inning.In the 10th Ted Williams Jersey , Ryan Braun singled with two outs and stole second against Jansen, who struck out Jesus Aguilar.And when Bellinger finally ended it, the only NLCS game that had lasted longer was the New York Mets’ 15-inning victory over Atlanta in Game 5 in 1999, which took 5 hours, 46 minutes.“Let’s get something to eat,” Dozier said afterward. “I’m starving.”MANNY’S MOVEMachado allowed his left leg to clip the lower right leg of Aguilar at first base while getting thrown out on a routine play in the 10th. Aguilar appeared upset and the two exchanged words . Both benches and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown.“It’s a dirty play by a dirty player,” Yelich said.Aguilar, however, said the two talked it out after Machado singled in the 13th. Machado said they go back to their days in the minors.“Everything that happens on the field stays on the field,” Machado said. “He’s a great guy.”TICKETS ANYBODY?The Dodgers said tickets were still available for Game 5, which begins at 2:05 p.m. PDT.UP NEXTBrewers: Miley makes his third postseason start in Game 5 on Wednesday. He threw 74 pitches over 5 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday in Game 2 of the NLCS, allowing two hits while striking out three and walking none. His other start came in Game 3 of the NLDS at Colorado. He didn’t factor in the decision either time.Dodgers: Kershaw took the loss in Game 1 against the Brewers. Kershaw had the best postseason outing of his career in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Braves, allowing two hits over eight shutout innings.
Harry How/Getty ImagesDespite an injury scare in the first week of spring training Josh Donaldson Jersey , Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is still in line to start Opening Day.announced Kershaw remains the team's starter against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 28.Roberts added Kershaw doesn't need to undergo an MRI, per Gurnick. The three-time National League Cy Young winner cut short his bullpen sessionFriday with an arm issue.Per The Athletic's Pedro Moura, Roberts said Sunday that Kershaw is on anti-inflammatory medication due to discomfort in his left shoulder and trying to "increase his velocity might have contributed to his not feeling right."Kershawtold reportersafter leaving his bullpen session he didn't want to be "super-specific" about the issue and was "just going to take a few days right now.e Dodgers will likely exercise caution with their ace, especially since it's so early in spring training. Kershaw has missed time due to injuries in four of the past five seasons.Last season, the Dodgers placed Kershaw on the injury list in May withbiceps tendinitis. He returned for a start May 31 before going back on theinjury listthe following day with a strained lower back.Kershawsigneda three-year extension worth $93 million in November that runs through the 2021 season.The 30-year-old helped the Dodgers reach their second consecutive World Series last year after posting a 2.73 ERA with 155 strikeouts in 161.1 innings over 26 starts. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two starts ago, on a soggy mound in Philadelphia, Jake Odorizzi let the rain derail his pitching and didn’t finish the first inning.The weather in Minnesota Wednesday night didn’t deter him, and neither did Toronto’s lineup.Nelson Cruz had two hits and two RBIs, helping Odorizzi and the Twins beat the Blue Jays 4-1 following a 54-minute rain delay.“I guess I could say I’ve learned from previous mistakes,” said Odorizzi, who for the first time in four starts this season by striking out six in 5 2/3 innings. “It’s just a go out there, mind over matter sort of a thing.”Odorizzi (1-2) allowed six hits http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , one run and one walk. He threw 101 pitches on this chilly evening, so manager Rocco Baldelli summoned Adalberto Mejia to get the last out of the sixth with a runner on first.Against the Phillies April 5, Odorizzi struggled with his grip on the wet ball and recorded only two outs while allowing five runs on two hits and three walks. In New York against the Mets April 10, the right-hander threw four hitless innings before allowing three runs and failing to finish the fifth.Justin Smoak had an RBI single for the Blue Jays in the first, putting him on base in 14 of the 15 games he’s played in this year, but nobody else reached second for the rest of the game. Odorizzi now has the unusual combination of a 4.76 ERA and a .172 batting average against.“Just watching him in the dugout and body language and everything, I think he was ready to go,” Baldelli said.Mejia blew Minnesota’s 3-1 lead Monday night, allowing four runs in the eighth inning of the 5-3 loss. Mejia and Taylor Rogers each allowed just one baserunner, setting up Blake Parker for his fourth save with a perfect ninth inning.“We had nothing going,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “A dead night.”Blue Jays starter Trent Thornton (0-2) allowed four of the first five Twins to reach base before settling in and lasting until recording the first two outs in the fifth. Thornton gave up six hits, four runs and three walks while striking out three.“I didn’t put my head down and put my tail between my legs,” Thornton said. “I went back out there and wanted to get as deep as possible J.A. Happ Jersey , help our bullpen out a little bit, because obviously the game didn’t start as planned.”HOT HITTINGOff to a solid start in his first season with Minnesota, Cruz had an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI double in the third. After walking in the fifth, he scored on a single by Marwin Gonzalez. Cruz twice drove in Jorge Polanco, who had two hits and is batting .429 with 10 extra-base hits, one spot ahead of the 38-year-old designated hitter.“I feel comfortable, and he’s a respected hitter in the league,” Polanco said. “So it’s a good situation.”WET WEATHERThis was the 44th game delayed by weather since the ballpark opened in 2010. There have been 24 postponed games, one suspended game continued the following day and one shortened game.The attendance was announced at 11,465, the lowest figure in Target Field’s 10-year history, though the actual presence of people was far less than that with the wet, 44-degree start. The four smallest crowds have come in the last four games.Including their postponement of the game Friday after a snowstorm Kendrys Morales Jersey , the Twins had a majors-most six days off over the first 20 days of the season. With the lunchtime start looming in the series finale, every effort was going to be made to get this game in.“We have a lot of months where we have two or three days off over the course of the month. To use those days as added games is something we’d prefer not to do,” Baldelli said.TRAINER’S ROOMBlue Jays: RHP Ryan Tepera joined the team following his last rehab outing for elbow inflammation with Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. Montoyo said “there’s a good chance” the reliever could be activated from the injured list and available in the bullpen on Thursday.Twins: 3B Miguel Sano was sent to the team’s training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, to ramp up his recovery from a severe cut on his right heel suffered on Jan. 25. After about two weeks of full-speed baseball activity, Baldelli said, Sano will start playing in minor league games.UP NEXTThe Blue Jays will send RHP Clay Buchholz (0-0, 1.50 ERA) to the mound in the matinee on Thursday, with RHP Michael Pineda (2-0, 3.00 ERA) pitching for the Twins to finish the four-game series.
OAKLAND Scott Feldman Jersey , Calif. (AP) the Oakland Athletics got a big lift from one they already had and gave manager Bob Melvin a milestone victory.They also moved one game closer to Seattle in the race for the AL wild card.Trevor Cahill had six strikeouts in six innings, Khris Davis homered among his three hits, and the A’s beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Tuesday night.Cahill (3-2) overcame an uneven night and allowed two runs on five hits. The right-hander has won consecutive starts for the first time since May 2017.”Early on I’m not sure his command was as good as it normally is but he got better and better as he went along,” Melvin said. ”Next thing you know he gives us six innings, and six innings makes it a lot easier on us.”Cahill yielded a two-out RBI single to Kendrys Morales in the first and Justin Smoak’s leadoff homer in the fourth but got a pair of double plays while giving Oakland’s bullpen a break.”Just finding a groove,” Cahill said. ”You never know what your stuff’s going to be like and you just try to make adjustments. I was able do that a little bit going deeper into the game.”Yusmeiro Petit, Jeurys Familia and Blake Treinen retired three batters apiece to complete the six-hitter.Matt Olson had two RBIs, Mark Canha doubled twice and stole home and Marcus Semien added two hits.Melvin celebrated his 600th win as manager of the A’s – tied for third-most in franchise history behind Connie Mack (3,582) and Tony LaRussa (798).”One more than 599,” Melvin said.Oakland moved within one game of Seattle for the second wild card. The A’s are 29-10 since June 16, the best record in baseball.Despite being in the thick of a playoff race, Oakland stayed quiet as the trade deadline passed. There were reports early in the day linking the A’s to a trade with Detroit but nothing materialized.That was fine with Cahill.”It might not be the big-name guys or the big-price guys like some other teams have but with our offense and our bullpen http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-cliff-pennington-jersey , if we all just do our part we’ll be fine,” he said.Justin Smoak homered for Toronto, which has lost six of eight.Olson’s two-run single off Sam Gaviglio (2-4) in the first put the A’s up 2-1.”(Gaviglio) was off,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. ”He’s a control guy and when he’s not throwing strikes, pin-pointing it, he’s going to get hit around a little bit. We’ve seem that before.”After Davis hit his 29th homer leading off the third, Canha and Semien pulled off a double steal with Canha sliding into home to beat the throw from second baseman Devon Travis.TULO HOPING TO PLAYToronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki made a rare appearance with the team in Oakland and said he still hopes to play this season. Tulowitzki underwent surgery on both of his heels in the offseason and has been rehabbing since then. ”I’m doing better, just not 100 percent yet,” Tulowitzki said. ”There’s good days, there’s bad days.”TRAINER’S ROOMBlue Jays: 2B Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a left high ankle sprain and bruised knee. Gurriel has a franchise record 11 consecutive multi-hit games. . Newly acquired reliever Ken Giles isn’t expected to join the team until Thursday in Seattle.Athletics: RHP Daniel Gossett will undergo Tommy John surgery Tuesday, making him the fourth Oakland pitcher to have the reconstructive surgery this year. Gossett was 0-3 with a 5.18 ERA in five starts this season. … RHP Andrew Triggs (right arm nerve irritation) has begun a throwing program.UP NEXTA’s LHP Sean Manaea (9-7, 3.46 ERA) faces the Blue Jays for the second time this season in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Manaea took a no-decision after allowing four runs in five innings against Toronto on May 19. RHP Marcus Stroman (4-7, 5.20) Jose Peraza Jersey , who has won three of his last four starts, pitches for the Blue Jays.— ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul DeJong wanted another chance against Milwaukee reliever Alex Wilson. He made the most of it.DeJong hit a tiebreaking, leadoff homer in the eighth inning, Yadier Molina had three hits and two RBIs, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Tuesday night.DeJong took Wilson (1-1) deep on a 2-2 slider to make it 3-2.“I knew he has a lot of stuff that goes away, a little slider, a little cutter and I wasn’t looking to pull him,” DeJong said. “I just went with the slider away. I rolled over a slider last night. I knew I wanted to see him deeper in the count, and I just got off a good swing off.”The Cardinals have won four in a row. The Brewers have lost five of six.Milwaukee had three solo homers, two by Travis Shaw and another by Orlando Arcia. The Brewers had four solo homers in a 13-5 loss Monday. All Milwaukee’s runs in this series have come from home runs.Molina hit his second double with one out in the eighth, scoring Jose Martinez, who had walked to go with two singles. Molina stole third but was stranded there. It was his first stolen base this season and the 17th time he’s stolen third in his career.“We’re doing a pretty good job being aggressive and taking extra bases,” Molina said. “That’s what part of our game is right now http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-cliff-pennington-jersey , we’re going to take advantage of what they give us.”Andrew Miller (1-1) struck out two in a perfect eighth to pick up his first win as a Cardinal. Miller’s last victory was on Aug. 9 against Minnesota, and the two-time All-Star has a disappointing 6.23 ERA this season.“That was Andrew Miller tonight,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “He had a really filthy slider. It’s a pitch that’s hard to contend with. With his fastball, that’s pretty lethal combination.”Jordan Hicks pitched the ninth for his sixth save. Shaw led off the ninth with his second home run. After a walk, Hicks got a strikeout and a double play.“We put together a decent ninth against Hicks,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “It just wasn’t enough.”Paul Goldschmidt singled home Matt Carpenter with two outs in the fifth, giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Carpenter drew a walk and then stole second, his first this season, to get into scoring position.Arcia belted a homer to center to lead off the fifth and tie it at 1. Shaw’s homer off reliever John Gant tied it at 2 in the sixth. Shaw also homered in Monday’s series opener when he snapped an 0-for-17 skid.“We’re playing good teams,” Shaw said. “We need to keep our head above water and hopefully finish out this trip well.”St. Louis starter Daniel Ponce de Leon, who was activated before the game, started in place of the injured Michael Wacha. In his season debut, Ponce de Leon pitched five innings Matt Harvey Jersey , striking out seven and allowing two hits and one run.Milwaukee starter Zach Davies pitched 4 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits and two runs.CARLOS MARTINEZ UPDATECardinals RHP Carlos Martinez, out with right shoulder cuff strain, has missed 23 games. He threw a side session Tuesday. He’s up to 30 pitches of moderate-to-high intensity. He will throw again Friday and likely one more session after that, Shildt said. When he comes back, it will be as a reliever.ROSTER MOVESCardinals: INF/OF Drew Robinson, who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Monday, was sent back down Tuesday to make room for Ponce de Leon.TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (right shoulder inflammation) will throw a full bullpen session Wednesday. His 15-pitch light bullpen Monday went fine, the Brewers said. He could rejoin the rotation in the next homestand, which begins Monday against Colorado.Cardinals: OF Harrison Bader (right hamstring strain) ran the bases before the game. He is expected to be activated from the injured list before Wednesday’s game. … OF Tyler O’Neill (right ulnar nerve subluxation) was set to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday night in Double-A Springfield. He will play three games there and get four at-bats in each. … RHP Luke Gregerson (right shoulder impingement) visited with team doctors Tuesday and will returning to Doube-A Springfield. He will be used out of the bullpen as a regular reliever instead of structured work.UP NEXTBrewers: Jhoulys Chacin (2-2, 5.92) will be making his second start this season against St. Louis.Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (1-2, 4.74) pitched a season-high seven innings in his last start (April 11) against the Brewers.
SURPRISE http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , Ariz. (AP) — the season 20-14. They hope they can begin this season like they ended the last one, and not the way they’ve started in recent years.“These guys made a lot of progress from the middle of August all through September,” Royals manager Ned Yost said Monday before the club’s first full-squad workout. “They played really, really good and exciting baseball.“Does that mean we’re automatically going to come in here and pick up where we left off? No. We’re going to have to pick up where we left off. We’re going to have to work hard to continue that type of improvement. I’m real excited about it.”The Royals entered May last year with a 7-21 record. In 2017, they went 7-16 in April. Each year, they endured a nine-game losing streak in the season’s first month.“We started to put it all together in August,” said second baseman Whit Merrifield Corey Kluber Jersey , who led the AL in hits and stolen bases. “Once we started winning games, we got confidence and momentum. That’s what we were missing at the start of last year.“I think if we got off to a good April last year, our season would have been drastically different than it was. It is important for us to get off to a good start, so we’re going to be ready to do that come March 28th.”Kansas City will hope to have All-Star catcher Salvador Perez healthy to start the season. Last year, he slipped on stairs carrying luggage just before the season opener and missed the first 20 games.Another factor in the poor start was outfielder Jorge Bonifacio getting an 80-game suspension to begin the season after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.The Royals have 64 players in spring training, including 35 pitchers and a dozen infielders.“The last two months last season were a lot of fun,” third baseman Hunter Dozier said.“We’re just going to build off of that. That’s what kept me going and a lot of guys going in the off-season is how we finished. We want to get off to a good start and have a good spring.” ST. PETERSBURG Ricky Vaughn Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Catcher Mike Zunino, third baseman Matt Duffy and relief pitcher Chaz Roe have agreed to one-year contracts with the Tampa Bay Rays and avoided arbitration.The deals Friday left the Rays with one player proceeding to arbitration, outfielder Tommy Pham. He asked for $4.1 million and was offered $3.5 million.Pham made $570,000 last season when he batted .275 with 21 homers and 63 RBIs in 137 games with Tampa Bay and St. Louis. He was acquired from the Cardinals last July and hit .343 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 39 games for the Rays.Zunino ($4,412,500) was acquired this offseason in a five-player trade that sent outfielder Mallex Smith to Seattle. He earned $2,975 Michael Brantley Jersey ,000 last season while batting .201 with 20 homers and 44 RBIs in 113 games with the Mariners. He can earn $35,000 in performance bonuses for games: $17,500 each for 60 and 80.Duffy, 27, returned from missing all of 2017 because of injury to hit .294 with four homers and 44 RBIs in 132 games last season. He got $2,675,000 http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , up from $1 million last year. He also can earn $25,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $5,000 each for 200 and each additional 50 through 400.Roe, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 1-3 with a 3.58 ERA in a career-high 61 appearances. He’ll get $1,275,000 Kenny Lofton Jersey , an increase from $720,000.
In less than 24 hours http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , the Los Angeles Dodgers went from the edge of falling into a deep chasm to putting their foot on the throats of the Milwaukee Brewers. League Championship Series in Game 4, and they took a much more conventional victory in the pivotal fifth game.The Dodgers relied on seven innings of strong pitching from Clayton Kershaw in Game 5, and they earned a 5-2 victory over the Brewers.The series moves back to Milwaukee for Game 6 Friday night, and Game 7 will be played Saturday at Miller Park, if necessary.The first pitch in Game 1 is scheduled for 8:39 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by FS1.Kershaw gave up just three hits and kept the Brewers from doing any serious damage with his fastball and scintillating breaking pitches. It was a complete turnaround from his Game 1 performance when he gave up five runs (four of which were earned) in three-plus innings."It wasn't as easy maybe as last year to get to this point," Kershaw said, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "I realize we've got some work to finish it off and get back. It doesn't really matter how you get there, but thankful that we are here now, for sure."The Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs in five games in the NLCS last year.Manager Dave Roberts was happy with the way Kershaw responded to his second start in the NLCS,per Gurnick:"You could see the same look that you always see, there's a determination and when you get a champion like him that gets hit around a little bit, he's going to respond, and that's what he did today."The Dodgers got RBI singles from Austin Barnes, Max Muncy, Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner. Brian Dozier added an RBI groundout.Wade Miley pitched to one batter in Game 5, and he will get the start in Game 6 for the Brewers.Jae Hong/Associated Press/Associated PressOne of the more interesting strategic aspects of the game came in the first inning. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell gave the ball to Wade Miley to start the game, but he was replaced after one batter by Brandon Woodruff.Miley will start Game 6, and Jhoulys Chacin will get the ball in Game 7 for the Brewers if it goes that far."We're sitting in a very good spot and we have a great opportunity," Counsell said, per Joe Trezza of MLB.com. "And I know you're going to play, 'What if we could have captured another of these games?' But we're still going home and have a chance with this thing, with a bunch of guys in really good shape."Hyun-Jin Ryu will get the start for the Dodgers in Game 6. Key StatsKershaw struck out nine batters in seven innings David Wright Jersey , while Miley walked the only batter he faced before he was removed from the game. Reliever Joakim Soria gave up two runs on two hits in 0.1 innings. Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner had two hits for the Dodgers, while Lorenzo Cain had two hits for the Brewers.NLCS ScheduleGame 1: Brewers 6, Dodgers 5Game 2: Dodgers 4, Brewers 3Game 3: Brewers 4, Dodgers 0Game 4: Dodgers 2, Brewers 1 (13 innings)Game 5: Dodgers 5, Brewers 2; Dodgers lead, 3-2Game 6: Dodgers at Brewers; Friday, Oct. 19 at 8:39p.m. ET on FS1*Game 7: Dodgers at Brewers; Saturday, Oct. 20 at 9:09p.m. ET on FS1*if necessarySportsCenter SportsCenterANDREW BENINTENDI HAS THE RED SOX ONE WIN AWAY FROM THE WORLD SERIES #SCtop10 jiroz0r794American League Championship SeriesThe Boston Red Sox took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the defending World Series champion Houston Astros in the ALCS after recording an 8-6 victory in Game 4.The game came down to an Alex Bregman at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning against Craig Kimbrel with two outs and the bases loaded.The Astros star lined Kimbrel's first pitch to left field, and Andrew Benintendi took off with the crack of the bat and made a head-long dive to catch the ball and end the game. If Benintendi had failed to make the catch but kept the ball in front of him, the tying run would have scored. If it had gotten by him, the Astros would have won the game and tied the series.It was a tremendous game for the Boston outfielders.Mookie Betts had just one base hit, but he was a pivotal figure because of his defense. He leapt high at the right field wall in the first inning, and he appeared to be in a position to take away a home run from Houston's Jose Altuve. However, just as the ball was about to close his glove on the ball, a fan in the right-field seats knocked Betts' glove, and the ball careened off of it and back into the field.Umpire Joe West immediately called Altuve out because of the interference, and the call was upheld after video review.Betts made another brilliant defensive play in the eighth inning as he threw out the Astros' Tony Kemp after he tried to stretch a single into a double. Kemp has excellent speed, but Betts got to his line drive faster than Kemp could have expected and fired a perfect strike, and Xander Bogaerts tagged him out.The play poured cold water on what could have been a big rally in the eighth inning.ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoJackie Bradley Jr.: 3rd consecutive game with an extra-base hit and multiple RBI. Bradley Jr. becomes the 2nd player in franchise history with an XBH and 2+ RBI in 3 consecutive postseason games, joining Nomar Garciaparra in 1998. jme4FOwBoAThe Red Sox were trailing 5-4 in the top of the sixth inning when they took the lead for good. Jackie Bradley Jr., the hitting star in Games 2 and 3 http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , played the role of hero once again when he blasted a two-run homer to right field.Bradley was guessing that he would see an off-speed pitch when he came to the plate in the sixth. "I've been seeing the ball well and I put a good swing on it," Bradley told the MLB Network's Scott Braun. "I thought he might throw me a change-up and he did."The Astros are one game away from elimination, but they will send Justin Verlander to the mound to keep their season alive in Game 5. Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced after the game that David Price will get the start as Boston attempts to close out the series and move on to the World Series.First pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. and the game will be televised by TBS. Key StatsBradley has nine runs batted in in the last three games for the Red Sox. The Red Sox were 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position, while the Astros were 3-for-12. Charlie Morton gave up three earned runs in 2.1 innings of work for the Astros. Rick Porcello gave up four runs in 4.0 innings for the Red Sox.ALCS ScheduleGame 1: Astros 7,Red Sox 2Game 2: Red Sox 7, Astros 5Game 3: Red Sox 8, Astros 2Game 4: Red Sox 8, Astros 6; Red Sox lead, 3-1Game 5: Red Sox at Astros; Thursday, Oct. 18 at 8:09p.m. ET on TBS*Game 6: Astros at Red Sox; Saturday, Oct. 20 at 5:09p.m. ET on TBS*Game 7: Astros at Red Sox; Sunday, Oct. 21 at 7:39p.m. ET on TBS*if necessary TORONTO (AP) — Through chattering teeth, Charlie Montoyo talked about how good it felt to win for the first time as a major league manager.After Matt Shoemaker and the Blue Jays beat Detroit 6-0 Friday night, Toronto players marked their new skipper’s milestone victory by bundling him into a laundry basket, dragging him into the showers and dousing him with beer.“He got about 50 or 60 cold ones all at the same time,” winning pitcher Matt Shoemaker said. “It was awesome.”Pitcher Marcus Stroman posted video of the impromptu celebration the to his Twitter account.The frosty bath left Montoyo soaking wet and more than a little chilly in his postgame news conference.“I’m freezing,” Montoyo said as he took his place at the podium.Montoyo spent 18 years as a minor league manager and another four as a big league coach with the Tampa Bay Rays before being hired to replace John Gibbons in Toronto.“Now I can retire, I have a win at every level,” he joked.Matt Shoemaker pitched seven sharp innings and Justin Smoak and Freddy Galvis each drove in two runs, a day after the Blue Jays were blanked in a 10-inning loss.Shoemaker (1-0) allowed two hits, walked two and struck out seven. The right-hander signed a one-year deal with Toronto over the winter after spending his first six seasons with the Angels.“He shut us down,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said.Tigers catcher John Hicks said Shoemaker had three pitches working.“He had good action with his fastball, his slider was really good Mookie Wilson Jersey , and the split, too,” Hicks said.Combined with Stroman’s seven scoreless innings Thursday, Shoemaker gave the Blue Jays a team record for consecutive shutout innings by starting pitchers to open the season. Toronto’s previous best was eight innings, set by Jack Morris in 1992.Javy Guerra finished with two perfect innings for Toronto.Matt Boyd (0-1) struck out 10 in five innings.After establishing a team record for futility with a 13-inning scoreless drought to begin the season, the Blue Jays broke through with a four-run fourth. Teoscar Hernandez broke the skid with an RBI single, and Billy McKinney scored from first when center fielder Mikie Mahtook bobbled a bases-loaded single by Galvis.Mahtook also failed to corral Brandon Drury’s leadoff triple in the first inning, although Boyd struck out the next three batters. Those were the first in a stretch that saw Boyd fan seven of nine.Gardenhire said miscommunication was to blame for Detroit’s defensive miscues.“We had that a couple of times,” he said.Smoak made it 6-0 with a two-out, two-run single off Blaine Hardy in the seventh.Detroit’s Nicholas Castellanos was left stranded after a one-out double in the fourth, then got caught in a rundown after reaching on a one-out triple in the sixth.“He kind of hesitated and when he did that, now you’ve got a mess,” Gardenhire said.Castellanos was the only Tigers player to get a hit.“Four hits in two games, that’s not going to score you a lot of runs,” Gardenhire said. “We’ll get there.”ZEROESToronto’s three shutouts in 2018 were the second fewest in the majors. Only Detroit (two) had fewer. The Tigers were blanked an MLB-leading 18 times last year.ALWAYS SPECIALShoemaker, who was born and raised in suburban Detroit, said he always enjoys facing his boyhood team.“I grew up a Tigers fan” he said. “Cecil Fielder was my guy growing up. It’s a little different excitement pitching against your hometown team.”I KNOW YOUA former Blue Jays prospect, Boyd joined to the Tigers in the deal that sent left-hander David Price to Toronto in July 2015.TRAINER’S ROOMTigers: Minor league RHP Franklin Perez, one of Detroit’s top pitching prospects, is expected to miss four to six weeks because of tendinitis in his right shoulder. Perez missed much of 2018 because of shoulder and back injuries. He was acquired from Houston in 2017 as part of the package for Justin Verlander.Blue Jays: Montoyo said Toronto’s starters will likely be limited to between 80 and 100 pitches per outing through the end of April.UP NEXTTigers: RHP Spencer Turnbull was 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five spring training games, including two starts.Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez has a 1.50 ERA in seven career games against Detroit, four of them starts.
Pirates http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , the teamannounced Tuesday.Tampa Bay will receive right-handerTyler Glasnow, outfielder Austin Meadows and a player to be named later.Although he has been a reliever exclusively in 2018, Glasnow has made 17 MLB starts and 117 starts in the minors. Meadows, meanwhile, is batting .292 and slugging .468 with five home runs and 13 RBI in his rookie season.Although Archer finished with an ERA slightly above 4.00 in each of the last two seasons, which is below expectations for a pitcher with his stuff, it's surprising the Rays moved him. He posted a 4.07 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 249 strikeouts in 201 innings in 2017.He owns a 4.31 ERA through 17 starts this year.None of the other factors typically involved when a marquee player gets traded were in play with the 29-year-old right-hander. He doesn't have an extensive injury history, he seems to be a positive influence in the clubhouse and he's under club control through 2021 on a team-friendly deal, per Spotrac.The Rays have also remained a fringe factor in the AL wild-card race. They are 10 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot.Last September, the North Carolina native talked about a second straight year where his ERA finished well above his 3.69 career mark."Honestly, if you remove maybe three starts, I had a terrific year," he told reporters. "You put in three starts where I gave up about 18 runs, it's very mediocre for me. Lots of innings, lots of strikeouts, not a lot of wins. Just had a couple bad games, and it skewed the numbers a little. For me, I still feel good about the overall body of work."Starting pitchers with his type of electric arm and elite strikeout numbers aren't easy to find. That's why it's worth taking a chance on him, even if he's struggled with his command at times.The Pirates have remained firmly in the NL playoff race despite mediocre production from their starting pitchers. Pittsburgh ranks 17th in starter ERA, per ESPN.com. The addition of Archer should help improve that number if he can return to top form following the move.He'll headline a rotation that also includes Jameson Taillon,Trevor Williams andIvan Nova.It's important to remember Pittsburgh's newest addition is signed for the long haul. So it's a far more promising trade based on the fact that he'll continue to helpfor years.Ultimately, the Rays decided to trade Archer now, which eliminates the possibility he could lose further value. It's the type of move that could come back to haunt the organization if he can reach his potential in his new home, though. TAMPA http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-moore-jersey , Fla. (AP) — Aaron Judge got a $62,000 raise from the New York Yankees up to $684,300 in the right fielder’s last season before becoming eligible for salary arbitration.Catcher Gary Sanchez was given a $49,400 hike to $669,800 as the team reached agreements with its young players whose salaries are under club control. He also will be eligible for arbitration next winter.Second baseman Gleyber Torres agreed to $605,200, up from last year’s $545,000 minimum, and third baseman Miguel Andujar struck a deal for $617,600, an increase from $545,800.Outfielder Clint Frazier, sidelined for most of last season following a concussion, gets $563,300, a slight rise from $559,200. First baseman Luke Voit agreed to $573,200, up from the $546,500 in the majors last year as part of the contract he agreed to with St. Louis, which traded him to New York.All players have split contracts with lower salaries should they be sent to the minor leagues: Judge would get $311,150, Sanchez $310,200 Ivan Rodriguez Jersey , Torres $240,210, Andujar $269,216, Frazier $222,711 and Voit $145,673.Also agreeing to deals were right-handers Albert Abreu ($555,000/$90,400), Domingo Acevedo ($555,000/$90,400), Chance Adams ($556,725/$90,400), Luis Cessa ($578,975/$210,768), Domingo German ($577,500/$190,150), Chad Green ($598,650/$285,400) http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-moore-jersey , Joe Harvey ($555,000/$45,300), Ben Heller ($555,000/$273,738), Jonathan Holder ($580,300/$262,947) and Jonathan Loaisiga ($560,550/$92,766); left-handers Jordan Montgomery ($596,600/$290,225) and Stephen Tarpley ($557,250/$90,400); catcher Kyle Higashioka ($562,900/$160,207); and infielders Thairo Estrada ($555,000/$90,400) and Tyler Wade ($572,000/$155,691).
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Don Yee http://www.ravensfootballauthentics.com/eric-weddle-jersey-authentic , the agent for Tom Brady and other NFL stars, and three-time Super Football, a league that will provide an alternative path to the NFL that has never existed.Pacific Pro Football announced Monday that it is scheduled to begin play in July 2020 with four teams in Southern California. It will allow players to play professionally directly out of high school, with the average salary and benefits totaling $50,000 for a two-month season.Yee said the NFL is the only major sport in the world that doesn't have any kind of developmental system. The widening divergence between styles of play in college and the NFL means some college players aren't necessarily being trained for the pro game, he added. Pacific Pro Football will be similar to the NBA's G League. McCaffrey will be commissioner and former NFL Network vice president Jamie Hemann will be CEO."There is a growing realization and concern, actually, in the NFL, all the way from ownership on down, that the growing divergence between the college product and the NFL product is a problem," Yee said in a phone interview Monday. "There also is a realization that is somewhat anomalous, that the NFL product doesn't have any kind of hand in any kind of developmental system."He pointed to Sunday's AFC wild-card game in which the Los Angeles Chargers beat Baltimore 23-17 by frustrating and harassing Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson. With the former Louisville star leading the way Womens Lamar Jackson Jersey , the Ravens went on a tear late in the regular season by combining a time-consuming ground game with the league's top-ranked defense. The Ravens beat the Chargers 22-10 on Dec. 22, but Los Angeles quickly figured out a way to bottle up Jackson in the rematch."There are fantastic athletes like Lamar Jackson, who excelled in college in a particular system, but once he reaches a different style of game and play, you can see it's going to take a little while to properly train him playing a different style," Yee said. "What we hope to do is accelerate that learning curve."Yee said concern about the divergent styles between college and the NFL is shared by some college players and their parents, and that playing at a four-year college isn't necessarily the best or only path to the NFL."It should be OK for a young man to simply want to be a good football player, no different than if a young man or woman simply wanted to be a good engineer," Yee said. "Any kind of ambition is honorable."Yee said he anticipates that in the first year, most of the league's players will have already played some college football. He added that there are high school players who are good enough to play three years with Pacific Pro Football and then make the jump to the NFL."We view it as, this league will be the best of the best, and what I mean is we will not make an employment offer to any player unless we strongly believe that player has a professional football future Womens Hayden Hurst Jersey ," he said.The projected annual average salary and benefits will be $50,000, and the league will negotiate separately with every player depending on perceived market value, Yee said. He said he couldn't yet identify the league's investors.Once a player becomes eligible to apply for the NFL draft, he will term out of Pacific Pro Football, Yee said. Players are eligible for the NFL three years removed from their high school graduating class.The league will play in July and August. Plans call for teams in San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties, with games played at community colleges.Yee said the league will offer one year of free junior college tuition to each player, and teams will have counselors to offer advice on post-playing careers.Most of the league's players in the first year will have already played some college football, Yee said.Besides Brady, Yee also represents Julian Edelman, Jimmy Garoppolo and Saints coach Sean Payton.McCaffrey recently stepped down as the head coach at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch Cheap Marshal Yanda Jersey , Colorado. He won a Super Bowl championship with San Francisco in 1994 and two more with Denver in 1997 and 1998. Of his four sons, Max is a wide receiver with the 49ers, Christian is a running back and return specialist for the Carolina Panthers and Dylan is a quarterback at Michigan."Our league will be fun for players and fans, and fans will see the best of the next generation of stars," McCaffrey said in a statement.FOX Fantasy AutoForm a Racing Team, Compete for PrizesPlay Now! As the Ravens tried to mount an unlikely comeback against the Bengals on Thursday night after landing in a 21-point hole twice in the first half, the margin had reduced to five — and the momentum favored the Ravens.And so the play of the game arrived with 8:08 to play, the home team leading 28-23, and the Bengals facing third and two on their on 33. Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, lined up in the right slot, ran a short crossing route. Ravens defensive back Tavon Young broke up the pass, putting Baltimore in position to try to take the lead with plenty of time left.But wait. A yellow flag landed on the field. The officials called Young for holding.And while Young indeed had a right hand on Boyd’s waist Cheap Matt Skura Jersey , Young didn’t impede Boyd’s ability to run across the field. Instead, Young’s hand simply was placed in a spot that would have been conducive to holding, if Young had used his hand to slow down Boyd.Making the call even more questionable was the circumstance. Sure, a foul is supposed to always be a foul no matter the margin or remaining time. But flags often get nudged a little deeper in key moments, and in this specific case it would have given extra reason to not call a penalty.The first down kept Cincinnati’s drive alive, chewing up clock and leading to a field goal that pushed the margin back to eight points, and in turn setting the stage for a last-gasp effort from the Ravens to potentially force overtime. Bengals defensive back Shawn Williams got to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco before Flacco could uncork a throw that coach John Harbaugh said after the game could have resulted in a long touchdown, the Bengals recovered, and that was that.
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16.05.2019 04:49
