The Oakland A’s have had 24 hours to digest their American League Divisional Series defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros. Difficult decisions can’t be made yet, but the Athletics’ brass left Los Angeles feeling good about the talent that flew back to Oakland. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the organization isn’t focused on what they’ve lacked…
Billy Beane on state of A’s after another postseason exit: ‘It’s a pretty darn good foundation’ — Times-Standard
Nationals pitching coach Paul Menhart will not be brought back next season after working in the organization for 15 years.
Nationals let pitching coach Paul Menhart go one year after title — MLB | NBC Sports
Nine Padres pitchers combined to shut out the Cardinals in Game 3 as they won their first postseason series in 22 years.
Padres shut out Cardinals 4-0 in Game 3, reach NLDS — MLB | NBC Sports
Associated PressOct 2, 2020, 11:05 PM EDT1 Commen
Craig Stammen and eight fellow relievers combined on a four-hitter in a brilliant, record-setting effort that sent the San Diego Padres over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 Friday night in the deciding Game 3 of their NL wild-card series.
The Padres won a postseason series for the first time in 22 years and advanced to face the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the division series at Arlington, Texas, starting Tuesday.
The nine pitchers marked the most used in a nine-inning shutout in any big league game since 1901.
With starters Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet unavailable due to injuries suffered in their final regular-season starts, rookie manager Jayce Tingler was forced to tap the Padres’ already-stressed bullpen and it came through magnificently. San Diego became the first team in baseball history to use eight or more pitchers in three straight postseason games.
Trevor Rosenthal, who started his career with the Cardinals, struck out the side in the ninth and the Padres began to celebrate in empty Petco Park.
It’s the first postseason series win for the Padres since they beat the Atlanta Braves in the 1998 NLCS and only the second time they’ve won a playoff game at Petco Park, which opened in 2004. The Padres lost to St. Louis in the division series in 2005 and 2006, the last time the Padres were in the postseason. The Cardinals also eliminated the Padres in 1996.
All four division series feature matchups between division rivals. All seven Central teams lost in the first round, with the Cardinals joining Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota.
Fernando Tatis Jr., who homered twice and drove in five runs in Thursday night’s wild 11-9 victory, doubled into the left-field corner off losing pitcher Jack Flaherty with one out in the fifth and scored on Eric Hosmer‘s two-out double to right-center.
The Padres added on against reliever Alex Reyes in the seventh, on a bases-loaded walk to Hosmer and Manny Machado‘s fielder’s choice and an error on third baseman Tommy Edman.
Rookie Jake Cronenworth homered in the eighth.
With spectators watching from balconies on buildings surrounding the outfield and on a big-screen TV in a nearby parking lot, the Padres rewarded their long-suffering fans by winning one of the most meaningful games of any kind in San Diego in a long time. The city’s only major professional championship remains the San Diego Chargers’ 1963 AFL title. The Chargers left for Los Angeles after the 2016 season, leaving the Padres as the only pro team in San Diego, which lost NBA teams to Houston and Los Angeles.
The Padres lost 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 World Series and were swept by the New York Yankees in the 1998 Fall Classic.
The 36-year-old Stammen, who hadn’t started since 2010 with the Washington Nationals, pitched a perfect first inning and made way for Tim Hill with one on and two out in the second. Hill retired Matt Carpenter, got the first two outs of the third and then handed off to Pierce Johnson. Johnson loaded the bases on a single and a walk but struck out rookie cleanup hitter Dylan Carlson.
Rookie Adrian Morejon tossed a perfect fourth and struck out two to open the fifth before Kolten Wong singled and San Diegan Tommy Edman reached on Tatis Jr.’s throwing error from shortstop.
Austin Adams came on and struck out Paul Goldschmidt, who hit a three-run homer in St. Louis’ 7-4 win in Game 1. Adams wound up with the win.
St. Louis had another scoring chance in the sixth when Yadier Molina hit a one-out double off rookie Luis Patino and took third on Paul DeJong‘s grounder. Patino got Dexter Fowler to fly out to the warning track in right-center to end it.
Emilio Pagan threw a perfect seventh and Drew Pomeranz walked one in the eighth.
The bullpen had been one of the Padres’ strengths coming into the season but lost several members to injuries, including closer Kirby Yates, who led the majors with 41 saves last year. General manager A.J. Preller replenished it just before the trade deadline.
Stammen had a seesaw regular season, going 4-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 24 appearances.
Flaherty was brilliant as well, allowing one run and six hits in six innings while striking out eight and walking two.
The loss ended a season that saw the Cardinals shut down by a virus outbreak in the early going. Manager Mike Shildt’s team earned a playoff spot by last Sunday by winning on the final day of the regular season.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-SportsTags: Adrian Morejon, Alex Reyes, Austin Adams, Craig Stammen, Dexter Fowler, Dinelson Lamet, Drew Pomeranz, Dylan Carlson, Emilio Pagan, Eric Hosmer, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jack Flaherty, Jake Cronenworth, Kirby Yates, Kolten Wong, Manny Machado, Matt Carpenter, Mike Clevinger, Paul DeJong, Paul Goldschmidt, Pierce Johnson, Tim Hill, Tommy Edman, Trevor Rosenthal, Yadier Molina
LOS ANGELES — This journey began in 2008. That’s when Clayton Kershaw made the first of his now 33 appearances in a postseason game. A 20-year-old Kershaw made two relief appearances against the Philadelphia Phillies in that National League Championship Series. Oh, the advice a 32-year-old Clayton might give that 20-year-old about his postseason journey…
How Clayton Kershaw in midseason form could affect his postseason — Daily News
Tigers GM Al Avila says that Detroit is not ruling out the possibility of hiring A.J. Hinch or Alex Cora for its manager vacancy.
Avila says Tigers aren’t ruling out Hinch, Cora for manager — MLB | NBC Sports
Associated PressOct 2, 2020, 7:15 PM EDTLeave a comment
DETROIT — Tigers general manager Al Avila said Friday that Detroit is not ruling out the possibility of hiring A.J. Hinch or Alex Cora for its manager vacancy.
Hinch and Cora were suspended through the 2020 postseason for their roles in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. The Astros fired Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow on Jan. 13 and Cora lost his job managing the Boston Red Sox the following day.. Cora spent the 2017 season as bench coach on Hinch’s staff with Houston.
The Tigers are in the market for a replacement for manager Ron Gardenhire, who retired on Sept. 19 with a little more than a week left in the season. Avila was asked about Hinch and Cora, and while Detroit’s search appears to be in a very early stage, the GM at least seemed open to the possibility of hiring one of the suspended managers.
“Really, I can’t say that I’ve eliminated anybody,” Avila said. “The cheating scandal is not a good thing, obviously. They’re serving their suspensions, and once their suspensions are over, then they’ll be free to pursue their careers. So we have not eliminated anybody from our list at this point.”
Avila said interviews will be conducted by video, but he could meet face to face once the list of candidates is down to a small number.
“We could finish this sometime in October. It might go into November,” he said. “Really, we’re not in a rush. We’re kind of taking our time with it.”
The Tigers went 23-35 in the shortened season, finishing in the AL Central cellar for the third time in four years. They did bring up two of their most highly touted pitching prospects in Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal, so that duo got some experience in the big leagues.
Avila said it is important that the next manager be able to help with talent evaluation, since there are important decisions to make throughout the roster. He sounds open to a variety of experience levels for managerial candidates.
“I guess one thing you could eliminate is a guy that maybe played and has absolutely no coaching experience, no managerial experience, and goes from being a player directly to a major league manager,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t go that way, but everything else I would say is in play.”
Tags: A.J. Hinch, Al Avila, Alex Cora, Astros, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Jeff Luhnow, Major League Baseball, MLB, Red Sox, Ron Gardenhire, Tiger, Casey Mize, Tarik SkubalLeave a comment
LOS ANGELES — For the second time in the past week, the Dodgers have lost a postseason hero from the franchise’s past. “Sweet Lou” Johnson who stepped in for an injured Tommy Davis during the 1965 World Series passed away Thursday night. He was 86. Born Louis Brown Johnson in Lexington, Kentucky, “Sweet Lou” toiled…
Former Dodger World Series hero ‘Sweet Lou’ Johnson dies — Press Telegram
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brent Suter is one of two active major league players who attended Harvard University. He was a dual major in environmental science and public policy. The space between his ears contains multitudes and, for a time Wednesday night, Suter couldn’t escape it. Chosen at the last minute to start Game 1 of…
Brewers’ Brent Suter melts down, Dodgers take advantage in Game 1 — Press Telegram
The Deets is a weekday morning dose of commentary — delivered at 7 a.m. — from sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach that wraps up everything important in the world of sports and looks forward to another crazy day ahead. The Houston Astros still don’t get it. It’s on the Oakland A’s or the Chicago White Sox…
Kurtenbach: Karma is coming for the bratty Astros and Carlos Correa — Times-Standard
[ad_1] Before Rays right-hander Nick Anderson entered Game 1 of the AL wild card round on Tuesday, the typically prolific Blue Jays lineup managed just two hits and whiffed 10 times through 6 1/3 innings. With runners on first and second in the seventh, Anderson jammed Teoscar Hernandez with a two-strike fastball, forcing a pop […]
Blue Jays have their greatest strength sapped in Game 1 loss to Rays — The Latest News
Earlier than Rays right-hander Nick Anderson entered Recreation 1 of the AL wild card spherical on Tuesday, the usually prolific Blue Jays lineup managed simply two hits and whiffed 10 occasions via 6 1/3 innings.
With runners on first and second within the seventh, Anderson jammed Teoscar Hernandez with a two-strike fastball, forcing a come out, and retired Joe Panik through line out. Anderson labored round a pair of hits the following body, permitting one run, to arrange teammate Peter Fairbanks for his first save of the season.
In limiting harm, Anderson preserved among the finest staff pitching performances towards the potent Blue Jays in 2020. Toronto averaged greater than 5 runs per recreation this 12 months earlier than shedding 3-1 in Recreation 1. Tampa Bay starter Blake Snell carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
Toronto now faces elimination as a result of its offense disappeared, not as a result of the employees it frightened could be inadequate didn’t carry out.
MORE: MLB playoff predictions
The Blue Jays are poised to be offensive juggernauts for a few years, largely due to Cavan Biggio (116 profession OPS+), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (109 profession OPS+) and Bo Bichette (137 profession OPS+) on the high of their order. The younger trio will not hit free company till 2026. Complementary mashers Randal Grichuk (106 profession OPS+), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (123 profession OPS+) and Hernandez (114 profession OPS+) are beneath contract till not less than 2024.
However the group’s first go at October baseball Tuesday went poorly and, barring a fast turnaround on this best-of-3 sequence, its postseason debut will likely be short-lived.
Whereas some Blue Jays followers blamed supervisor Charlie Montoyo for making too many pitching adjustments in Recreation 1, the mixture of Matt Shoemaker and 4 relievers allowed solely 4 hits and stored the competition shut. The highest 4 spots in Toronto’s order, in the meantime, struck out eight occasions and went 1 for 13.
The Rays current a tricky impediment for Blue Jays batters, maybe jittery on a stage they weren’t supposed to achieve so quickly. Snell is without doubt one of the high left-handed aces in MLB, and projected Recreation 2 starter Tyler Glasnow will be equally efficient at getting hitters to chase pitches out of the strike zone. Tampa Bay’s bullpen is loaded with rocket arms.
Plus, because the No. 8 seed within the AL, it was at all times going to be a problem for Toronto to advance.
Worst-case situation, the Blue Jays’ batch of proficient however inexperienced hitters will depart a busy 2020 having internalized the sensation of being within the playoffs. Whatever the Recreation 2 outcome and a possible Recreation 3, then, the membership can take solace in gaining that psychological edge, even when it might be mystifying for its bats to cease producing after being dependable all year long.
The Houston Astros could have been dethroned within the AL West by the relentless Oakland Athletics. They could be public enemy No. 1 for baseball followers following the revelation of their elaborate sign-stealing scandal. And who is aware of, the 2020 model won’t even be that good. But regardless of all of it, they’re postseason […]
Say hello to the bad guys: Astros clinch final AL playoff spot — Daily News website
BUFFALO – They can read the standings and adhere to the slim caution of the magic number still lurking, but when the Blue Jays arrived here at Sahlen Field on Wednesday afternoon, there was a fresh excitement. Read More
Blue Jays on the brink of clinching after blowout win over Yankees — Toronto Sun
By Rob Longley
BUFFALO — They can read the standings and adhere to the slim caution of the magic number still lurking, but when the Blue Jays arrived here at Sahlen Field on Wednesday afternoon, there was a fresh excitement.
With all but the most feint of mathematical probabilities in the way of clinching a playoff spot, the Jays could smell it. And perhaps there was a whiff of blood in the air as well as they laid a 14-1 beating on the New York Yankees.
Second-year manager Charlie Montoyo said felt it as soon as he walked into the clubhouse hours before first pitch. So, too, did his versatile lead-off man Cavan Biggio, who didn’t want to get ahead of himself but acknowledged the imminent accomplishment.
And that feeling carried onto the field for a statement blow-out to reduce that magic number to one with four games to play.
The clinching celebration was denied as both the Angels and Mariners clung to life with wins, but it’s now near impossible to envision a scenario where the Jays don’t return to the post-season for the first time since 2016.
And with ace Hyun-Jin Ryu on the mound for Thursday’s series finale against the Yankees, playoff fever will be spiking.
“I’m going to sleep good tonight knowing he’s going tomorrow,” Montoyo said after Wednesday’s game when asked of about having the big lefty on tap with the stakes so high.
The fact that the imminent thrill of October baseball arrived this year is further encouragement for the young Jays, who have not lacked in self-belief.
“We have a lot of work to do,” said Biggio, who scored Wednesday’s first run after drawing a leadoff walk in the first then drove in two more in the Jays eight-run sixth. “I think we’re just scratching the surface on what we’re going to be able to do at this level.
“To see it coming this early on in our careers gives us a little glimpse of what we can end up doing in the future.”
Montoyo was of the same mind, candidly acknowledging that he didn’t think that true playoff contention would come for his team until 2021.
That they are on the brink of it now — and sure they took advantage of the expanded playoff format — is both a bonus and a boost to the confidence of a team that is driven by its young core.
“I’m very proud of my team to be in this position at this time, to be in a position to clinch a playoff spot,” Montoyo said. “No one expected us to be here and you can feel the vibe in there.
“This is a great experience for them. Just going through this for the first time, it’s petty cool for these kids. You can see it. This is going to help them from now until they retire.”
Though the Jays had fallen from form somewhat last week, some swagger is returning. From the outset of a challenging season — one that had then turfed from their Canadian home and denied shared arrangements in other major league cities — the team has responded favourably and thrived.
“You can make it as bad as it is or as good as you want,” Biggio said of the hurdles they’ve negotiated. “Going into the season and our situation not being able to play in Toronto and coming into Buffalo … we could have easily looked at it like, man, our backs are up against the wall. It’s okay if we don’t win this year, it’s kind of a crazy year.
“But the way we took it was is we’re here for each other. The biggest thing we’ve had is chemistry.”
They are close enough to feel it now, just a win on Thursday to set up a weekend to reset and prepare for a playoff opener next Tuesday.https://www.youtube.com/embed/IUgq0BKD818?embed_config={%27relatedChannels%27:%20[],%27autonav%27:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1
Once that playoff spot is verified — as presumptive as that may be, the odds against it happening are prohibitive — the Jays feel they can make some noise. Put it this way, a potential first-round date with the Tampa Bay Rays doesn’t intimidate them given how tough they played their division rivals earlier in the season.
“We’ve got to get there first,” Biggio cautioned. “That being said, I think this team plays with a lot of excitement and a lot of energy. The cool part of this team is we’re never really out of a game.”
And now just a game away from getting to play at the next level.
POST-GAME NOTES
It was a mixed bag from Jays starter Robbie Ray, though he probably did enough to move himself into some playoff work. Ray allowed just one run on three hits but with an elevated pitch count of 90 lasted just four innings. … Montoyo won’t be tipping his hand for a while, but we could see Ray splitting a start with Matt Shoemaker in the post-season … Not so fast, Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen sees you. The regular Jays catcher had a four-hit night with a single, double and a pair of home runs. “I just tried to be aggressive on him and try to put the barrel on it,” Jansen said of the first dinger, a line-drive shot over the wall in left off of Masahiro Tanaka … Something about the sixth. The Jays put up eight in that inning on Wednesday following up the 10-spot they inflicted on the Yankees here on Sept. 7 … After a season-long six-game losing streak the Jays are building momentum again with wins in three of their past four to improve to 29-27 … Solid relief effort from Ross Stripling who pitched four shutout innings to close things out … Besides a chance to clinch on Thursday, the Jays could salvage a split on the 10-game season series with the Yanks currently holding a 5-4 edge.
Boston Herald
The Red Sox may be in the driver’s seat for a Top 5 pick in next year’s draft, but they’re not playing like they’re trying to ensure that.
Christian Vazquez’s three-run homer in the sixth helped seal an 8-3 victory in Nick Pivetta’s debut as the Red Sox moved within two games of the Orioles for fourth place in the division on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Some takeaways and observations as the Red Sox moved to 21-34 with five games to go:
Pivetta on point in debut
Nick Pivetta wasn’t exactly dominant in his first start in a Red Sox uniform, but given how poorly the team’s starting rotation has performed this season, it was a good starting place to work from and good enough to show promise as a cog in the rotation moving forward.
It only took two months and 16 different starting pitchers, but the Red Sox finally have some reason to be encouraged about their starting rotation, with Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez coming on strong, Tanner Houck looking terrific in his first two starts, and now Pivetta. The right-hander they acquired in a trade with the Phillies last month showed a lot to like in his Red Sox debut, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out eight over five innings.
It took a month for Pivetta to finally make his debut because the Red Sox likely were waiting to call him up to take advantage of an extra year of service time, but also because they were working to stretch him out since he hadn’t started a game since last July and had only appeared in three games for the Phillies this season. But he showed little rust in his return.
Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said that with Pivetta, a native of Victoria, B.C., who had a career 5.50 ERA coming in, it’s all about location. On Tuesday, he was putting almost everything where he wanted, save for the three walks, two of which came in the first inning as the Orioles took a 1-0 lead. Pivetta took advantage of a chasing Orioles lineup to aid his eight strikeouts, which included 14 swings and misses, the third most by a Red Sox pitcher this season. Seven of those came via his slider.
Chavis has a tough night in left
Two weeks ago, with a need in the outfield and a willing participant, Michael Chavis moved over to left field, where he had never played professionally before. The idea was to get him in the lineup any way possible, and a year after he got a look defensively at second, to expand his versatility.
Chavis had mostly been solid in his first foray into left, but playing left at Fenway Park may take some time getting used to. Two days after a two-homer game, Chavis misplayed a pair of line drives in the sixth inning that ultimately cost the Red Sox a run. The first one off the bat of Pedro Severino and was ruled an error as a catchable ball deflected off his glove, and the second one, a liner from Rio Ruiz, cleared his head for a double.
Bradley Jr. continues late surge
This could be Jackie Bradley Jr.’s last week in a Red Sox uniform, and the impending free agent is making a case for potential suitors this winter. Two days after a four-hit performance in Sunday’s win over the Yankees, Bradley recorded two more hits in Tuesday night’s victory, which included a second-inning single that helped ignite a three-run frame.
Bradley has now hit safely in 27 of his last 32 games, and he’s having a terrific September at the plate, with a .333 average, eight extra-base hits, eight RBI and 13 runs scored in 19 games while raising his season average to .279, which would be a career high even if the season is a much smaller sample size. Either way, Bradley, who has publicly stated that he’s interested in testing free agency, seems intent on closing the season strong.
It’s been rare as of late, but J.D. Martinez also had a strong night at the plate, as he went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. It was just the third three-hit night of the season for Martinez, who raised his average to .216.
Stephen Hewitt | September 22, 2020 at 11:07 pm | Tags: Orioles, Red Sox | Categories: Red Sox, Sports | URL: https://wp.me/panY8T-8Uwn
The view from left field 