The Oakland A’s clinched the American League West for the first time since 2013. What’s more, they won it on a day off in Los Angeles. The division championship came to them courtesy of a Houston Astros 6-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners Monday night. Related Articles A’s postseason preview: The questions Oakland must answer…
Oakland A’s clinch American League West for first time since 2013 — Times-Standard
PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper hit a tying, two-run double and scored the go-ahead run on an error following Alec Bohm’s infield single, helping the Philadelphia Phillies rally to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 Friday night and earn their first doubleheader sweep in eight years. Zach Eflin struck out nine in a four-hitter and Harper […]
Blue Jays swept in doubleheader by Phillies after Harper leads late rally – Sportsnet.ca — PressNewsAgency
HILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper hit a tying, two-run double and scored the go-ahead run on an error following Alec Bohm’s infield single, helping the Philadelphia Phillies rally to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 Friday night and earn their first doubleheader sweep in eight years.
Zach Eflin struck out nine in a four-hitter and Harper went deep in Philadelphia’s 7-0 win in the opener.
The Phillies came back twice in the nightcap.
Rafael Marchan hit his first career homer as a professional, a three-run drive in the fourth that tied it at 5. That came after Mickey Moniak, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft, lined a single to right for his first hit in the majors.
Marchan didn’t go deep in 846 plate appearances over four seasons in the minors, but the 21-year-old Venezuelan catcher connected in just his fifth time up in the big leagues.
Randal Grichuk’s sacrifice fly gave the Jays a 6-5 lead in the fifth and Connor Brogdon walked No. 9 batter Danny Jansen on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded and two outs, forcing in another run.
Rafael Deolis (2-2) struck out Andrew McCutchen looking with runners on second and third for the second out in the sixth. With a base open, the Blue Jays went after hot-hitting Harper and he delivered.
Harper hit a drive high off the wall in left-centre, slid into the second and got up pumping his fist. Bohm followed with a grounder to second baseman Joe Panik. He beat the throw to Deolis covering first and the ball got away for an error, allowing Harper to score.
Brogdon (1-0) tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his first career win. Hector Neris finished for his fifth save in eight chances. He retired Cavan Biggio on a liner to centre with two runners on to end it.
Jays starter Ross Stripling yielded three runs in 3 1/3 innings.
McCutchen hit a solo homer in the third.
Philadelphia’s David Hale made his first start since 2015, allowing two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings. JoJo Romero gave up three runs on three hits, recording just one out.
Teoscar Hernandez blasted his 15th homer out to left to cut it to 2-1 in the fourth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Santiago Espinal had RBI singles, and Biggio’s two-run single extended the lead to 5-2.
In the opener, Eflin (3-2) threw 92 pitches for his third career shutout and fifth complete game, though this one was seven innings. All of his strikeouts were swinging, including three in the first on curveballs.
“We had a game plan going in of mixing a little more offspeed so that worked out obviously in the first inning and I kind of really just carried that momentum,” Eflin said. “Had good spin on it and I knew it was going to work so I just went with that and made them respect all the pitches I was throwing.”
Harper hit 878 feet of homers in a loss Thursday night against the Mets and connected for his third shot in two games to ignite a five-run fifth against Robbie Ray (2-5).
Toronto has lost five in a row but entered with a 4 1/2-game lead over Seattle for the final wild card in the AL.
The injury-depleted Phillies, missing Nos. 2, 4 and 6 hitters Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura, are 26-25. They began the day with a half-game lead over St. Louis for the last wild card in the NL.
Philadelphia hadn’t won a doubleheader since Sept. 9, 2012 against Colorado, going 0-12-9 before rallying for the sweep.
Ray gave up five runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings in his third start for the Blue Jays after being acquired from Arizona before the trade deadline.
TRADE COMPLETE
The Phillies sent right-handers Juan Geraldo, Brandon Ramey and Israel Puello to the Milwaukee Brewers to complete the trade for right-hander David Phelps on Aug. 31.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Segura didn’t play after he was drilled with a 98 mph fastball in the left elbow Thursday night. … Realmuto (hip) is expected to miss the weekend. … Hoskins (elbow) is uncertain to return this season. … OF Jay Bruce was reinstated from the injury list.
UP NEXT:
RHP Vince Velasquez (0-1, 6.46 ERA) starts for the Phillies on Saturday night while the Blue Jays haven’t announced a starter yet.
Source linkPressNewsAgencyhttps://PressNewsAgency.org
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take an economic toll around baseball, the Red Sox announced more layoffs within the business side of the organization on Thursday. 167 more words
Red Sox announce more layoffs as COVID-19 continues to take its toll — Boston Herald
Sign In COVID-19 apparently has struck Major League Baseball once again. Only this time, an umpire reportedly has tested positive for the coronavirus. The reported positive test triggered a sudden change in two crew assignments in Florida to help fill the gaps, sources told The Associated Press. Tuesday’s Washington Nationals-Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana…
MLB Rumors: Umpire Tests Positive For COVID-19, Triggers Crew Change — NESN.com
COVID-19 apparently has struck Major League Baseball once again.
Only this time, an umpire reportedly has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The reported positive test triggered a sudden change in two crew assignments in Florida to help fill the gaps, sources told The Associated Press.
Tuesday’s Washington Nationals-Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field began with three umpires, with fill-in Clint Vondrak arriving in the fourth inning.
Roughly 280 miles away, veteran ump Andy Fletcher joined three younger umpires for the Boston Red Sox-Miami Marlins series at Marlins Park.
MLB medical experts don’t think there is a threat of infection to personnel, sources told The AP.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports ImagesMore MLB: Rob Manfred ‘Hopeful’ For Limited Fan Attendance For MLB PlayoffsMLB
https://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-continue-to-get-bombed-in-the-bronx/wcm/b4bdfe13-e2e1-4894-9f7d-5e1f74482https://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-continue-to-get-bombed-in-the-bronx/wcm/b4bdfe13-e2e1-4894-9f7d-5e1f744826fd/6fd/
Author of the article:Frank ZicarelliPublishing date:Sep 17, 2020 • Last Updated 2 hours ago • 4 minute read
Six home runs one night, seven the next as the Blue Jays once again showed they are not in the same ball park as the surging New York Yankees.
Two games into a three-game series and it’s been men against boys, no contest, with New York taking big leads early, fuelled by its booming bats, and cruising the rest of the way, including Wednesday’s 13-2 win.
Two games and the Bronx Bombers have outscored the Jays by a combined 33-8 in back-to-back blowouts.
How bad was it? Yankees backup catcher Kyle Higashioka slammed three of the seven homers on the night, one to each field.
And as hot as the Yankees’ bats have been, their pitching has been just as good.
Deivi Garcia stymied the Jays on Tuesday. Then along comes baseball’s premier hired gun, Gerrit Cole, and his $36-million-a-year right arm.
Cole no-hit the Jays through five innings, the bid coming to an end when Jonathan Villar jumped on his first pitch of the sixth with a double to right.Villar came around to score Toronto’s first run.
Cole went seven strong and threw 95 pitches.
Joe Panik hit his first homer of the season for the Jays with two out in the ninth.
Jays starter Tanner Roark faced the Yankees last week and didn’t hold back when asked why he wasn’t allowed to pitch deeper into the game.
In today’s analytics-obsessed world, the Jays never wanted their big right hander to face the Yankees’ batting order for the third time and hence the hook after four innings.
Roark couldn’t get into the fifth once again, allowing six earned runs to drop to 2-2.
Roark convened with catcher Danny Jansen for a mound meeting in the fourth as D.J. LeMahieu came to the plate for the third time on the night with two out and a runner at first.
With the count full, LeMahieu went the opposite way for a two-run blast, his second deep ball of the night.
The Yankees, now with seven wins in a row, are only going to get stronger with Giancarlo Stanton (on Tuesday), Aaron Judge (on Wednesday) and Gleyber Torres (soon) rejoining the lineup off the injured list
In their absence, players such as LeMahieu and Luke Voit have received more attention and acclaim. Voit hit two homers Tuesday to raise his MLB-leading total to 18, the added No. 19 on Wednesday.
GILES ON THE SHELF
Ken Giles’ regrettable season hasn’t officially come to an end, but all signs point to that unfortunate fate.
The lights-out closer strained his right forearm when the team opened its 60-game season in Tampa.
Giles missed close to seven weeks. When he returned, he made two appearances in low-leverage situations, including a one-inning outing Tuesday.
In each outing, Giles gave up a homer.
Officially, Giles moves to the 10-game injured list.
During his pre-game availability Wednesday, manager Charlie Montoyo said the team is awaiting results of an MRI.
“He gave it all he had and it just didn’t work out,” said Montoyo. “That’s how he felt (Wednesday). I wouldn’t think he’s coming back this year. That’s just speculating. I don’t know that for a fact, but there’s not that much time left.”
The Jays have 12 games left in the season and are 1.5 games behind the Yankees for second place in the AL East.
GONE FISHIN’
Derek Fisher, who struggled mightily in the outfield on Tuesday, has been placed on the injured list. During one of his mishaps, Fisher awkwardly collided with the wall.
Then, during Wednesday’s batting practice, Fisher was hit by a pitch on the right knee by Matt Shoemaker.
Everyone was pinning Toronto’s blowout loss on Fisher, but the truth is the Jays have been among the worst fielding teams in baseball.
In other moves, the Blue Jays optioned left-hander Anthony Kay and activated outfielder Teoscar Hernandez along with right-handers Hector Perez and Jacob Waguespack.
Montoyo also confirmed RHP Chase Anderson will start Thursday’s series finale.
Perez made his MLB debut when he entered Wednesday’s lopsided loss in the seventh. He became the seventh Blue Jays player this season to make their big-league debut.
The first batter Perez faced drew a walk. He then coaxed a double play ball on a routine 6-4-3 out. And then came another walk before yielding d Higashioka’s third moon shot on the night. Aaron Hicks struck out on a 97-mph fastball as Perez recorded his first major-league K.
SPRING IN THEIR STEP
All 30 big-league teams will begin their 2021 spring training games on Feb. 27. Toronto will open against the Phillies in Clearwater before wrapping up its exhibition schedule on March 29.
The 2021 regular season will open on April 1 with the Blue Jays playing against the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium.
MLB also announced the spring training schedule is subject to change as the sport continues to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Yankees hit a season-best seven homers in another Bronx air show, thumping the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 on Wednesday night.
Higashioka Blasts 3 Homers, Cole In Postseason Form As Yankees Slam Blue Jays Again — CBS New York
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Kyle Higashioka hit a career-high three home runs, DJ LeMahieu connected twice and the resurgent New York Yankees hit a season-best seven homers in another Bronx air show, thumping the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 on Wednesday night.
Luke Voit lofted a three-run drive for his major league-leading 19th homer and Clint Frazier added a solo shot as the Yankees won their seventh straight game following a 5-15 slide. New York moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Toronto for second place in the AL East, with the top two teams ensured spots in the expanded postseason that begins in less than two weeks.
Higashi-omg 😱 pic.twitter.com/wKpNuQTQ7u
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 17, 2020
LeMahieu, Voit and Frazier also connected Tuesday — Voit homered twice — when New York hit six home runs and pummeled Toronto 20-6. It’s the first time the Yankees have hit six homers in consecutive games.
Gerrit Cole (6-3) had another overpowering start for New York, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth. The right-hander completed seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out eight and walking two. He also took a no-hitter into the fifth in his previous start — a seven-inning, two-hit shutout against Baltimore in the opener of a doubleheader Friday.
Aaron Judge was activated from the injured list but wasn’t much help, going hitless with three strikeouts. The two-time All-Star had been out since Aug. 26 after re-aggravating a strained right calf.
Higashioka had never topped three homers in a season but has four in the past six days while emerging as Cole’s preferred batterymate. The last New York player with three homers in a game was teammate Gary Sánchez on April 7, 2019 at Baltimore.
The 30-year-old Higashioka hit a two-run homer in the third off Tanner Roark (2-2), a solo shot in the sixth against Jacob Waguespack and another two-run drive in the seventh off Hector Perez. He matched a career high with five RBIs.
One of the organization’s longest-tenured players after being drafted in 2008, Higashioka didn’t make the majors until 2017 and was routinely shuttled between Triple-A and the majors prior to this season. He started the year as Sánchez’s full-time backup and has been getting more playing time as Sánchez struggles. Higashioka is batting .250 in 12 games this season.
New York is the first team in major league history to have their Nos. 1 and 9 hitters connect at least twice in the same game, according to STATS.
Judge’s return gives manager Aaron Boone a full stable of position players after injuries to Judge, LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela nearly derailed New York’s season.
LeMahieu got the fully loaded Bronx Bombers going with his major league-leading fifth leadoff homer, a liner that narrowly cleared Yankee Stadium’s short right field fence. He also had for a two-run shot in the fourth, his ninth of the season. LeMahieu has five career multihomer games, including two this month.
Jonathan Villar ended Cole’s no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the sixth. Villar later scored on Cole’s wild pitch.
Jonathan Loaisiga relieved Cole and pitched a scoreless eighth in his first appearance since recovering from an undisclosed illness. Nick Nelson allowed Joe Panik’s solo homer in the ninth before finishing off the five-hitter.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: OF Teoscar Hernández (left oblique) was activated from the IL. … RHP Ken Giles was placed on the 10-day IL with a right flexor strain. … RHPs Perez and Waguespack were called up from the alternate site. Perez made his major league debut. … OF Derek Fisher was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee bruise. … LHP Anthony Kay was optioned and added to the taxi squad.
Yankees: LHP James Paxton (left flexor tendon strain) was transferred to the 45-day injured list, ending his season. … Torres (quad) was held out of the lineup for a second straight game with tightness that Boone said was minor. Boone said Torres was available as a late-game replacement and is expected to start Thursday. … Stanton (left hamstring) was held out a day after returning from the injured list as part of New York’s plan to ease him back into full-time duty. Boone expects Stanton to start Thursday.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (2-2, 3.16 ERA) closes out the series against Toronto, which hadn’t announced a starter.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)Comments
A’s manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday some of his players were feeling some minor effects of playing a doubleheader in worsening air quality the day before in Seattle, but nothing that would prevent them from playing that night against the Colorado Rockies. The A’s played the Mariners twice Monday as a thick haze inside the…
A’s Melvin happy to escape smoky Seattle: “You felt it, for sure” — Times-Standard
Major League Baseball and the players’ association agreed to play the entirety of the 2020 World Series at the Rangers’ new ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
World Series at Arlington, first time at one site since 1944 — MLB | NBC Sports
NEW YORK (AP) — The World Series will be played entirely at the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark in Arlington, Texas, as part of a bubble agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association, the first time the sport’s championship will be played entirely at one site since 1944.
As part of an agreement finalized Tuesday, the Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series will be part of a bubble designed to minimize exposure to the coronavirus, which decimated the regular season and limited it to a 60-game schedule for each club. The best-of-three first round of the postseason — expanded from 10 to 16 teams this year — will be at the top-seeded teams.
The World Series will be at Globe Life Park in Arlington, a retractable roof stadium with artificial turf that opened this year adjacent to the Rangers’ old ballpark. The American League Championship Series will be at San Diego’s Petco Park, and the National League at Globe Life Park.
The AL Division Series will be at San Diego and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, and the NL Division Series at Globe Life and Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
Texas is last in the AL West at 17-30 entering Tuesday, with little chance of advancing to the postseason.
“In the view of our infectious disease experts, the biggest risk of exposure for players and staff is contact with family members and friends who have been exposed to COVID-19 in their communities,” Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem wrote in a memo sent to teams Monday night. “Nearly all of the positive test results that have been reported for players and staff in the last month can be traced back to contact with an infected family member, domestic partner, or friend outside of club facilities.”
Halem said MLB and the players’ association were in the process of finalizing details of the agreement, which provides for players to be tested daily during the postseason.
While the NFL plays the Super Bowl at a neutral site selected in advanced, baseball has resisted the idea, which has been long advocated by prominent agent Scott Boras.
The World Series was last played at one site in 1944 at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, where the Cardinals beat the Browns 4 games to 2. New York’s Polo Grounds hosted all the games in 1921 and 1922, the last two seasons it was the home of both the New York Giants and Yankees. The Giants won both titles.
AL teams in mathematical contention are to start a transition period on Sept. 22 and NL teams the following day in which up to 28 active roster players, 12 taxi-squad players and 50 additional personnel ranging from bullpen catchers to front-office staff must remain at the team’s transitional hotel or travel with the team on the road.
Under an exception wanted by the players’ association, any player who either lives him himself, lives with a spouse or domestic partner who is pregnant or has special medical needs documented by a physician or is living with children may quarantine at home during the transition period, with a provision that MLB will not approve a large number of requests to quarantine at home.
Only spouses, domestic partners, children and child care providers can stay with players during the transition period, and people other than players may not bring family to the transition hotel or on the road. Family members will not be allowed into the bubble hotels at the four sites unless they complete a supervised seven-day quarantine.
A player also may have up to six family members and quests stay at separate family hotels at the four sites. MLB said it will use best efforts to arrange visits in supervised, outdoor places.
Rob Longley Publishing date:Sep 14, 2020 •
BUFFALO — How does it feel to be a Blue Jays fan and an avid daily observer of the Major League Baseball standings? Read More
Blue Jays thriving and up for the challenge of meaningful September baseball — Toronto Sun
BUFFALO — How does it feel to be a Blue Jays fan and an avid daily observer of the Major League Baseball standings?
It has been a while, but it’s a thing.
With their final off-day of the 60-game season spent here in Buffalo on Monday and then on an afternoon flight to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees beginning on Tuesday, the excitement of September baseball is catching on.
You can hear it in manager Charlie Montoyo’s voice, even though he quite wisely is focusing on the immediate daily challenges rather than getting distracted by the long view. And it definitely has become a topic of conversation in the clubhouse among a group that boldly talked of big expectations of itself from the start.https://www.youtube.com/embed/nACk_BuDUnA?embed_config={%27relatedChannels%27:%20[],%27autonav%27:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1
“We have (14) games to play and if we can win as many games as possible, it puts us in a better spot,” utility infielder Joe Panik said on a Zoom call this past weekend. “I’m not saying we want to be a specific seed, but we want to be in front of as many teams as possible to set ourselves up for the best matchup possible.
“The goal is to make the playoffs, but if we can have some sort of momentum going into the playoffs, that’s where we want to be.”
The Jays are being careful not to get too far ahead of themselves, which is always wise. There is enough business to take care of over the final two weeks and the post-season permutations are likely to fluctuate daily. First up there are 10 consecutive games against teams in playoff spots, beginning with three in the Bronx.
The pending series against the Yankees figures to be a stouter challenge than the one last week at Sahlen Field in which the Jays took two of three. The Yankees have reeled off five wins in a row and have starters Delvi Garcia (who stymied the Jays last week), ace Gerrit Cole (who returned to form with a seven-inning shutout of the Orioles on Friday) and another tough test with Masahiro Tanaka getting the ball on Thursday.
The Jays will counter with Taijuan Walker followed by Tanner Roark and a starter to be named later for the third game.
The two teams will enter the series with the Jays holding a narrow half-game lead for second in the division and with it the No. 5 seed among the eight available in the AL. As it stands, that spot gets you a first-round series against Josh Donaldson and the Minnesota Twins.
The best-of-three opening round will have a crapshoot element to it and not much is to be gained about obsessing over the opponent, but from a fan and player perspective, it is in some ways irresistible.
“We’re not looking behind us, we’re not looking in front of us,” Panik said. “We’re looking to win every day and if we take care of business every day, we will be where we want to be. If we could set us up for the best possible matchup for the wild-card round, that would be ideal.”
Speaking of business, there is enough on the agenda as the Jays look to not only secure a spot (and with a 5.5 game margin over those outside of the top eight prior to Monday’s action) the odds are certainly piled high in their favour.https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMTn0g6a48o?embed_config={%27relatedChannels%27:%20[],%27autonav%27:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1
Over the coming days, Montoyo and pitching coach Pete Walker will devise a plan to maximize their pitching options, tailoring it to suit a best-of-three wild-card round series. Assuming he continues the form he showed in Sunday’s six-inning, seven strikeout, one-run allowed outing, Hyun-Jin Ryu will carry his ace status into either the first or second game.
Walker would be expected to get whichever of those assignments Ryu does not, but the remainder is up in the air. All season, the Jays coaching staff has been creative with starting assignments and bullpen days and with pitchers returning from injury, there will be options.
And yes, there is also the business of those on the mend. Teoscar Hernandez, who still leads the Jays in RBI despite missing the past seven games with a mild oblique strain, is progressing nicely. Hernandez hit off a tee and ran in the outfield on Saturday and on Sunday had a limited batting practice session, an extremely encouraging development.
Pitching wise, closer Ken Giles has already been activated after missing 40 games. The right-hander acknowledged it’s going to take a number of outings to reach shut-down form but felt confident that the final two weeks of the season will be enough to do so.
Matt Shoemaker and Nate Pearson are both nearing a return and likely to fill bullpen roles in some form. But as they have done throughout his challenging of seasons expect Montoyo and Walker to be creative in their approach in their plan to get 27 outs a night.
Barring an epic collapse over the remaining 14 contests, in two weeks the Blue Jays will be in the playoffs with meaningful September baseball potentially transitioning into October.
“Once we start winning, it feels like we can win on any night,” Ryu said on Sunday through interpreter Bryan Lee. “Getting confidence least to good results well. It’s a great cycle to be in so we’re definitely in a good spot right now.”
When the Giants made the challenging decision to cut Pablo Sandoval last week, they moved on from one of the greatest postseason performers in franchise history. The Giants still have a chance to play in October, and it’s possible Sandoval does too. The switch-hitting corner infielder and former Giants fan favorite has reportedly agreed to a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves…
Report: Former Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval finds a new home with contender — Times-Standard
Not long after Albert Pujols belted his 659th homer, to pull within one homer of Willie Mays, the Angels were playing the San Francisco Giants, and Pujols got a text from the Giants’ great. “This is your time now, so go get it,” Pujols said Mays wrote. “I wish that it would have happened against…
Albert Pujols equals Willie Mays on all-time HR list, helps Angels to victory — Press Telegram
Major League Baseball is attempting to move forward with a “playoff bubble”, following the lead – at least in a way – set by the NBA and NHL. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported late on Friday night that MLB’s plan was set and is now in the hands of the Major League Baseball Players Association…
MLB’s playoff bubble is set, just needs approval — Redleg Nation
Major League Baseball is attempting to move forward with a “playoff bubble”, following the lead – at least in a way – set by the NBA and NHL. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported late on Friday night that MLB’s plan was set and is now in the hands of the Major League Baseball Players Association to review and approve and or make changes to and send back to MLB.
Unlike the NBA bubble, there will be multiple sites around the country for the Major League Baseball playoffs. But many of the same protocols would be followed.
The prospect of spending upward of a month isolated in hotels still is concerning enough to players that including family is a must. In any bubble scenario, the league would rent out entire hotels, allowing players and their families free rein on the property. They would not be allowed to leave the hotels except to attend games.
Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic are also reporting on the situation. They’ve spoken with some players, including Andrew Miller who is a part of the MLBPA’s executive subcommittee, about some of the issues that they would like to see worked out.
MLB plans for players to stay with their families at sprawling resorts in warm-weather Texas and Southern California. But Miller, whose Cardinals were quarantined at a hotel in Milwaukee for five days after their outbreak, is wary that staying in one place for an extended period would be difficult on his wife and two young children.
“If that’s the scenario I could be leaving them to head into the bubble on (Sept. 27, the final day of the regular season),” he said. “If we play to the end of the World Series that’s a long time. Hotel isolation is no fun either. Our team can attest to that.”
I did something that I never want to do, but do far too often: I read the comments. And as expected, the comments were full of people calling the players whining, spoiled millionaires who aren’t willing to sacrifice a little comfort for (insert all kinds of reasons here, some which are more valid than others). That, however, is a complete misunderstanding of the point. The complaint about spending a month in the bubble is not about the players themselves. It’s about their families having to do so.
It’s one thing to ask the players to “make the sacrifice” of not leaving the hotel for up to a month. If you’re single, or maybe even if you are married with no children, that’s something you can handle a lot easier. It’s a very different thing, though, if you are asking a family that includes children to potentially remain in a hotel, with no ability to leave it (if you plan to actually be able to re-enter said hotel without quarantining somewhere else for a week before re-entry), for up to a month.
The players believe that there are other things that can be put in place instead of a full on “can’t leave the hotel” situation for the families, citing the success of plans that have been in place by multiple organizations this season that have led to no positive tests.
There’s just over two weeks remaining before the postseason begins. That’s not a lot of time to get things figured out and agreed upon.
What we do know, though, is where all of the games will be played. Sort of.
The Wild Card Round
The wild card round will be played at the home ballpark for the teams seeded 1-4. This round is 3-game series, so there will only be two or three games before moving onto the next round.
The Divisional Round
This is the round where the bubble truly begins. The National League will play their games in the state of Texas at Globe Life Field and at Minute Maid Park. The highest seed in the National League will have their series played at Globe Life Field (Arlington), while the other series will be played at Minute Maid Park (Houston).
The American League will be playing in California at Petco Park and at Dodger Stadium. San Diego will host the highest seeded American League team and their series, while Los Angeles will host the other series.
The League Championship Round
The National League Championship Series will be played in Arlington at Globe Life Field. The American League Championship Series will be played in San Diego at Petco Park.
The World Series
The World Series will take place in Texas. Arlington’s Globe Life Field will host the World Series, starting October 20th.
The wild card round will be played at the highest seeded team’s home ballparks. We don’t know who those teams will be yet. But we do know which ballparks the rest of the playoffs will be held in. And that’s where things get interesting. When it comes to the 2020 season every postseason ballpark is in the bottom half when it comes to run factor. Dodger Stadium is the most “hitter friendly” when it comes to runs scored per game after adjusting for the teams that are playing there – and it is the 19th most “hitter friendly” ballpark in 2020. Petco ranks 20th, while Globe Life Field ranks 23rd, and Minute Maid Park ranks 26th.
Petco Park is playing quite interesting in 2020. The Slam Diego Padres have been crushing the ball this year. Their home ballpark, in terms of runs, favors pitchers. But when it comes to home runs, Petco has been the 5th most hitter friendly ballpark in baseball this season. Globe Life Field, where the World Series will be played, has the lowest home run park factor in baseball this year. Minute Maid park comes in at 25th on the list. Dodger Stadium is 14th.
All four of the ballparks in the postseason bubble favor pitchers when it comes to hits, with Dodger Stadium ranking the highest at 14th in baseball – but just below the league average at .988 (1.000 would be a neutral ballpark). Globe Life Field ranks 19th. Petco ranks 27th overall, while Minute Maid Park comes in at 29th.
| Runs | H | HR | |
| Globe Life | .877 (23rd) | .959 (19th) | .673 (30th) |
| Petco | .916 (20th) | .851 (27th) | 1.309 (5th) |
| Dodger Stadium | .939 (19th) | .988 (14th) | 1.045 (14th) |
| Minute Maid | .821 (26th) | .835 (29th) | .750 (25th) |
| Above 1.000 favors hitters, below 1.000 favors pitchers |
In the playoffs you tend to see better pitching than in the regular season. If that’s going to hold true in 2020, and these ballparks continue to play out in the way they have this season, runs are going to be really tough to come by, with home runs likely being the way teams are going to score.
Luis Castillo’s complete game seals a Reds win over St. LouisNO MORE STORIES
Doug Gray is the owner of RedsMinorLeagues.com, writes here at Redleg Nation, and as you guessed it, passionate about the Cincinnati Reds and baseball in general. He’s been writing about baseball since 2006. You can keep tabs with him on twitter @dougdirt24.
The view from left field 