8:15 AM ET MILWAUKEE — If a best-of-seven playoff series can have a tone-setting moment in the first inning of Game 1, then make sure you’re watching Friday night when all-world pitcher Clayton Kershaw takes on National League MVP favorite Christian Yelich. It’ll be the first marquee matchup of the NL Championship Series between the
MLB
8:20 AM ET An old Tom Seaver quote explains a lot about the success of the Houston Astros: “The good rising fastball is the best pitch in baseball.” Now, we know a fastball can’t actually rise. So what was Seaver talking about? The lingo has changed, but Seaver was essentially talking about what we now
10:23 PM ET MILWAUKEE — The Los Angeles Dodgers will start left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 2, righty Walker Buehler in Game 3 and lefty Rich Hill in Game 4 of their National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. There was some thought to potentially going with Ryu in Game 3 because his numbers
9:11 PM ET CHICAGO — After a season in which the offense collapsed in the second half, the Chicago Cubs fired hitting coach Chili Davis on Thursday, the club announced. Under Davis’ watch, Cubs hitters saw a notable drop in production, especially in power, where they dropped from near the top of the league in
7:52 PM ET Officially, Christian Yelich finished the season with 36 bombs. But if you count the F-bombs that he helped way back in January, it was closer to 40. The date was Jan. 25, to be exact. Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns was in his office, waiting breathlessly for a phone call from
5:05 PM ET Associated Press MILWAUKEE — Gio Gonzalez will start for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. The Brewers have chosen Wade Miley to start in Game 2 on Saturday, meaning that Milwaukee will open up the NLCS with two
2:51 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Gerry Davis, who has umpired a record 144 postseason games, will be the crew chief for the National League Championship Series. Joe West, whose 5,194 regular-season games are second to Bill Klem’s 5,375, will be the American League Championship Series crew chief, the commissioner’s office said Thursday.
1:45 PM ET The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to terms with pitcher Adam Wainwright on a one-year deal for 2019, the team announced Thursday. Wainwright will be entering his 15th major league season — all with the Cardinals, tying Bob Forsch for third among pitchers in terms of longevity with the team. The right-hander
8:30 AM ET The big story of the National League Division Series — and what could soon be the big story of the National League Championship Series — was the Milwaukee Brewers‘ bullpen. Their starting rotation contributed just 29 outs over three games; the other 55 outs were converted by six members of the bullpen,
8:00 AM ET NEW YORK — John Henry, the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox, stood inside the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium late Tuesday night, answering questions from a group of reporters as the victory celebration blared in the background. A year ago, Henry and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made the