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- Both the Dodgers and Mariners are off to 2-0 starts in their respective League Championship Series. The Dodgers won 3-1 last night behind a complete game by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the first complete game in the postseason since 2017.
- This comes one night after Dodgers starter Blake Snell allowed one hit and faced the minimum over eight innings in Game 1.
- Matt Snyder notes that the Dodgers are making starting pitchers the main character again in the playoffs. Or they’re just trying to avoid their dumpster fire of a bullpen.
- Of course, what everyone was talking about in Game 1 was the bizarre 8-6-2 double play that the Brewers turned on the Dodgers.
- In case you haven’t seen it:
- Jason Owens has more on the call of that play and how both the broadcasters and the Dodgers got confused.
- Jeff Passan thinks that the results of the NLCS battle between the small-market Brewers and the big-market Dodgers could have a big impact on the upcoming labor talks. (Note: it won’t.)
- Passan also notes how the Mariners’ Jorge Polanco has become an unlikely hero in Seattle’s march to their first World Series.
- Daniel Kremer sums up Polanco’s heroics, including his Game 2 home run.
- Jake Mintz reports on what Polanco’s teammates think of “George Bonds,” as they call him.
- Josh Kirshenbaum has the story of how the Mariners got a boost when Humpy finally won his ever first Salmon Race in the epic Game 5 of the Division Series. Humpy was 0 for 167 before they ran the race a second time in the 15-inning marathon.
- This year’s four Division Series had the highest television ratings for a Division Series since 2010. Baseball is dying, folks.
- Chad Thornburg has all the teams that have come back down two games to none in a best-of-seven series.
- In a shock managing news, Padres manager Mike Shildt announced his retirement. Both Shildt and the Padres say it was his decision to quit.
- Dennis Lin has more on Shildt’s decision to quit, which Shildt blamed on the his quality of life, including death threats from gamblers. (The Athletic sub. req.) But Lin says there are still a lot of questions about what happened and that the decision didn’t come as a shock to the Padres front office.
- AJ Cassavell looks at what’s ahead for the Padres in the post-Shildt era.
- Jeff Sanders has 11 candidates to replace Shildt. Cubs’ bench coach Ryan Flaherty is expected to be a leading candidate. Sanders also mentions David Ross as a possible replacement for Shildt.
- Padres general manager A.J. Preller insists that the Padres manager is an attractive job. But Chad Jennings has several reasons why it may not be as good a job as it looks at first. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Phillies manager Rob Thompson will return for 2026.
- The Mets have named a new bench coach and hitting coach for next year.
- Brittany Ghiroli has a list of candidates for the Rockies’ vacant GM job (The Athletic sub. req.) including former Astros GM James Click. That hire would be a real culture shock for the Rockies. Or maybe for Click, I suppose.
- Bryan Hoch has five questions for the Yankees for the offseason.
- Matt Martell looks at all the way the Yankees fell short this year and their outlook for next season.
- Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman is reportedly opting out of his contract, making him a free agent.
- Tigers general manager Scott Harris (sort of) addressed rumors that his ace Tarik Skubal will be on the trade market this winter.
- Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase have been banned from playing in the Dominican Winter League. Both players are under investigation by MLB for gambling allegations, although the DWL banned them on their own accord.
- Then there is this report on Clase which indicates that he will be made permanently ineligible by MLB.
- Former major league infielder Sandy Alomar Sr. has passed away at 81. Today he’s probably best-known as the father of former major league catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. and Hall-of-Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar. Our condolences go out to Alomar’s family, friends and former teammates.
- Matt Snyder is tired of hearing about tipping pitches conspiracies after every time a pitcher has a bad game.
- Chuck Schilken explains why Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, a Wisconsin native, is cheering against the Brewers in the playoffs. (Basically, the Brewers behaved like punks and canceled him throwing out the first pitch at a Brewers game after the Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the playoffs in 2024.)
- Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández refused to stay at the team hotel in Milwaukee, the famous Pfister Hotel. Hernández blames his wife, who inisted that he not stay in a hotel that some think is haunted. Jason Owens reports.
- And finally, a Canadian pilot flew around Nova Scotia to have his flight path outline the Blue Jays logo.
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