What is the story about?
Good
morning.
- Are the Dodgers invincible? Bob Nightengale asks that question with LA’s starting pitchers on a historic hot streak.
- Bill Plaschke doesn’t ask. He says the Dodgers are the best postseason team ever and that they won’t lose another game.
- Jayson Stark calls the Dodgers “The Death Star” thanks to their starting pitching . (The Athletic sub. req.) He also has a lot of fun trivia about the Dodgers playoff run, as he always does.
- Sarah Langs has nine interesting facts about Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete game in Game two of the National League Championship Series.
- David Adler notes that Shohei Ohtani has succeeded by bringing back his long-forgotten splitter.
- Adam McCalvy looks at the friendship between Dodgers team president Andrew Friedman and Brewers general manager Matt Arnold that dates back twenty years to when they were both in the Rays organization.
- Bob Nightengale interviews Brewers manager Pat Murphy on his life, career, family, his friendship with Craig Counsell and his issues with alcohol.
- Thomas Harrington looks at all the teams that at least forced a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0 in a seven-game series like the Brewers have.
- A Brewer fan who threatened to call ICE on a Dodgers fan has been fired from her job and banned from American Family Field. Neia Balao reports.
- Over in the American League, Max Scherzer “turned back time” and refused to leave the mound as the Blue Jays tied up their series (The Athletic sub. req.) with the Mariners at two wins each. Mitch Bannon and Grant Brisbee with the story.
- Anne Rogers notes that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his fifth home run of the playoffs, setting a new Blue Jays team record for one postseason.
- The Blue Jays removed Anthony Santander from the playoff roster with a back injury. He was replaced on the roster by Joey Loperfido. Santander is now ineligible to play in the World Series.
- Tyler Kepner notes that the American League Championship Series is proving there’s no place like road. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Cole Jacobson looks at which MLB stadiums throughout history have had the biggest home-field advantage.
- Mike Petriello notes that intentional walks are way up in the postseason and whether or not it’s a good idea.
- Davy Andrews wonders why stolen bases are way down in the playoffs as compared to the regular season.
- Phillies team president Dave Dombrowski held his postseason press conference and he openly wondered if first baseman Bryce Harper could become an “elite” player again. It’s a fair question, I guess, but it’s probably not one that Harper’s boss should be asking while talking to the media.
- Cole Weintraub has five thoughts on Dombrowski’s press conference.
- Matt Gelb uses Dombrowski’s press conference as a launching-off point to discuss what the Phillies need to accomplish this winter. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Michael Baumann wonders if the Phillies current window of contention has shut, comparing the current Phillies team to the 2019 Philadelphia 76ers. Baumann breaks down every roster decision the Phillies have to make.
- Ben Clemens hands out report cards to Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch.
- It’s also time for the Yankees to pay the butcher’s bill. Left-hander Carlos Rodón had surgery to remove a bone spur and could miss the start of next season.
- Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe underwent shoulder surgery and is very likely to miss the start of next year.
- On the other hand, Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge will not have surgery on his right elbow.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman fired back against criticism leveled at him by former Yankees-turned-commentators Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
- The Angels have decided to interview other candidates than Albert Pujols for their managerial job, (The Athletic sub. req.) writes Sam Blum. Blum notes that Pujols is still the favorite, but the Angels want to look around a bit before making a final decision.
- They’d better not wait long, however, because the Orioles reportedly want to interview Pujols for their manager job. Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan have the story.
- Criss Partee writes that retired slugger Manny Ramirez is trying to land a job as a major-league hitting coach.
- Thomas Harrington looks at all the contract options that decisions need to be made on this winter.
- And finally, the sitcom Abbott Elementary had planned an episode with a cameo appearance by Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and the cast going to a Phillies game. It just so happened to be the same game that Schwarber hit four home runs.
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