Top News:
New York Post:
MLB will add wild-card teams, hold one-game playoff: sources — Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for Major League Baseball are moving at a fast pace and one issue the sides have all but agreed upon is adding two wild-card teams and holding one-game playoffs in each league …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors, baseballmusings.com, HardballTalk, Baseball Nation, DRaysBay and River Avenue Blues
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MLB.com:
MLB Announces 2011 Postseason Schedule — Major League Baseball today announced the schedule for the 2011 Postseason, which will open on Friday, September 30th. Game One of the 107th World Series is scheduled for Wednesday, October 19th in the ballpark of the National League Champions.
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Associated Press:
Rangers clinch AL West title with win over Mariners — ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers are AL West champions again. — Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre hit long home runs and Craig Gentry had an inside-the-park homer in a 5-3 victory over Seattle on Friday night.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball, Athletics Nation, Associated Press and Yahoo! Sports
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Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Jocketty re-ups to be Reds GM through 2014 — PITTSBURGH — The Reds announced Friday that general manager Walt Jocketty has been given a three-year contract extension through the 2014 season. Jocketty's original four-year contract was to expire at the end of this season. — Terms were not revealed by the club.
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Tom Withers / Associated Press:
THOME HONORED BY INDIANS, WHO PLAN STATUE FOR HIM — CLEVELAND - All the memories, some fresh and some forgotten, have been chasing Jim Thome around this season — maybe his final season. — And as it nears the end, Thome knows his career may be ending, too. — “You can't play forever,” he said.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe and HardballTalk
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Rain sets up Sox-Yanks twin bill on Sunday — Series opener moved to 6:30 p.m. as part of doubleheader — NEW YORK — The weather has dealt yet another blow to the Yankees' regular-season schedule, forcing the postponement of Friday's game against the Red Sox.
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Game postponed; doubleheader on Sunday
Game postponed; doubleheader on Sunday
Discussion:
Over the Monster, baseballmusings.com, NESN.com and ESPN
Associated Press:
Kemp Homers to Lead Dodgers Over Padres — SAN DIEGO (AP) — Matt Kemp moved a step closer to the NL Triple Crown with a solo homer and Ted Lilly combined with three relievers on a four-hitter, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and True Blue LA
Associated Press:
D-backs take NL West with 3-1 win over Giants — PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks completed an improbable run to their first NL West crown in four years, beating San Francisco 3-1 Friday night when rookie Paul Goldschmidt lined a two-run triple off Sergio Romo in the eighth inning.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, AZ Snake Pit, McCovey Chronicles and Yahoo! Sports
David Pinto / baseballmusings.com:
Games of the Day — The Braves and the Cardinals both play early, so we should know a lot more about the state of the NL Wild Card race by early this evening. Brandon Beachy of the Braves battles Chien-Ming Wang and the Nationals with the Braves magic number at three.
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Howard Fendrich / Associated Press:
Uggla, Braves beat Strasburg, Nationals 7-4 — WASHINGTON—Dan Uggla and the Braves knocked around Stephen Strasburg a bit in a three-run first inning, and Atlanta helped its bid for a playoff berth by beating the Washington Nationals 7-4 Friday night. — Tim Hudson (16-10) …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Talking Chop
R.B. Fallstrom / Globe and Mail:
Cubs dent Cards' postseason hopes — Alfonso Soriano dealt the St. Louis' wild-card hopes another serious blow with his first home run of the month, a tiebreaking three-run shot in the eighth inning that sent the Chicago Cubs over the Cardinals 5-1 Friday night.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Viva El Birdos, Yahoo! Sports and Associated Press
Colin Fly / Globe and Mail:
Brewers win NL Central title — Ryan Braun snapped a tie with a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers clinched the National League Central title - their first division championship in 29 years - about 30 minutes after their 4-1 victory over the visiting Florida Marlins on Friday.
Discussion:
Babes Love Baseball, Brew Crew Ball, JSOnline, MLB.com, baseballmusings.com and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Martinez's Double in 11th Gives Tigers Win — DETROIT (AP) — Victor Martinez's run-scoring double in the 11th inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. — Brandon Inge started the inning with a walk off Willie Eyre (2-2), and Miguel Cabrera …
Discussion:
Camden Chat and Bless You Boys
MLB.com:
Melvin won't let contract be a distraction — MILWAUKEE — One of Brewers general manager Doug Melvin's best friends earned some job security on Friday, when the Reds signed GM Walt Jocketty to a three-year contract extension through 2014. If Melvin gets a similar vote of confidence, it would not come until after the season.
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Associated Press:
Morrow, Blue Jays Deal Blow to Rays' Playoff Hopes — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Morrow pitched seven scoreless innings and the Toronto Blue Jays further dampened Tampa Bay's playoff hopes, beating David Price and the Rays 5-1 Friday night. — The Rays have lost four of five …
Discussion:
TSN.ca, Boston Herald, DRaysBay and Canadian Press
