Mets Insider: Matz says ‘I feel better’ after pen session  —  Things are looking up for Steven Matz.  The southpaw threw a successful bullpen session on Tuesday at Citi Field and will fly to Florida to pitch in a simulated game on Thursday, Sandy Alderson said.

Don Mattingly says Dodgers will have ‘hands full’ against Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey  —  LOS ANGELES — The Mets will be facing two of the top pitchers in baseball in the first two games — and possibly twice more — in the NL Division Series.

Rangers' Beltre Leaves Playoff Game With Stiff Back  —  TORONTO — Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre left Thursday's AL Division Series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning after hurting his back on a slide.  —  Beltre could hardly run to first base after hitting …

A.L. Division Series Preview: Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals  —  Carlos Beltran is 38 years old, more than a decade removed from his early career with the Royals and the Astros, who meet in an American League division series starting Thursday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City …

With Reactions, Facebook Supercharges The Like Button With 6 Empathetic Emoji  —  In September, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made some waves when he hinted Facebook was working on a way to expand its famous Like button — not by adding the much-fabled “dislike” option, but by making it way more empathetic …

Pirates Head Into Offseason After Another October Stumble  —  PITTSBURGH — The man who symbolized the Pittsburgh Pirates' resurgence offered one final bit of advice before hopping onto his custom-made, Batman-inspired ride and zooming off into retirement.  —  “Win the division,” …

Broadcaster Vin Scully to Miss Postseason After Procedure  —  LOS ANGELES — Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully won't be calling any games in the baseball playoffs after undergoing a medical procedure.  —  The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday that Scully was resting comfortably after a recommended procedure earlier in the day.

2015 Pacific Coast League Top 20 Prospects  —  PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS  —  Last fall's affiliation shuffle changed the look of the Pacific Coast League, as six of the league's 16 teams went into this season with a new parent club.  Some of the league's longest standing relationships ended …

Besides Lackey in Game 1, Matheny Mum on Rotation  —  ST. LOUIS — John Lackey gets the start in Game 1 of the NL Division Series for the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.  —  At the beginning of a two-hour workout for the NL Central champions on Tuesday, manager Mike Matheny said he was not ready …

Arrieta-Cole, Objectively One of Best Playoff Matchups Ever  —  Individual performances tend to be magnified in the postseason, and that is especially true of pitchers.  While 16-18 other players appear in the lineups and many others will have profound impacts on the outcomes of games over the next month …