Top News:
Justin Tasch / New York Daily News:
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.
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus and Inside the Dodgers
RELATED:
Barbara Barker / Newsday:
Mets' Yoenis Cespedes learned early in life that his mother knows best … VOTE — Mets vs. Dodgers: Who has the edge in the NLDS? … OUT OF HIS ELEMENT — Mets — 7 Mets-Dodgers NLDS fast facts … Mets — Mets work out ahead of NLDS against Dodgers … WORTH EVERY PENNY
Discussion:
Metsblog
Bill Price / New York Daily News:
Mets' Steven Matz pitches five innings, ‘ready to go’
Mets' Steven Matz pitches five innings, ‘ready to go’
Discussion:
Metsblog
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
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.
Discussion:
True Blue LA and Metsblog
RELATED:
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Ron Darling adds perspective to Matt Harvey's late arrival to Mets' practice … Mets want to move on from Harvey incident — Mets vs. Dodgers: Who has the edge in the NLDS?
Discussion:
Metsblog
Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Donaldson Leaves Playoff Game After Taking Knee to Head — TORONTO — Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson left Thursday's AL Division Series opener against Texas after he was kneed in the head while breaking up a double play. — Ezequiel Carrera pinch hit for Donaldson with two outs …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
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 …
RELATED:
Blair Kerkhoff / Kansas City Star:
Breakdown of the Royals vs. Astros in the regular season
Breakdown of the Royals vs. Astros in the regular season
Discussion:
Royals Review
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
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 …
Discussion:
WSAV-TV
Associated Press:
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,” …
RELATED:
J. Brady McCollough / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Could Pirates' window of success soon be closing?
Could Pirates' window of success soon be closing?
Discussion:
GammonsDaily.com and Bucs Dugout
Associated Press:
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.
Teddy Cahill / Baseball America:
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 …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, MLB Daily Dish and Viva El Birdos
Craig Edwards / FanGraphs Baseball:
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 …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, Pinstripe Alley, Bucs Dugout, MLB Daily Dish, SBNation.com, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Pirates Prospects, The Good Phight, Wrigleyville, Baseball Prospectus, Brew Crew Ball, Let's Go Tribe, Federal Baseball, Camden Chat, Red Sox Monster, Royals Review, Bleacher Nation, Chicago and CBS Chicago
RELATED:
Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago:
Pirates' Cole on Arrieta: ‘You want to face the best’
Pirates' Cole on Arrieta: ‘You want to face the best’
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Bucs Dugout, Viva El Birdos, Camden Chat and MLB Daily Dish