Rob Manfred on Utley, sliding rules: ‘Important we protect players’  —  CHICAGO — Major League Baseball wants to make changes to its rule on aggressive slides to protect middle infielders, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday, with hopes of reaching an agreement with the player and umpire unions in time for the 2016 season.

Cubs Beat Cards to Reach NL Championship Series  —  CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs once again relied on their potent offense as they advanced to the National League Championship Series for the first time in 12 years with a 6-4 victory over the top-seeded St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

Brewers hire 36-year-old Matt Arnold as vice president and assistant GM  —  General manager David Stearns announced the biggest move of his young tenure with the Brewers on Wednesday, hiring Matt Arnold as vice president and assistant GM.  —  Stearns, who officially took …

Rangers Leaning on Hamels Again in ALDS Game 5 at Toronto  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have won their last 11 games started by Cole Hamels.  —  They needed each of those victories to get this far, and their season will be over without another one Wednesday against Toronto in the decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series.

Scouts buzz about Cespedes demonstration of power and speed  —  NEW YORK — Mets star Yoenis Cespedes does some amazing things on a baseball field, and in Monday night's game he amazed even some of the most veteran baseball folks.  The 430-foot bolt of a home run into the upper deck in left field …

Where did Kyle Schwarber's monstrous home run ball land?  —  Chicago Tribune … Is the monstrous Kyle Schwarber home run ball from Tuesday's series-clinching win over the Cardinals sitting on top of the right field video board?  —  That's what WLS-Ch. 7 reported after the Game 4 win.

OCTOBER MOMENT: ASTROS LEFT DAZED AFTER THE DOUBLE PLAY THAT WASN'T  —  After getting a pair of home runs and an RBI double from superstar rookie shortstop Carlos Correa, the Astros took a 6-2 lead into the top of the eighth inning.  Protecting a four-run lead with just six outs to go …

Kim Ng is best choice for Phillies GM  —  It is neither a daring nor innovative move for incoming Phillies president Andy MacPhail to interview Kim Ng.  A few big-league teams have been there and done that.  The San Diego Padres, in fact, have done it twice.

In AFL, Knapp Looks To Build On Strong Season  —  GLENDALE, Ariz.—During the Phillies' 2013 instructional league, just months after he was drafted in the second round, catcher Andrew Knapp felt a pop in his throwing arm and knew instantly it wasn't good.  —  He was right.

More Than a Curveball: Making Collin McHugh  —  “When the Mets drafted me, I had a sinker and a decent curveball,” the Astros' Collin McHugh told me earlier this year.  If you wanted to be reductive, he's still almost all fastball and curveball — those pitches make up 96% of his repertoire this year …