A Message to Red Sox Nation  —  PHOTOGRAPH BY BILLIE WEISS/BOSTON RED SOX/GETTY IMAGES  —  The playoffs start tonight.  You ready?  I know you're ready.  —  I know exactly how you feel right now.  You wanna know something?  Before I was a Red Sox player, I was a Red Sox fan.  For real.

Man alleged to have tossed beer during Jays game comes forward  —  The man alleged by police to have hurled a beer can at a Baltimore outfielder during Tuesday's dramatic playoff between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Orioles has come forward.  —  “I contacted Toronto police earlier this evening …

Bumgarner's Arm, Gillaspie's Homer Lift Giants Past Mets  —  (The Sports Xchange) - Conor Gillaspie broke a scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning on Wednesday as Madison Bumgarner threw a four-hit shutout as the Giants beat the New York Mets 3-0 in the NL wild-card game.

Manfred: Cards-Astros hacking decision during offseason  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball plans to have a decision during the offseason on possible discipline stemming from the investigation of a St. Louis Cardinals employee who hacked into a Houston Astros computer system.

Brian Cashman not expecting free agent splash but stresses need to ‘fortify’ Yankees' pitching staff  —  The Yankees' offense was the biggest problem in 2016, but when Brian Cashman sits down with the rest of the front office in the coming days and weeks to formulate a winter plan …

Nats' Scherzer Wants to Do ‘Exact Same Thing’ vs. Dodgers  —  WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer remembers being urged to try to slow everything down for his postseason debut five years ago.  —  Take an extra breath, they said.  Be calm as can be, they said.  Dial down the intensity, they said.

Brad Ausmus Returning as Detroit Tigers' Manager in 2017  —  DETROIT — Brad Ausmus will return next year for a fourth season as manager of the Detroit Tigers.  —  The team announced Wednesday that it is exercising the 2017 option on his contract.  Detroit was eliminated from playoff contention Sunday …

Athletics Outright Matt McBride, Chris Smith  —  The A's announced this afternoon that they've outrighted catcher Matt McBride and right-hander Chris Smith off the 40-man roster.  Both well-traveled minor leaguers have enough professional experience to elect free agency.

Pirates Acquire Brady Dragmire From Blue Jays, Designate Phil Coke  —  The Pirates announced that they've acquired right-hander Brady Dragmire from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash.  In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, lefty Phil Coke has been designated for assignment.

MLB Rumor Central: Carlos Martinez, Cardinals interested in extension?  —  Expect the St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Carlos Martinez to work on a contract extension in the coming months, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  —  “That is the plan …