Top News:
Frank Pingue / Reuters:
Baseball: Blue Jays Rout Rangers in ALDS Opener — (The Sports Xchange) - Marco Estrada allowed four hits in 8 1/3 innings and the Toronto Blue Jays battered Cole Hamels for seven runs and took Game 1 of the American League Division Series 10-1 Thursday. — Toronto, which eliminated …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports and Lone Star Ball
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Diana Mehta / Globe and Mail:
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 …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Lone Star Ball and Yahoo Sports
Associated Press:
Estrada, Blue Jays Romp in ALDS Opener at Texas, Bautista HR — ARLINGTON, Texas — Marco Estrada took a shutout into the ninth inning, Jose Bautista hit a long, punctuating three-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays opened their AL Division Series rematch with a 10-1 romp over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Hanley Ramirez / The Players' Tribune:
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.
Discussion:
NESN.com, Surviving Grady and Full Count
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Associated Press:
Giants Put INF Nunez on NLDS Roster Against Cubs — CHICAGO — The San Francisco Giants put Eduardo Nunez on their roster for the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs after the third baseman had been sidelined with a strained right hamstring. — Nunez, an AL All-Star this season with Minnesota, hasn't played since Sept. 25.
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
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Reuters:
Bumgarner's Arm, Gillaspie's Homer Lift Giants Past Mets
Bumgarner's Arm, Gillaspie's Homer Lift Giants Past Mets
Discussion:
Athletics Nation, McCovey Chronicles, Beyond the Box Score, South Side Sox and Amazin' Avenue
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
No family feud as Cubs await NLDS opponent
No family feud as Cubs await NLDS opponent
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune and Bleed Cubbie Blue
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies Announce Six Outrights — The Phillies have outrighted six players, per a club announcement. Infielder Emmanuel Burriss, outfielder Jimmy Paredes, lefty Patrick Schuster, and righties Frank Herrmann, Dalier Hinojosa, and Colton Murray all lost their roster spots.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Associated Press:
At home in Wrigleyville, players embrace proximity to park — CHICAGO (AP) — It was a step back in time for Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist. — Before a recent game, he hopped on his bike in his uniform, with his glove in hand and wearing black P.F. Flyers, and rode to Wrigley Field.
Discussion:
Ballpark Digest
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Coaching Notes: Bonds, Wallace, McDowell, Mets — Barry Bonds, who learned this week that his contract as the Marlins' hitting coach won't be renewed for the 2017 season, issued a statement on his time with Miami on his personal web site yesterday. … A few more notes on some coaching situations throughout the league...
Discussion:
School of Roch, Tomahawk Take and Yahoo Sports
John Bazemore / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
LEADOFF: Braves' TV ratings plunge 35 percent to fourth lowest — Good morning. LEADOFF brings you today's early buzz in Atlanta sports: — The Braves' improvement on the field in the second half of the season didn't carry over to their TV ratings. — Historically one of baseball's …
Discussion:
Tomahawk Take, Talking Chop and MiLB News
Sam Miller / ESPN:
Out-by-out examination: When Buck should have used Britton — If there's one thing to take away from how the Orioles' Buck Showalter managed the wild-card game Tuesday, it's that you should call your mom right now and tell her you love her — or your spouse, or your son or daughter, or your best friend.
Discussion:
Over the Monster and Associated Press
Richard Deitsch / SI.com:
Joe Buck reveals that hair plug addiction nearly cost him his career — Buck has said that a virus cost him his voice for part of 2011, but that was a lie. His loss of speech was a side effect of a hair transplant procedure. — an hour ago — Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck feared …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven, NESN.com, USA Today and Al's Ramblings, more at WeSmirch »
New York Daily News:
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 …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, Newsday and lohud.com