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5:05 AM ET, October 13, 2017

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 Top News: 
ESPN:
Masahiro Tanaka to take mound for Yankees in ALCS opener vs. Astros  —  Masahiro Tanaka will take the mound Friday night when the New York Yankees open their American League Championship Series against the Astros in Houston.  —  Luis Severino will start Game 2 on Saturday in Houston.
RELATED:
Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:
Why the Houston Astros will win the AL Championship Series  —  HOUSTON — Breaking down the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.  —  For starters: Game 1, Friday - Masahiro Tanaka (13-12, 4.74 ERA during the season) vs. Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90), 8 p.m. ET.
Pedro Moura / Los Angeles Times:
Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, Yankees have a history  —  Dallas Keuchel was 14-5 as a starter in the regular season for the Astros with a 2.90 earned-run average.  He's got a career record of 3-0 in the postseason.  (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)  —  Two years ago, Houston Astros left …
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Dallas Keuchel's history against the Yankees made him easy pick to start ALCS Game 1  —  HOUSTON — Dallas Keuchel could not hide his disappointment.  Or maybe the 2015 Cy Young winner just would not hide it.  The righthander came right out and said he was disappointed the Astros front office …
Associated Press:
Astros veteran duo, traded by Yankees, happy for young stars on former club  —  HOUSTON — Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann spent most of the previous three seasons as teammates with the New York Yankees, and while there got to see the birth of those baby Bronx Bombers they will now face in the American League Championship Series.
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
AL MVP candidates Aaron Judge, Jose Altuve, couldn't be more different  —  HOUSTON - Baseball stars and competing most valuable player candidates occasionally come in vastly dissimilar shapes and sizes.  —  There rarely has been a truer or more glaring example than pending AL Championship Series foes Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve.
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Decision to go with the inconsistent Masahiro Tanaka for Game 1 is risky, but makes sense  —  HOUSTON — Masahiro Tanaka had his worst performance of the season against the Astros on Derek Jeter Night in the Bronx, when he allowed four homers while failing to get out of the second inning.
Christian Red / New York Daily News:
Yankees vs. Astros: Breaking down the matchups between the two teams  —  Two years ago, the Yankees faced the Astros in a do-or-die, American League wild-card game at Yankee Stadium, the only other time the two clubs have met in the postseason before Friday's start of the ALCS.
Associated Press:
Gary Cederstrom, Mike Winters to be umpire crew chiefs in LCS
Discussion: ESPN
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:   Yankees name Masahiro Tanaka Game 1 starter for ALCS vs. Astros
UPI:   ALCS Game 1: Masahiro Tanaka to start for New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
5 keys for the Yankees to take care of the Astros in Houston to start the ALCS
Roger Rubin / UPI:
ALCS: Surging New York Yankees should give favored Houston Astros tough battle
Discussion: MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Steve Gardner / USA Today:
End of an era for Jayson Werth in Washington  —  WASHINGTON — In the Washington Nationals' clubhouse following yet another painful exit in the first round of the playoffs, outfielder Jayson Werth struggled to find the right words.  —  “It's crazy to think we didn't win that game,” …
Discussion: The Week
RELATED:
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
All defeats are not created equal.  For Nats, this one is a special kind of painful.  —  If you can win baseball fans in the process of suffering a brutally bitter season-ending loss, perhaps the Washington Nationals did it in their exhilarating, exhausting, 9-8 donnybrook …
Discussion: Let Teddy Win!
ESPN:
Cubs weigh in on overturned call: No reason not to challenge there  —  WASHINGTON — Even Anthony Rizzo wasn't sure he had gotten the tag.  —  With two outs and two on in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals trailing 9-8 to the Chicago Cubs in Game 5 …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs pull out all stops to win ‘nutty’ National League Division Series  —  Photos from Game 5 of the National League Division Series between the Cubs and Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The sight of Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez bear-hugging …
Discussion: Chicago Tribune
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers manager search: Cubs' Dave Martinez must be considered  —  WASHINGTON — Dave Martinez has the experience.  —  For the past 10 seasons, he has served as Joe Maddon's right-hand man, as a bench coach in both Tampa Bay and Chicago.  He has been interviewed …
Chicago Tribune:
NLDS Game 5: Cubs-Nationals recap, social media reaction  — Baseball- Chicago Cubs- National League Championship Series- Willson Contreras- Daniel Murphy- Matt Wieters- Chicago White Sox  —  Goodbye Nationals, hello Dodgers.  —  In a game for the ages, one that lasted 4 hours and 37 minutes …
Chicago Tribune:
Fans at Wrigley watch party endure gut-wrenching twists, turns as Cubs advance  —  Robin Cordero, 24, center, covers her eyes Oct. 12, 2017, while watching the Chicago Cubs play the Washington Nationals during the first inning of Game 5 of the National League Division Series.  (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune:
Game 5 turning point: Addison Russell's 2-run double fuels Cubs' 4-run 5th  —  Photos from Game 5 of the National League Division Series between the Cubs and Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The situation: Trailing 4-3 entering the fifth inning …
Discussion: Chicago Tribune
Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Cubs-Nats: Must-win G5 tonight, 8 ET (TBS)
Discussion: Bleed Cubbie Blue
Gabe Lacques / USA Today:   Nationals-Cubs NLDS Game 5: Which team has edge in winner-take-all clash?
ESPN:   Your guide to Thursday's Game 5: Winner gets the Dodgers!
Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:   MLB playoffs: Are big-game starting pitchers nearly extinct?
ESPN:
Report: Rockies' Greg Holland won't exercise player option, will become free agent  —  Greg Holland, an All-Star closer for the Rockies this season, will not exercise a $15 million player option in his contract and instead will become a free agent this offseason, FanRag Sports reported Thursday.
RELATED:
Jon Heyman / FanRag Sports:
Greg Holland will opt out and aim high
Doug Mittler / ESPN:
Rumor Central: Jorge Velandia in contention for Phillies' managerial job?  —  Jorge Velandia, currently a special assistant to general manager Matt Klentak, has emerged as a “strong candidate” for the managerial vacancy of the Philadelphia Phillies, reports Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Discussion: Philly.com
RELATED:
Matt Gelb / Philly.com:   Phillies interview Dusty Wathan, Jorge Velandia as two more internal candidates for manager
Jim Salisbury / NBCSports.com:
Sources: Jorge Velandia emerges as strong candidate for Phillies manager job
ESPN:
Max Scherzer's unbelievable, impossible, unprecedented loss  —  Max Scherzer didn't deserve the loss.  This is often true of pitchers who get the loss, but this one goes in the Didn't Deserve The Loss Hall of Fame.  I mean, mathematically speaking, he really didn't deserve the loss.  —  Just look at this:
Discussion: CBSSports.com
Ari Gilberg / New York Daily News:
Thumbs Down Guy, who is a devoted Mets fan, now hopes Yankees keep winning  —  Gary Dunaier may be a Mets fan but he doesn't want his 15 minutes of fame to end just yet.  —  Dunaier, 54, became an internet sensation after cameras caught him giving a thumbs down sign following Todd Frazier's home run against the Rays at Citi Field.
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
Todd Frazier celebrates New York Yankees' ALDS win vs. Cleveland Indians  —  Todd Frazier discusses playing in a playoff game with the Yankees Matt Ehalt/NorthJersey.com  —  Todd Frazier celebrated the New York Yankees' ALDS win against the Cleveland Indians - the first postseason series win of his career …
Joe Belock / New York Daily News:
Yankees, Astros playoff history is just a one-game affair Bomber fans want to forget  —  Yankees and Astros have met just once before in the postseason — the Bombers' lifeless 3-0 loss in the 2015 AL wild card game at the Stadium.  —  Dallas Keuchel, Houston's Game 1 starter for Friday …
ESPN:
Indians ace Corey Kluber knocks down notion that injury held him back  —  After Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber allowed nine runs, including four homers, over 6 1/3 innings in two postseason starts, there was speculation that he was again fighting the back issue that landed him on the disabled list in May.
Discussion: South Side Sox
RELATED:
ESPN:
Indians suffer an epic letdown with ALDS loss
Discussion: FiveThirtyEight and Deadspin
 
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