Top News:
Fox Sports:
Keuchel strikes out 10, Astros beat Yanks 2-1 in ALCS opener (Oct 13, 2017) — HOUSTON (AP) Dallas Keuchel dominated the Yankees again, striking out 10 in seven scoreless innings to lead the Houston Astros over New York 2-1 on Friday night in the AL Championship Series opener.
RELATED:
ESPN:
Astros aces take first swing in one-two punch plan — HOUSTON — Dallas Keuchel throws his fastball an average of 89 mph from the left side, then stares in for the catcher's next sign behind a Tom Hanks-in-Cast-Away beard that adds to his aura of anonymity.
MoiseKapenda Bower / UPI:
ALCS: Dallas Keuchel pitches Astros to Game 1 win over Yankees — HOUSTON — Having done what he seemingly always does against a franchise he reverentially lauds as storied, Houston Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel was again left lacking for an explanation for his brilliance against the team …
Scott LauberESPN / ESPN:
Astros' Marwin Gonzalez goes from Game 1 to wife's side for birth of third child — HOUSTON — Marwin Gonzalez delivered the biggest play Friday night in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. — And then, his wife was ready to deliver a baby boy. — EDITOR'S PICKS
Discussion:
FanRag Sports and Associated Press
MoiseKapenda Bower / UPI:
ALCS: Houston Astros' Verlander, New York Yankees' Severino square off — HOUSTON — On the heels of his first career relief appearance in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander was certainly positioned to discuss …
ESPN:
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has no plans to drop Aaron Judge in order during ALCS — HOUSTON — Despite Aaron Judge's struggles in the ALDS, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he has no plans to move Judge down in the order during the ALCS. — “I never talked about moving him down,” Girardi said.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:
Super utilityman Marwin Gonzalez quiet hero in Astros' ALCS Game 1 win over Yankees — HOUSTON — Shortstop Carlos Correa told him not to throw to home plate. Right fielder Josh Reddick, a former Gold Glover who likes to show off his accurate arm, said he wouldn't have attempted it.
Discussion:
CBSSports.com
John Harper / New York Daily News:
Yankees' missed opportunities let Dallas Keuchel off the hook in ALDS Game 1 — HOUSTON — On many a night against Dallas Keuchel, including the wild-card game two years ago, the Yankees have walked away whistling with admiration at the soft-tossing lefty's brilliance.
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Marwin Gonzalez's versatility was big part of Astros' Game 1 win — As soon as Marwin Gonzalez tumbled to the ground, Brian McCann knew the Astros had him. Gonzalez, a utility player who is more of an infielder, had fired off a throw that was hard, fast and true to the plate.
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
Dallas Keuchel quiets Yankees' bats yet again as Bombers fall to Astros, 2-1, in Game 1 — HOUSTON - They have a problem. — The Yankees were no match once again for the Houston star named after that other Texas town, as puzzling lefty Dallas Keuchel continued his career-long domination …
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Matt Holliday goes 0-for-3 as team's DH in Yankees playoff debut — HOUSTON — The Yankees tried Matt Holliday at DH in Game 1 of the ALCS, but the result was still the same: no hits. — Holliday went 0-for-3 in his playoff debut as a Bomber, and the Yankees lost 2-1 to the Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Stefan Stevenson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Rangers' fans forced to choose lesser of two evils in postseason
Scott LauberESPN / ESPN:
Jose Altuve: Aaron Judge's power, humbleness makes him MVP favorite
Discussion:
The Ringer - All
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
ALCS stacks up teams with MVP candidates
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
Jose Altuve makes the case for Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge as AL MVP
Fox Sports:
LEADING OFF: Altuve's October, Dodgers get weary Cubs — A look at what's happening all around the majors today: — ALTUVE'S OCTOBER — Jose Altuve was a candidate for AL MVP during the regular season and he's been among the best players in the postseason so far, too.
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
LEADING OFF: Dodgers get weary Cubs; Verlander vs. Severino — A look at what's happening all around the majors Saturday: — RESTED DODGERS, WEARY CUBS — Los Angeles has been waiting comfortably at home since Tuesday to begin their NL Championship Series, while Chicago enters the opener fatigued and well-traveled.
Bradford DoolittleESPN / ESPN:
Dodgers stick with division series rotation as they prep to face Cubs in NLCS — LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced his rotation for L.A.'s National League Championship Series matchup against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. — Roberts said that after Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw starts …
Discussion:
True Blue LA
Fox Sports:
A capsule look at the Cubs-Dodgers playoff series — A look at the best-of-seven National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers: — Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Saturday, at Los Angeles, 8:08 p.m. (TBS); Game 2, Sunday, at Los Angeles, 7:38 p.m. …
Fox Sports:
Dodgers look to turn tables on Cubs in NLCS (Oct 14, 2017) — LOS ANGELES — One year later, the teams in the National League Championship Series are the same so it makes sense that the plot lines are similar. — There is a team four victories away from getting a chance to vanquish a long World Series drought.
Matt Snyder / CBSSports.com:
NLCS: Cubs Game 1 starting pitcher still unnamed, but there are two possibilities
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers-centric observations from 2017 MLB postseason
Discussion:
USA Today
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs-Dodgers in NLCS: Who has the edge?
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune and Bleed Cubbie Blue
Jeff Barker / Baltimore Sun:
No billy goat or ‘Bambino’ but Washingtonians wonder if baseball team is jinxed
Discussion:
Cincinnati.com, Washington Post, Real Clear Politics and Federal Baseball
Chicago Tribune:
The last Cubs-Dodgers NLCS: A 6-game masterpiece
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue and Chicago Tribune
ESPN:
Alex Rodriguez on PED suspension: ‘How stupid can you be?’ — Alex Rodriguez said his admitted use of steriods during his 23-year MLB career cost him millions of dollars and potential spot in Cooperstown. But the desire to put up big numbers and chronic pain in his hip pressured Rodriguez to take performance-enhancing drugs.
Discussion:
Bleacher Report and FanRag Sports
RELATED:
Christian Red / New York Daily News:
‘Jackass’ Alex Rodriguez makes lame excuse for using performance-enhancing drugs
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and MLB on Yahoo! Sports
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
Joe Girardi never doubted Luis Severino's ability to bounce back from wild-card game clunker — HOUSTON — While much of the Yankee universe wondered how Luis Severino would react in the AL division series after recording just a single out in his postseason debut in the wild-card game, Joe Girardi had a positive feeling about it.
ESPN:
Giants' Bruce Bochy ‘feeling better’ after heart ablation procedure — San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he was “feeling better” after undergoing a heart ablation procedure to correct an atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat. — “The procedure went extremely well and I'm feeling better …
