Top News:
Michael Kelly / Associated Press:
Arenado, Story homer to help Rockies beat Diamondbacks 10-3 — DENVER (AP) - Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3 on Thursday to extend their NL West lead.
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The Crawfish Boxes and baseballmusings.com
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Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Last Slide — DENVER — Eleven years ago, the Colorado Rockies sat 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with 15 games to play. They wound up in the World Series. Four years later, the Tampa Bay Rays were 2 1/2 out with five to play. They got in. The next year it was the Oakland Athletics who were five back with nine remaining.
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Former Diamondbacks executive to auction off 2001 World Series ring to help sick colleague — DENVER - Washington Nationals Assistant General Manager Bob Miller, a former executive with the Diamondbacks, has placed his 2001 World Series ring up for auction to raise money for his colleague …
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
Trevor Story is pushing Javier Baez in crowded NL MVP race — The Rockies pretty much buried the Diamondbacks with a 10-3 victory at Coors Field on Thursday to take three out of four in the series. Back on Aug. 22, the Diamondbacks led the NL West by 1 1/2 games and FanGraphs gave …
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus
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Steve Rosenbloom / Chicago Tribune:
Column: Time to join Cubs manager Joe Maddon for another episode of ‘Joverthinking It’ — Cubs manager Joe Maddon discusses Pedro Strop's hamstring injury, which he suffered running the bases against Washington. (Paul Sullivan/Chicago Tribune) — Chicago Tribune
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
3 things we learned from the Cubs' 4-3 win over the Nationals — Cubs closer Pedro Strop discusses the hamstring injury he suffered in the team's 4-3 win at Washington on Sept. 13, 2018. (Paul Sullivan/Chicago Tribune) — Chicago Tribune — Here are three things we learned …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Eddie Matz / ESPN:
'It's like group therapy': How a rookie skipper won over the Cards clubhouse — Somehow, Mike Shildt got the St. Louis Cardinals to buy into “Ball Talk.” — It would've been all too easy for the Cardinals players, especially the veterans, to roll their eyes.
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Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals notes: Molina recovers enough to play — Yadier Molina, hardly the fleetest of players, ran his way into the Cardinals' lineup Thursday night with his pre-game work. Molina, recovering from a strained left hamstring, showed manager Mike Shildt and head athletic trainer Adam Olsen enough …
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Weaver becoming nonfactor on Cards' pitching staff — Righthander Luke Weaver has gone from rotation member to sixth starter to mop-up man with the Cardinals lately and his four-run allowance in just 2/3 innings in the ninth inning on Tuesday was a jolt to him, he admitted.
ESPN:
Yankees need to come up big against Jays — NEW YORK — When they left Yankee Stadium for a cross-country flight to Oakland following a tedious 11-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees held a decent amount of comfort in the wild-card race. — Now they come back still occupying …
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Mike Puma / New York Post:
Jose Reyes hopes to be next to David Wright in his finale … Before David Wright announced he would return and start one last game in his Mets career, on Sept. 29, he found Jose Reyes in the clubhouse Thursday and shared the plan. — “We were both crying, it was a tough moment,” …
Discussion:
Sporting News and Amazin' Avenue
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Rob Tornoe / Philly.com:
Ex-Phillies pitcher Dan Plesac: A day in the life of an MLB Network analyst — It was an eventful evening in baseball, featuring a walk-off home run, a near no-hitter, an October-like match-up in a tight divisional race and the final game of a sweep that all but closed the door on the Phillies' hopes of playing this postseason.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
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ESPN:
Rays try to close gap versus A's — The chances are slim. OK, very slim. — But the Tampa Bay Rays host Oakland in a weekend series beginning Friday with their last chance at making a run at the Athletics for an American League wild-card spot. — This is a three-game series between …
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ESPN:
Brewers in thick of playoff race as they host Pirates — MILWAUKEE — Gio Gonzalez made a strong first impression on his new teammates. — Acquired by Milwaukee on Aug. 31 from Washington, where he'd gone 7-11 with a 4.57 ERA, Gonzalez returned to the mound after a 10-day rest and allowed …
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
The Brewers' magic number is down to 12; here's who to cheer against the rest of the way
The Brewers' magic number is down to 12; here's who to cheer against the rest of the way
Discussion:
True Blue LA, Purple Row, Brew Crew Ball, Talking Chop and MLB Baseball News …
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs win season series vs. Brewers — but haven't yet won the war
Cubs win season series vs. Brewers — but haven't yet won the war
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
ESPN:
Mariners hope to stay on Cruz control vs. Angels — Nelson Cruz has done plenty of damage against the Los Angeles Angels in his 14-year career, and the Seattle Mariners designated hitter will look to cause more Friday night in the third contest of the four-game series.
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Joe Reedy / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Cruz, Leake lead Mariners to 8-2 victory over Angels
Cruz, Leake lead Mariners to 8-2 victory over Angels
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Ramona Shelburne / ESPN:
Matt Kemp is finally home again in LA — There is no easy way to tell a player he's been traded. But generally whatever awkwardness or emotion an executive feels from those calls is offset by the excitement of the calls welcoming the players joining the club.
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Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
'He's addicted to winning': Clayton Kershaw's battle to remain elite
'He's addicted to winning': Clayton Kershaw's battle to remain elite
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos and DodgerBlue.com
Scott Boeck / USA Today:
MLB playoff picture: Updated look at division, wild card races — With just more than two weeks remaining, the Boston Red Sox are the only team to officially punch their ticket to the postseason. — The Red Sox still have work to do to clinch the American League East, although that …
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
And the Star-Telegram's No. 1 Rangers prospect is ... The debate over who should be the No. 1 Texas Rangers prospect in the Star-Telegram's rankings came down to the value of a position player or the importance of developing a front-line starting pitcher. — And there was debate on who should be No. 1 among the two groups.