Miscues, missed opportunities catching up with Dodgers  —  LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers navigated the 2018 regular season as a persistent enigma.  They were loaded with talent and rich in depth, clearly and significantly superior to the vast majority of their competition.

Role players give Astros pop through the lineup, championship edge  —  The dramatic turnaround of the Houston Astros franchise from historically bad — they were the second team in MLB history to have three consecutive seasons of at least 106 losses — to world champions in just five years …

Alex Bregman trolls Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi with Instagram post  —  The Astros third baseman, who faces Boston Red Sox starter Nate Eovaldi on Tuesday night, showed a clip on his Instagram account with the Astros hitting three consecutive homers off Eovaldi earlier this year when he was still with the Tampa Bay Rays.

We dare you not to walk Alex Bregman  —  If Alex Bregman were homering as often as peak Barry Bonds, we wouldn't say the Red Sox were giving him the Barry Bonds treatment.  We'd just say Bregman was hot, or had somehow become as good as Bonds, and that no amount of effort on the part of Red Sox pitchers has been able to stop it.

Red Sox not sure if recovering Chris Sale will ready for Game 5  —  Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale was on his way to Minute Maid Park in Houston on Tuesday after spending Sunday night in the hospital with a stomach ailment, manager Alex Cora said.  —  When he gets to the park …