Top News:
ESPN:
Your Thursday ALCS guide: David Price takes aim at World Series — After a positively heart-stopping Game 4, the Red Sox have a chance to close out the American League Championship Series and send the defending World Series champs home for the winter. — MLB Postseason on ESPN Radio
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Coley Harvey / ESPN:
‘If Boston wins this series, then Joe West is the MVP’: Fans at center of controversial call tell all — HOUSTON — The thought has crossed the mind of just about anyone who's ever attended a baseball game: See the ball, try to catch the ball. — For two men, that might be worth rethinking now.
Maria Torres / Los Angeles Times:
José Altuve's two-run homer for Houston is called an out due to fan interference; Red Sox defeat Astros 8-6 — Controversy threatened the fourth game of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox long before Andrew Benintendi made a game-saving dive …
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Associated Press:
Fan interference wipes out possible homer for Altuve in ALCS — Crew chief Joe West, working the right-field line Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, signaled fan interference after the Boston Red Sox outfielder was unable to make the grab and the ball ricocheted back onto the field.
Associated Press:
Sale not ready to pitch for Red Sox in Game 5 of ALCS — Cora said before Game 4 on Wednesday that the lanky left-hander lost weight because of the stomach illness that led to him spending a night in a hospital after starting the ALCS opener. — HOUSTON (AP) - Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora …
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Des Bieler / Chicago Tribune:
'I didn't reach over the wall:' Astros fan denies committing interference on overturned home run — The Washington Post — Wednesday's Game 4 between the Houston Astros and visiting Boston Red Sox quickly became embroiled in controversy when a potential first-inning home run …
Coley Harvey / ESPN:
Astros' Jose Altuve ruled out after fan interferes with Mookie Betts' attempt to catch fly ball
Discussion:
NESN.com, NBCSports.com, Boston Globe and Metro
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
David Price is starting Game 5. What else is there to say?
Discussion:
NESN.com
Associated Press:
MLB says Astros didn't cheat, considers ‘the matter closed’ — CLEVELAND — The Houston Astros didn't cheat. They didn't want to get cheated. — That's their story, and Major League Baseball agrees. — Following an investigation into two incidents this postseason …
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Stephanie Metzger / WKYC-TV:
MLB says no violations found after Cleveland Indians, other teams accuse Houston Astros of cheating
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
MLB clears Astros of cheating, Houston GM Jeff Luhnow says team was ‘playing defense’
Discussion:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, NESN.com and KHOU-TV
Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
Dodgers Ride Small Ball to Doorstep of World Series — The Dodgers won consecutive postseason games without a homer for the first time in franchise history, simply taking what the Brewers gave in Games 4 and 5 to move a win away from the Fall Classic. — LOS ANGELES — A rally cry kept rising …
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Baltimore Sun:
Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado fined $10,000 for altercation with Brewers' Jesus Aguilar — Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Manny Machado talks about his NLCS Game 4 collision with the Milwaukee Brewers' Jesus Aguilar. — Manny Machado was fined $10,000 by Major League Baseball for an incident …
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ESPN:
Yanks' Gregorius has Tommy John surgery, return uncertain — NEW YORK — Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has undergone Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is expected to be out of action for much of next season. — The Yankees said Wednesday's surgery went as expected.
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Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Yankees GM Brian Cashman on Gary Sanchez's future, Luis Severino tipping pitches and his letter grade for Aaron Boone
Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds blog: Ballclub is willing to pay to get its next manager — Three things are apparent with word the Cincinnati Reds are bringing back David Bell, Brad Ausmus and Joe Girardi for second interviews: — The Reds are willing to spend money to get their guy. Girardi would not be on the list otherwise.
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs' prescription for a better offense: Improved health and focus — Chicago Tribune — How do you fix an offense productive enough to contribute to a 95-win season? — The Cubs took the first step toward addressing their flaws when they dropped hitting coach Chili Davis for Anthony Iapoce.
Gerry Fraley / Dallas Morning News:
Rangers already searching for the ‘smoking gun’ of their injury woes in recent seasons — This has been a season of introspection for the Rangers. What they found led to the firing of a manager and the shuffling of front-office responsibilities. — One problem area is not so easily resolved.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Detroit Free Press:
Last Slide — Among the player-personnel decisions the Detroit Tigers face this offseason, perhaps the toughest comes behind the plate. — And when the team makes a final decision on James McCann's fate, the answer could have more to do with Grayson Greiner than McCann.
Eddie Matz / ESPN:
Astros turn to Justin Verlander with their season on the line — HOUSTON — Wednesday was National Mulligan Day. And boy could the Houston Astros use a few do-overs. — First and foremost, the Astros probably would have liked a mulligan on Joe West's controversial fan interference call.
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards trying to figure out what to do with 11 starters — The Cardinals still have the five starting pitchers they counted on at the beginning of this past season and also the five who were in Memphis' rotation in April. Neither tally includes Alex Reyes, who made one record-setting-strikeout outing …
