Top News:
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
MLB playoffs 2020: For some Astros, this is their last dance with Houston — Maybe this is how it's supposed to end, in a foreign ballpark in front of cardboard fans, with their roster nowhere near whole. Strange, but perhaps, for a team smeared by one of baseball's biggest cheating scandals, fitting.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes and McCovey Chronicles
RELATED:
Bradford Doolittle / ESPN:
Tampa Bay Rays add lefty reliever Jose Alvarado to ALCS roster — The Tampa Bay Rays will welcome back a key member of the bullpen for their ALCS matchup with the Houston Astros, which begins Sunday. — Lefty Jose Alvarado was added to the club's 28-player active roster for the championship series.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes and DRaysBay
ESPN:
Houston Astros to start Framber Valdez in Game 1 of ALCS — Houston Astros lefty Framber Valdez will start Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, while Lance McCullers will start Game 2. — “I feel really proud and really thankful …
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit, The Crawfish Boxes, DRaysBay and Associated Press
MLB Insiders / ESPN:
MLB playoffs 2020: Takeaways from all four of Thursday's division series games — On a Thursday that could see as many as four teams sent home from the 2020 MLB playoffs, the Atlanta Braves got things started with an NLDS sweep of the Miami Marlins in Houston.
Discussion:
Twinkie Town, Talking Chop, True Blue LA, Associated Press, South Side Sox, Lone Star Ball, Fish Stripes, MLB Baseball News … and AZ Snake Pit
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays have decisions to make before facing Astros — SAN DIEGO — The Rays will start left-hander Blake Snell in Sunday night's opening game of the American League Championship Series against the Astros.And that's about all they were sure of Saturday, as the Rays took time to recover …
Discussion:
DRaysBay and MLB Trade Rumors
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Nick Selbe / Sports Illustrated:
Rays Rally to Beat Yankees, Advance to ALCS — The season-long, heated rivalry between the Rays and Yankees reached its fitting conclusion in Friday night's Game 5 of the ALDS. In the end, it was Tampa Bay who was left standing. — First baseman Michael Brosseau, who came on as a pinch-hitter …
Discussion:
Tampa Bay Rays on Yahoo! …
Marly Rivera / ESPN:
Tampa Bay Rays will start Tyler Glasnow vs. New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole in ALDS Game 5 — SAN DIEGO — New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has never made a major league start on fewer than the traditional four days of rest. Neither has Tampa Bay Rays flamethrower Tyler Glasnow.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes, DRaysBay, MLB Baseball News …, AZ Snake Pit, Associated Press, The Good Phight and USA Today
Mark Polishuk / MLB Trade Rumors:
Yankees, Rays Set Game 5 Starters — It will be Gerrit Cole against Tyler Glasnow in tomorrow's deciding Game 5 of the ALDS matchup between the Yankees and Rays. New York recorded a 5-1 win in Game 4 tonight to force the winner-take-all contest on Friday at Petco Park (the Rays will be the designated home team).
Mirjam Swanson / Daily News:
Lakers win 17th NBA title with dominant Game 6 effort — Now LeBron James will be hailed as Lakers royalty. — “What I've learned being a Laker,” James said as he and his teammates closed in on the franchise's 17th NBA title and his fourth, “is that the Laker faithful don't give a damn what you've done before.”
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
What to know: Phillies 2020 offseason FAQ — PHILADELPHIA — If you watched the Braves play the Marlins in the National League Division Series, you might have wondered how the Phillies can make enough improvements to pass them next season in the NL East standings. — They have plenty of work to do this offseason.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and New York Mets on Yahoo! …
Nick Selbe / Sports Illustrated:
Hard to Believe Anyone Will Stop the Dodgers This Year — L.A. looks as dominant as it ever has in October. Is this year-gulp-finally the year? — The Dodgers have been here before—several times in fact. They've made the postseason in eight consecutive years and have now advanced …
Discussion:
True Blue LA and MLB Trade Rumors
Don Burke / New York Post:
Whitey Ford, Yankees Hall of Famer, dead at 91 — Whitey Ford, who pitched the Yankees to 11 American League pennants and six World Series championships in the 1950s and 60s and who still holds the highest winning percentage (.690) among all modern-day major league pitchers with at least 150 wins …