Joe Strauss (@JoeStrauss) of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses Wainwright’s gem as the Cardinals beat the Pirates to reach the NLCS…
If August was all wrong, the past week against the Pittsburgh Pirates was all about getting it right. The Cardinals will host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League championship series beginning Friday night because their starting rotation picked the perfect time to flex.
Adam Wainwright provided the perfect punctuation mark for a five-game division series that undeniably hinged on the Cardinals’ superior starting pitching. Allowed to finish what he started while protecting a 6-1 lead, Wainwright bounced from the mound and bowed up.
Also from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bernie Miklasz (@miklasz) writes that consistency is what sets the Cardinals apart…
We’re spoiled, really. Watching postseason baseball and experiencing the thrills and the triumphs of October is no longer a privilege in St. Louis. It is a way of life, a part of the cityscape, and a cherished tradition that rarely fails to raise spirits and cause hearts to flutter.
This is St. Louis, the best baseball town in America. This is the home of the Cardinals, an iconic franchise that stands above most others that have occupied a place in our national pastime.
David O’Brien (@ajcbraves) of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talks about Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez’s comments on sticking with David Carpenter in the 8th…
“Choptober” banners on lightpoles along Hank Aaron Way fluttered sadly in a cool breeze Wednesday, hours before what would’ve been Game 5 of the division series at Turner Field, had the Braves not blown a late lead Monday at Los Angeles.
In his office at Turner Field, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was asked Wednesday what he might have done differently, and specifically about his decision not to bring in closer Craig Kimbrel before reliever David Carpenter gave up a decisive two-run homer to Juan Uribe with none out in the eighth inning.
Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) of the Tampa Bay Times reports that David Price expects the Rays to trade him in the offseason…
The symbolism was ominous, even if the timing was innocent. By the time the Rays opened their clubhouse to the media Wednesday, 13 hours after their season ended in a loss to Boston, David Price had already emptied out his locker and left the building.
Among many unknowns for the 2014 season, the biggest question, and the one that will hover over the Rays all winter in terms of conversation and speculation, is whether they will keep their ace left-hander or trade him.
Price said Wednesday night that he expects to be dealt.
John Harper (@NYDNHarper) of the NY Daily News talks about the spotlight focusing now on Hal Steinbrenner after the Joe Girardi signing…
So as it turned out, this was the easy part for the Yankees. The rest of their offseason should go so smoothly.
Joe Girardi had all the leverage here, and it would have been intriguing to see where negotiations would have gone if the lure of returning to Chicago was enough that he at least wanted to hear what the Cubs had to offer.
Rick Morrissey (@MorrisseyCST) of the Chicago Sun-Times looks at Theo Epstein’s attempt to bring Joe Girardi to Chicago as the Cubs manager search continues…
Joe Girardi did the wise thing and signed a contract to stay with the Yankees, but let’s not dive back into the Cubs’ managerial search just yet. There will be plenty of time to analyze whether Manny Acta has the requisite ability to roll his eyes back in his head or whether A.J. Hinch’s mechanics are sound as he trudges to the mound to pull a pitcher in the third inning.
We first need to pause and contemplate what happened with Girardi. Cubs fans like to rank their pain. Less intense than Leon Durham’s error in 1984 but more unpleasant than the 14 losses to open the 1997 season? It’s a ritual around here.
Steve Dilbeck (@stevedilbeck) of the LA times reports that there is no word on whether Andre Either can start for the Dodgers in the NLCS…
Wednesday came and went, and the Dodgers apparently still don’t know if Andre Ethier will be able to play center in the National League Championship Series.
Manager Don Mattingly said they expect Ethier to be able to do more in the next round and that Wednesday’s workout at Dodger Stadium would give them a better indication of how much they could expect from Ethier.
Yet when Ethier was done hitting and tracking balls down in center — without apparent difficulty — he said nothing had really changed about his status.
Steve Dilbeck aslo talks about Sandy Koufax congratulating Clayton Kershaw after the Dodgers’ series win…
There were a lot of cool moments in the Dodgers’ clubhouse as they celebrated winning their division playoff series Monday night, but the coolest of the cool was easily Sandy Koufax seeking out Clayton Kershaw.
Koufax placed his arms around Kershaw’s neck and shared a few words as cameras clicked away. One legendary Dodgers left-hander congratulating another left-handed legend in the making.
Tim Britton (@TimBritton) of the Providence Journal writes about Xander Bogaerts sparking the offense with patience…
One walk. He had 97 plate appearances in Double-A last season, and Xander Bogaerts drew one walk.
This is the context for Tuesday night. As much as the Red Sox will tell you that 2012 has lost its instructional value, it doesn’t dare lose its narrative one just yet. And in Game Four of the American League Division Series, in propelling a dormant Boston offense to victory, Xander Bogaerts drew more walks in a reserve capacity than he did in 23 games at Double-A last season.
Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) of the Boston Herald talks about the dynamic duo of Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino…
Back in 2010, in the wake of a season marred by injuries and lacking in sizzle, the Red Sox had a vision. They imagined a multidimensional offense, capable of piling up runs with both speed and muscle, fronted at the top of the order by a pair of dynamic game-changers.
So they threw $142 million at Carl Crawford to bat behind Jacoby Ellsbury.