MLB Bullets joins the LDS

I’m finding it hard to root of any of the remaining teams in the postseason. Go Astros, I guess? Maybe? Maybe not? Dodgers? Ouch, that would be a bitter pill to swallow. But maybe? (I can’t cheer for the Braves because of that awful, awful chant.)

• The Brewers swept the Rockies to win their NLDS and the Brew Crew have now won ten straight games. Gabe Lacques explains how they dispatched of the Rockies.
• A big reason for that is the Brewers bullpen and Matt Snyder writes that Milwaukee’s bullpen has never looked better than it does right now.
• Jeff Sullivan breaks down the slider of Brewers pitcher Jhoulys Chacin and declares it one of the best pitches in the game.
• One of the heroes for the Brewers is catcher Erik Kratz, who is the oldest player making his postseason debut in 113 years. And really, that older player, Lave Cross, from 1905 really shouldn’t count. For most of his career, there was no postseason, and he was a member of the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics team of 1902. The modern World Series didn’t start until 1903.
• I guess one of the bright sides of the Brewers current winning streak is that we get to see Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker party like it’s 1999, which is also his career batting average carried out to four decimal points. (Actually, it’s .1997, but close enough, right?)
• BIll Baer writes that the Rockies were doomed by their offense abandoning them at the wrong moment. (That sounds awfully familiar.)
• The Yankees evened up their ALDS series with the Red Sox after they jumped on Boston starter David Price for three runs in 1.2 innings, including two home runs. David Schoenfield writes that Price’s continuing struggles in the playoffs has put the Red Sox in a tough spot.
• Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit a monster shot in the first inning off of Price and Price’s pained facial expression said it all.
• Jeff Passan writes about Price’s issues with October and then goes to Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson to ask him about what kind of mentality you need to succeed in the playoffs. (Jackson wouldn’t talk about Price directly, but he does talk about what he needed to do to succeed.)
• Jon Tayler notes that Judge is making his own October legends and explains why he’s such a tough out at the moment.
• Rodger Sherman takes a different tack to breaking down the Red Sox/Yankees ALDS. Sherman is awed by how physically big the Yankees are compared to the Red Sox.
• For all the attention the Yankees and Red Sox are getting, Eric Stephen argues that the Astros and Indians are the better ALDS.
• Indians third baseman Josh Donaldson made a critical error that opened the door for the Astros comeback win in game 2 of the ALDS. In fact, Donaldson has been a big zero in the series. Grant Brisbee argues that Cleveland trading for Donaldson was the right move that just didn’t work out.
• Stephanie Apstein talks with Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor as the Tribe faces a third-straight season of postseason frustration.
• Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is also mired in a bad slump as he is dealing with back problems. But manager A.J. Hinch has no intention of taking him out of the lineup.
• Demetrius Bell hopes that the performance of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in game two of their NLDS with the Braves puts an end to the narrative that Kershaw can’t win in the playoffs.
• I love Ronald Acuña Jr. because he keeps doing stuff like this. He became the youngest player to ever hit a grand slam in the postseason in the Braves game 3 win over the Dodgers. The previous holder of that title? Mickey Mantle.
• Here are five facts about Acuña Jr.
• Tyler Kepner says that if this is October, it must be about the bullpen as relievers have come to dominate playoff games.
• Who is America cheering for in the playoffs? And which teams are the most popular in which states?
• Whitney McIntosh continues her profiles on potential playoff heroes with a look at Mookie Betts.
• And another profile on Jose Ramirez.
• And a third one that looks at Justin Verlander.
• Twins third baseman Miguel Sano was arrested in the Dominican Republic after a traffic incident where Sano allegedly ran over a police officer’s foot.
• Sheryl Ring looks at some problems with MLB’s current domestic violence policy.
• The Marlins made a trade, sending a minor league pitcher to the Reds for international bonus pool money. The Marlins are reportedly trying to sign three Cuban prospects including both Mesa brothers.
• Richard Johnson talks to some experts about how Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray’s football skills translates to A’s first-round pick Kyler Murray’s baseball skills and vice-versa. A really terrific piece if you’re into college football and baseball scouting.
• Joaquin Benoit is expected to retire. Benoit signed with the Nationals in February but never pitched for them this season because of injuries.
• For all the “baseball is dying” folks, local TV ratings were up 2 percent in 2018.
• Former Royals pitcher Ryan Verdugo threw the first perfect game in CPBL history. (That’s Taiwan’s professional league.) It was won on a walkoff home run and it was probably the first time in the history of walk-offs that the guy who hit the walk-off wasn’t the one who got mobbed by his teammates. (They did mob him eventually, but only after mobbing Verdugo first.)
• Fifty years ago, folk singer Jose Feliciano sang “The Star Spangled Banner” before the 1968 World Series and caused a scandal with a beautiful, folksy version of the National Anthem.
• And finally, a guy in the bleaches at Minute Maid Park told everyone that if George Springer hit a home run, he was buying everyone in the section a beer. Springer hit one and the fan did buy everyone a beer.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.