Outside The Confines: The Golden State showdown

So, have you heard that this is the first time that the Giants and Dodgers are meeting in the playoffs? You’d think more people would be mentioning that.

• Jeff Eisenberg writes about how Chris Taylor, a slumping bench player, saved the Dodgers season.
• Alden Gonzalez and Tim Keown discuss the Giants/Dodgers matchup, which may be the greatest postseason matchup ever. Certainly there have never been two teams that both won more than 105 games that have ever faced each other in any round of the postseason, including the World Series.
• Mike Petriello has a position-by-position breakdown of the Dodgers-Giants series.
• Alex Pavlovic explains how the Giants found success putting together an innovative and unconventional coaching staff.
• Andrew Simon has 12 “wild” moments between the Giants and Dodgers since they moved to California.
• Zach Kram gives one reason that each playoff team will win the World Series and one reason why they won’t.
• Andy McCullough also gives one reason that each MLB team could win the World Series and one reason they could go home after the Divisional Series. (The Athletic sub. req.) Yeah, that’s a common idea for an article this time of year.
• Rodger Sherman makes the case that it wasn’t just the Boston Red Sox that beat the Yankees in the Wild Card, it was the Green Monster of Fenway Park.
• Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin defended his decision to send Aaron Judge home in the third inning of the American League Wild Card Game.
• Mike Axisa has three questions the Yankees must answer this winter.
• Ben Clemens examines the logic behind the decision of Red Sox manager Alex Cora to pull Nathan Eovaldi after only 71 pitches in the AL Wild Card game.
• The Red Sox fell in Game 1 of the AL Division Series to the Red Sox, 5-0 and last year’s playoff hero Randy Arozarena was the Game 1 hero too as he hit a solo home run and pulled off a straight steal of home. He’s the first player to ever homer and steal home in the same postseason game.
• And Rays DH Nelson Cruz hit a home run off the catwalk at Tropicana Field, and many people were confused.
• With Cruz’s home run, he moved into a tie for sixth-place with 18 career postseason home runs, alongside Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle
• David Adler has a list of the all-time best straight-steals of home. Well, maybe not all-time. There’s got to be video. Otherwise I’d think Ty Cobb would have to be on there somewhere.
• Dave Sheinin has a profile of the Rays’ Brett Phillips, whose famous laugh and slogan of “Baseball is Fun” has energized Tampa Bay.
• Today, the Braves will play their first postseason game in Milwaukee since 1958, when the were the Milwaukee Braves. Adam McCalvy writes about the Milwaukee Braves and how the Brewers and others have helped keep the memory of that team alive.
• Meanwhile, in an expected move, the Padres fired manager Jayce Tingler.
• The Rockies got an early start on the Hot Stove League by signing right-handed pitcher Antonio Senzatela and first baseman C.J. Cron to new contract extensions. Devan Fink examines what the two players can be expected to do for the Rockies.
• Upcoming Rockies free agent shortstop Trevor Story said that he wouldn’t rule out returning to Colorado, but added that winning is the most important thing for him.
• The Astros will “probably” give a qualifying offer to pitcher Justin Verlander, according to owner Jim Crane.
• A photograph signed by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson sold for $1.47 million. A signed photograph from the Joe Jackson who sang “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” sold for much less.
• MLB will mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all minor league players next year.
• MLB issued 240 fines to 140 players for violating mask rules in 2021. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Lifetime Mets fan Devin Gordon provides a guide for how to survive being a fan of the “LOL Mets.”
• And finally, Claire Smith has a wonderful look at the long baseball career of Astros manager Dusty Baker. (The Athletic sub. req.) Is this the year that Dusty finally wins that World Series title as a manager? The Astros are off to a good start.

And tomorrow is going to be a better day.