Author: rincon

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The 2024 MLB playoffs are on to the divisional round, as postseason squads continue to make their charge toward the Fall Classic.

Which four teams will qualify for the ALCS and NLCS?

Check out the odds for each best-of-five divisional round series via DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 4.

Follow along for the entirety of the divisional rounds.

AL DIVISIONAL 

Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Guardians
Regular-season series: Guardians won 7-6

Series winner: Guardians -125 (bet $10 to win $18 total); Tigers +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)

GAME 1 (Saturday)
Spread: Guardians -1.5 (+145)
O/U: 7 total runs scored
Moneyline: Guardians -148, Tigers +124

Kansas City Royals @ New York Yankees
Regular-season series: Yankees won 5-2

Series winner: Yankees -215 (bet $10 to win $14.65 total); Royals +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)

GAME 1 (Saturday)
Spread: Yankees -1.5 (+110)
O/U: 8 total runs scored
Moneyline: Yankees -205, Royals +170

NL DIVISIONAL

San Diego Padres @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular-season series: Padres won 8-5

Series winner: Dodgers -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total); Padres +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)

GAME 1 (Saturday)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (+160)
O/U: 7.5 total runs scored
Moneyline: Dodgers -135, Padres +114

New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies
Regular-season series: Phillies won 7-6

Series winner: Phillies -185 (bet $10 to win $15.41 total); Mets +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)

GAME 1 (Saturday)
Spread: Phillies -1.5 (+114)
O/U: 7.5 total runs scored
Moneyline: Phillies -198, Mets +164

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Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of their Wild Card Series.

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With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third.

It was the second consecutive game in which the AL batting champion provided the decisive hit in his postseason debut. Witt’s RBI single Tuesday in Game 1 plated the only run in a 1-0 victory.

Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advances to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.

Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a hit by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with previous playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.

“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”

The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.

Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to close it out for his second save of the series.

The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing pending free-agent starterCorbin Burnes.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jack Flaherty will start Game 1 of this weekend’s National League Division Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto set for Game 2.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Wednesday that the team hasn’t finalized plans for Games 3 and potentially 4, but Walker Buehler and rookie Landon Knack will be involved.

The Dodgers will play the winner of the NL Wild Card between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres, who lead the best-of-three series 1-0.

The best-of-five NLDS opens Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Yamamoto has made just four starts since coming off the injured list, having missed nearly three months with an arm injury. The right-hander allowed two runs at Colorado in his final tune-up last weekend. He pitched five innings, his longest outing since returning.

Yamamoto may be an MLB rookie, but he’s got plenty of big-game experience in his native Japan, including pitching in the 2022 Japan Series, where he led the Orix Buffaloes to victory, and in the Tokyo Olympics, when Japan won a gold medal.

“I don’t think Yama’s going to be fazed by the big moment,” Gomes said on a teleconference. “If anything, I think he’s going to thrive on it.”

Flaherty joined the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers at the July trade deadline. The deal brought him back to his hometown. The right-hander had a 3.58 ERA in 55 1/3 innings over 10 starts for the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtaniwill continue throwing bullpen sessions as he rehabs from his second elbow surgery a year ago, but there are no plans for him to face live hitters, Gomes said.

“We don’t anticipate him pitching in the postseason,” the GM said.

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Instead, the Dodgers will rely on his bat to help carry them, as Ohtani did in his record-setting first season with the team.

The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record in baseball (98-64), earning the No. 1 seed in the NL and guaranteeing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

That gave them a bye and once again the team is off for five days going into the NLDS. The layoff hasn’t been kind to them the last two years. They were swept out of the Division Series by Arizona last year and lost to the Padres 3-1 in 2022.

“Our guys are tired of it,” manager Dave Roberts said of the early exits.

Roberts has noticed a different attitude in the clubhouse this time around

“I see some more hunger, I see some more edge. I like that,” he said. “Not to say that guys weren’t prepared or trying or cared, but there’s a different level of intensity.”

The Dodgers can actually use the extra time off this year, with several players trying to heal and the heavily taxed bullpen needing some rest.

All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Miguel Rojas are making progress after getting injured recently. Roberts said he’s confident Freeman will be in the starting lineup, although his right ankle injury could limit him defensively.

Freeman is taking swings in the batting cage and will likely face live pitching either Thursday or Friday.

Rojas has a tear in his left adductor muscle. He received an injection last week and will require surgery after the season, but he’s expected to play.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in Detroit’s four-run eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday.

Parker Meadows homered as Detroit ended Houston’s run of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series. It was a sweet moment for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017 and was fired in the aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.

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Next up for the wild-card Tigers is a trip to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champions in a best-of-five AL Division Series. Game 1 is on Saturday.

Kerry Carpenter sparked Detroit’s eighth-inning rally with a one-out single off Ryan Pressly (0-1), who converted his first 14 postseason save opportunities. Carpenter advanced to third on a single by Matt Vierling and scored on a wild pitch, tying it at 2.

Pressly departed after Colt Keith reached on a two-out walk, and closer Josh Hader walked Spencer Torkelson to load the bases.

Hinch then sent Ibáñez up to hit for Zach McKinstry, and Ibáñez lined a 1-2 sinker into the corner in left for a 5-2 lead.

Hader, who signed a $95 million, five-year contract with Houston in January, allowed three hits and walked two in 1 1/3 innings.

This is a developing story.

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Fernando Valenzuela is stepping away from his broadcast duties with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the rest of the season so the former major league pitcher can focus on his health.

Valenzuela, who turns 64 on Nov. 1, is a Spanish-language broadcaster for LA. The team said Wednesday he is hoping to return for next season.

The Dodgers will host San Diego or Atlanta in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday night.

Valenzuela spent the first 11 of his 17 years in the majors with Los Angeles. He helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series, winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year after he went 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts.

The six-time All-Star won at least 10 games and made at least 25 starts in nine seasons with the Dodgers. He went 21-11 with a 3.14 ERA in 1986, throwing 20 complete games and finishing second to Mike Scott in balloting for the NL Cy Young Award.

Valenzuela appeared in his last big league game with St. Louis in July 1997. He finished his playing career with a 173-153 record and a 3.54 ERA in 453 games, including 424 starts.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The claim to Shohei Ohtani’s potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball.

According to online records, the latest suit was filed by Joseph Davidov in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court, and the defendants are Chris Belanski, Kelvin Ramirez, Max Matus and Goldin Auctions. Belanski is the man who left the stadium with the baseball. Matus — who filed the first lawsuit last week — and Ramirez have also claimed ownership of the ball.

Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases, reaching the mark on Sept. 19 with his homer in Miami against the Marlins. The bidding for the baseball through Goldin Auctions is currently at $1.464 million.

Because of a ruling related to Matus’ lawsuit, the ball can’t be formally sold until a hearing that is scheduled for Oct. 10.

Davidov claims in his suit that he was able to “firmly and completely grab the ball in his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”

The suit goes on to say that “an unknown fan wrongfully jumped over the railing, jumped onto the Plaintiff and Plaintiff’s arm and attacked the Plaintiff causing the 50/50 Ball to come loose and roll into the hands of Defendant Chris Belanski.”

Davidov is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

The first lawsuit claims that Matus, a Florida resident who was celebrating his 18th birthday, gained possession of the Ohtani ball before Belanski took it away. Part of the presentation by Matus’ attorney on Oct. 10 will be video of the scramble for the ball in the stands.

“Max successfully grabbed the 50/50 ball in his left hand and intended to keep it,” the lawsuit stated. “Unfortunately, a few seconds later, defendant Belanski — a muscular older man — trapped plaintiff’s arm in between his legs and wrangled the 50/50 ball out of Max’s left hand.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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