Royals trade Davis to Cubs, get Soler in return

The Royals trade closer Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs for Cubs OF Jorge Soler. #RoyalNoah #ForeverRoyal

Astros Sign Carlos Beltran to One Year, $16 Million Deal

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The Houston Astros have agreed to a one year deal with Carlos Beltran, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The deal is worth $16 million. 

This isn't his first time in Houston. He played for the Astros in 2004. That team went to the World Series.

Beltran hit 29 home runs and 93 RBIs last season as member of the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. 

Royals Return Drew Butera

The Royals sign catcher Drew Butera to a 2-year deal. #ForeverRoyal #RoyalNoah

Astros Acquire Brian McCann, Josh Reddick

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The Houston Astros have traded right handed pitchers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to the New York Yankees. In return, Houston gets catcher Brian McCann.

McCann has averaged 22 home runs in his 11-year MLB career. McCann, who still has two years left on his five-year, $17 million contract, will get $5.5 million over the next two seasons from New York. 

In addition to McCann, the Astros have also acquired outfielder Josh Reddick. The details include a four-year, $52 million deal. The team is just waiting on his pending physical. 

Royals Make Early Offseason Roster Moves

The Royals exercise options on Wade Davis and Alcides Escobar, decline the option on Kris Medlen and reinstate Mike Moustakes, Tim Collins and Mike Minor. Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez declined their mutual options. Royals also decline the mutual option on Luke Hochevar. He becomes a free agent. #ForeverRoyal #RoyalNoah

Cardinals Sign Mike Matheny Through 2020

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The St. Louis Cardinals have signed manager Mike Matheny through the 2020 season. He has led the Cards to four straight playoff appearances since 2012, when he took over for Tony La Russa.

Matheny also led the team to an NL pennant in 2013. Unfortunately, they fell to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. 

World Series Preview: Cubs vs. Indians

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The 2016 World Series is as historically significant as a postseason series could possibly be. Decades of accursed heartache, frustration, and apathy culminate in a clash of Midwestern institutions with a combined 176 years of championship-less futility between them.

The Cleveland Indians last won the World Series in 1948, one year after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier (and Cleveland's own Larry Doby did the same in the American League). The Chicago Cubs have not reigned as champions since 1908. Between failures and jinxes, goats and black cats, heartbreak and miraculous calamities, these two baseball towns have finally put themselves in a position to shed long-awaited tears of joy.

To reach the World Series, the Indians have sprung from borderline apathy. After winning six division titles in a seven-year stretch (including five in a row) from 1995 to 2001, Cleveland had made the playoffs only twice in the 14 years since then.

An 81-80 record last year only compounded the relative normality of a moribund franchise with the dubious distinction of having a popular fictional film in their honor (Major League), celebrating the team's depravity, to alleviate some of the disappointment fans have had to live with along the way. The last time the Indians made it to the World Series, they faced off against a Florida Marlins franchise that was in its mere fifth year of existence. The talented youngsters of that squad managed a walk-off hit by Edgar Renteria to clinch Florida's first title and Cleveland's return to irrelevance.

This season was a complete turnabout from those circumstances. A 14-game consecutive wins streak capped a June month that saw Cleveland go 22-6, raising their record from a respectable 35-30 to a remarkable 49-30. Reigning Cy Young winner Cory Kluber led the pitching staff with another stellar year, finishing with a 18-9 record and 3.14 ERA.

Trevor Bauer, the youngest pitcher on the entire staff to throw over 60 innings, proved his worth as he went 12-8 with a 4.26 ERA. Cleveland's offense provided plenty of support, plating the 5th-highest run total in the league even though their home run totals were low.

The Cubs have been working towards this outcome ever since team president Theo Epstein took over the reigns five years ago. Their history of ineptitude has enough detail to fill volumes, so long versions of that information will be spared here. Quick rundown: No title since 1908; no pennant since 1945; six outs from the 2003 World Series before the super villain known as Bartman burst onto the scene. This team, and season, has skewed differently, however.

For starters, this was the first Cubs team to get as many as 103 wins since 1910. Only two Cubs teams have been younger than this one in the last 40 years, and those have come in the last two years. The movement is lead by Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, Wilson Contreras, and Jorge Soler. All of their ages range from 22 to 26, so don't be surprised if they stick around for a while.

The matchups for the first four games are as follows:

Game 1, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m: Jon Lester (Cubs) vs. Corey Kluber (Indians)
Game 2, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m: Jake Arrieta (Cubs) vs. Trevor Bauer (Indians)
Game 3, Friday, Oct. 28, 5 p.m: Josh Tomlin (Indians) vs. Kyle Hendricks (Cubs)
Game 4, Saturday, Oct. 30: TBD (Indians) vs. John Lackey (Cubs)

No matter the outcome of the Series, a great baseball mind will receive credit for two of the greatest accomplishments in sports history. If Chicago wins, Theo Epstein will have put together a championship Boston Red Sox team, which had not happened since 1918, and this Cubs team. If the Indians win, Terry Francona will have managed that 2004 Boston team in addition to this version of the Indians. Regardless, both men should be celebrated as saints and saviors by the cities they have cultivated impossible success from.

Prediction: The Chicago Cubs, on the strength of a fantastic starting pitching rotation, an impossible closer, and the joyful exuberance of their young players giving all they have while enjoying the game they love, will take the World Series by a 4-1 margin.

Cubs Send Kyle Schwarber to Arizona Fall League

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The Chicago Cubs have sent Kyle Schwarber to the Arizona Fall League. He could possibly join the team if they advance to the World Series. They will look to advance with a win in Game 6 over the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.

Schwarber tore his ACL and LCL at the very beginning of the season and it was determined that he wouldn't return at all this season. However, he could play as a designated hitter in the World Series should they advance. He hit five home runs for the team back in the 2015 playoffs. They were swept by the New York Mets in the NLCS in 2015.

ALCS Preview: Blue Jays vs. Indians

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The American League Championship Series begins Friday, October 14 as the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians square off in a best-of-seven series to determine the American League representative in the 2016 World Series.

Cleveland reached the League Championship Series by continuing the regular season success they had straight into the playoffs. The 94-67 record the Indians finished with earned them the Central Division crown and left them one win behind the Texas Rangers (in one less game played) for best record in the AL. Cleveland faced the Boston Red Sox in the Division Series and proceeded to dispatch of them in a 3-game sweep. Game 1 was a 5-4 nailbiter, followed by a 6-0 pounding in Game 2, and concluding with 4-3 clincher in Game 3.

The Indians were powered by a team-high five hits and four runs from third baseman Jose Ramirez. Five different players had a home run each, and Lonnie Chisenhall led the team with four RBIs during the three games they played. Cleveland's three starting pitchers (Corey Kluber, Josh Tomlin, and Trevor Bauer) combined for 16 2/3 innings pitched, giving up five runs on 13 hits and four walks, with 17 strikeouts along the way. The bullpen pitched 10.1 innings, giving up just two runs on eight hits with 14 strikeouts.

Toronto earned their way into the postseason by qualifying for a one-game wildcard against the Baltimre Orioles, winning in dramatic, walk-off fashion courtesy of an extra-inning home run by Edwin Encarnacion. From there, the Blue Jays powered their way through sweeping the Texas Rangers, raking 10 home runs (3 by the red-hot Encarnacion) on the heels of four different players (Encarnacion, Troy Tulowitzki, Ezequiel Carrera and Josh Donaldson) putting up six hits each in the three games of the series.

The Indians enter the league championship series hoping to end the 68-year drought since the last time Cleveland won the World Series, in 1948. The Blue Jays won in back-to-back years in 1992 and 1993, including Joe Carter's championship-clinching, walk-off homerun to win the Series in 1992. 2015 was the only playoff appearance for the team since the '93 championhsip. The Indians made it to the World Series as recently as 1997, only to fall to the upstart Florida Marlins, and 1995 before falling to the Atlanta Braves.

Game 1 begins at 8:00 pm ET, with Corey Kluber taking the mound for Cleveland, and Marco Estrada getting the nod for Toronto.

NLDS Preview: Dodgers vs. Nationals

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When the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals meet for a highly-anticipated NLDS, both squads will be looking to shake off recent postseason disappointment. Despite having some of the league’s most talented rosters, Los Angeles and Washington have not made it past the NLCS dating back to 2012. The Nationals missed the playoffs last season, while Los Angeles enters with the longest active postseason streak in the MLB. 

Unlike in year’s past, Los Angeles will enter this series as a healthy team, but that wasn’t the case in the regular season. Los Angeles placed 28 players on the disabled list, which was an MLB record, a record you don’t want to have. One of those 28 players was ace Clayton Kershaw, who missed most of the season but is back and healthy for the postseason. In fact, Kershaw will be the Game 1 starter for LA, while Max Scherzer will be on the bump for Washington. 

Kershaw was 12-4 with a 1.69 ERA this season, but he has struggled mightily in the postseason. He’s compiled a 4.64 ERA in 64 postseason innings. With Stephen Strasburg not available for the Nationals, Scherzer is far and away their number one pitcher. Scherzer went 20-7 with a 2.97 ERA this season, while also posting a 0.97 WHIP. Rich Hill will start Game 2 for Los Angeles, while Kenta Maeda is slated to start Game 3 for the Dodgers. Washington has not announced who will start in those games, but expect Tanner Roark and Gio Gonzalez to be in consideration for those starts.

 Los Angeles and Washington met six times this season, with Los Angeles taking five of those six games. Los Angeles (91-71) turned a seven-game deficit in the division into a NL West title. Washington (95-67), ran away with the NL East, as they were not in first place for only four days during the season. The Nationals earned home-field advantage in the series, so Games 1 and 2 will be played at Nationals Park. The series will then shift to LA, where Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) will be played at Dodger Stadium. Finally, if the series does go to a fifth game, then that would go back to Nationals Park for a do-or-die Game 5. 

Los Angeles has some serious power at the plate, and most of that comes from their young stars. Shortstop Corey Seager has put together a season that has put him into consideration for NL Rookie of the Year, and even NL MVP. Seager hit .308 with 26 homers and 72 RBI’s. Outfielder Joc Pederson also presents a problem at the plate, as he hit .246 with 25 homers and 68 RBI’s. Veterans Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Utley have the experience and the ability to impact a series. 

On the other side, Washington’s lineup has been severely impacted by injuries. Second baseman Daniel Murphy, who’s been one of the best hitters in the MLB (hit .347 with 104 RBI’s) has been dealing with a glute strain, but he’s expected to play in Game 1. 

Star outfielder Bryce Harper, who’s had a down season and has been dealing with a thumb injury, will also be able to play in the series. He hit just .243 with 24 homers and 86 RBI’s. Catcher Wilson Ramos, who’s been one of the MLB’s best catchers all season, will not be playing in this series with a knee injury.  Game 1 is today at 5:38 p.m. ET, and it can be watched on FS1.  

ALDS Preview: Rangers vs Blue Jays

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The Texas and Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS for the second consecutive season. In last season's meeting, the Blue Jays advanced in just five games.

The iconic moment in the series was when Jose Bautista hit a home run to give the Blue Jays the lead in Game 5. After hitting the home run, he threw his bat in what has been known as a "bat flip". This angered the Rangers all offseason.

In their last meeting back on May 15, Bautista got into a fight with Rougned Odor. There is a lot of bad blood between these two teams. This could carry on into this series. 

NLDS Preview: Giants vs Cubs

Who said it was going to be easy for the 2016 Chicago Cubs? All the pressure has been on the Cubs dating back to last December. They had high expectations and a lot of hype coming into this year. At the least, they’ve lived up to every single bit of expectations they had after posting a 103 win season for the first 100 win season since 1935. 

From now on though, those last 162 games do not matter. The players, fans, and organization is focused on one thing, and thats gold in October. With the Giants winning the wild card game, the Cubs now have their opponent for the NLDS. They will have their work cut out for them but the Cubs are the team to beat in all of baseball. 

In the regular season, the Cubs won the season series vs San Fran going 4-3. Now, Cubs fans, you know that means nothing. Last year the Cubs swept the New York Mets in the regular season but then come October the Mets swept the Cubs when it meant most and knocked them right out of the playoffs. But it's still something to point out. They also outscored the Giants 23-17 this year while our pitching staff had an ERA of 1.94 vs the Giants bats. 

Talking about pitching, lets look at the pitching matchup:

Game 1: Cueto/Lester- If you remember the series in early September at Wrigley Field, Jon Lester cruised through the Giants lineup through 7 innings and flirted with a no hitter. That's something that sticks out in my mind. With Lester on the mound, there will also be great defense around him. Expect Baez at 3rd base and Bryant in LF for game 1. Cueto is very dominate vs the Cubs this season though. Cubs hitters are hitting just .200 vs him this season. Cueto got exactly what he wanted though and thats to see the Cubs in the post season. It should be a fun game 1 to set the tone for the series.

Game 2: Samardzija/Hendricks- Jeff Samardzija spent 7 years on the North Side of the Chicago before getting shipped out to Oakland in the deal that landed us Addison Russell. He said he got sick of waiting for the future in Chicago and waiting for prospects that may never pan out. Boy, did they ever & now he will have to face them in October form. Hendricks will try and match his regular season numbers in the post season and cause a lot of weak contact on the ground like he has all year.

Game 3: Bumgarner/Arrieta- This is a match up a lot of people will want to tune in for. No matter what team you root for. Bumgarner's stats speak for itself in the post season. In 15 post season starts he has a 1.94 ERA and he proved that in this years Wild Card game. If Arrieta can minimize the runs against the Giants and the Cubs batters can run up Mad Bum's pitch count to get to their bullpen, they will be in good shape. It's going to be hard to get a run or two off of Bumgarner but their bullpen is a whole different story. The Cubs never quit and will eat their bullpen alive this whole series. Arrieta loves the west coast. His last 6 starts in the state of California: 0.20 ERA, 45.0 IP, 15 Hits, and 1 ER. Those are insane numbers. We will see if he can continue that this series on the west coast in game 3. 

This is going to be a fun exciting series both ways. If you're a fan of baseball, you're in for a treat. Nothing is going to be given. The last series between these two teams, in September, each game was decided by a run. Get pumped. 

ALDS Preview: Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians

(photo credit: Boston Globe)

The AL Central Division Champions, the Cleveland Indians (94-67), will host the AL East Champions, Boston Red Sox (93-69) at Progressive Field for games one and two before heading to Fenway Park for games three and four. If a game five is needed, it'll be held in Cleveland.

The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was nine years ago in the ALCS. The Indians would lose that series in seven games. Boston scored eight runs in the last two innings of game seven that sealed their trip to the World Series, which they would win.

The Red Sox won the season series with the Indians going 4-2. Five of those six games came before June, and before Cleveland began to pick up steam. In Game 1 of the ALDS, which starts Thursday Night (8:00 pm, TBS), the Indians will start Trevor Bauer who has a 12-8 record with a 4.26 ERA, but who has been incredibly inconsistent of late. In Bauer's last seven starts, he has an ERA of 7.28. The Red Sox on the other hand, will start AL Cy Young favorite, Rick Porcello (22-4, 3.15 ERA). Porcello hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in game since July 24.

In game two of the ALDS, the Indians will start their ace, Corey Kluber, who has a 18-9 record with a 3.14 ERA. He'll be going against another ace for the Red Sox in David Price. The former Tampa Bay Rays ace went 17-9 with a 3.99 ERA for Boston in 2016. The Red Sox gave Price a seven-year, $217 million deal prior to the season.

 Given the massive contract, Price has given up a lot runs during the course of the season. His 1.17 home runs per nine innings was the second most of his career. Price, however, has only allowed two or fewer runs in all but two of his last ten games. In his only start against Cleveland this season, which was Opening Day, Price was able to limit the Tribe to only two earned runs on two hits, while striking out ten batters through six innings.

For the Indians, Kluber has been their workhorse yet again this season. Kluber is also in the mix for the AL Cy Young Award this season. He was fifth among AL starters in innings pitched (215), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.50), fourth in earned run average (3.14), first in fielding independent pitching (3.26), and second in FanGraphs WAR (5.1) behind a three-way tie of Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Rick Porcello of the Red Sox.

Game three of the ALDS will take place at Fenway Park, with Clay Buchholz taking the mound. Buchholz had a rough season, going 8-10 with a 4.78 ERA. He had a major problem with giving up home runs, as well as issuing walks on the season.

The Indians will combat Buchholz with Josh Tomlin, who went 13-9 on the season with a 4.40 ERA. In Tomlin's last four starts of the season, he only allowed five earned runs while only surrendering one home run. He also didn't allow a single walk during that span. In Tomlin's only start against the Red Sox, back on August 15, he only allowed three runs on seven hits with zero walks in 7.2 innings.

If games four and five are needed, it'll mean both teams could be in panic mode. The Red Sox would likely start either Rick Porcello or David Price. The Indians could go with Corey Kluber or game one starter Trevor Bauer.

NL Wild Card Preview: Mets vs Giants

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The New York Mets will host the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. The Giants have won the last three even World Series (2010, 2012, 2014), so luck should be on their side, right? Wrong.

The Mets acquired Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds earlier this season. Bruce has had an impressive streak over the last couple weeks, hitting 10-21 and five home runs over the hot span. The Giants will have their hands full with Bruce, as well as Yoenis Cespedes and a dominant Mets bullpen. 

If the even year luck is on their side, the Giants will find a way to overcome this in the Wild Card game and advance to the NLDS.

Diamondbacks Part Ways With Dave Stewart, Chip Hale

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With no time to waste as the 2016 offseason begins, the Arizona Diamondbacks have let go of general manager Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale. After their disappointing season, the Diamondbacks appear willing to shake up the top of the organization in order to point themselves in the right direction again.

Both men were hired following the 2014 season, a 64-98 campaign for the organization, good (or bad) enough for the 2nd-worst record in the organization's 17-year history to that point. Previously, Stewart had a successful pitching career, amassing a career won-loss record of 168-129 with a 3.95 ERA over 17 seasons with five different organizations.

He spent the most time with the Oakland Athletics, with whom he made an All-Star appearance, pitched a no-hitter, and won one of his three World Series championships. Once his playing career was over he spent time as a pitching coach and assistant general manager with multiple teams until starting his own sports agency in 2002. He continued that endeavor until Tony La Russa, Arizona's chief baseball officer, hired Stewart to be the team's general manager in September 2014.

Hale had a short-lived major league career with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers before entering the dugout as a bench coach for a handful of teams. His most famous claim to fame to this day is being the hitter in this video of Rodney McCray crashing through a wall in a minor league game. Hale joined the Diamondbacks' as their manager on October 13, 2014.

During the two seasons under the supervision of Stewart and Hale, the Diamondbacks had records of 79-83 in 2015, and 69-93 this season. As a relatively young franchise, Arizona has seen some remarkable success. They won 100 games in just their second season, and won the World Series in 2001, only their fourth season. They have just one more 90-loss season than they do 90-win seasons (6 to 5), and have made the playoffs (by winning the division) five times, all in the 13-season stretch from 1999 to 2011.

It is no surprise when looking back on the early success the organization managed to have that recent struggles are pushing them towards big change after experiencing such down years recently.

Marlins Fire Hitting Coach Barry Bonds

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The Miami Marlins have fired hitting coach Barry Bonds after just one season with the team. Bonds is the all-time leader in home runs with 762, so the Marlins firing the man that hit better than anyone in history as their hitting coach is shocking.

The Marlins hired Bonds back in Dec. 2015. The Marlins finished fourth in batting average (.263) and 13th in on-base percentage (.322). They also finished 27th in runs scored.

AL Wild Card Preview: Blue Jays vs Orioles

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The American League Wild Card race came down to the last day of the regular season, with the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Toronto Blue Jays all sitting in the possible position of finishing in a three-way tie which would have required a tie-breaking procedure worthy of a primetime reality show. Alas, not only did Baltimore and Toronto win their last game of the season to guarantee their advancement, but Detroit eliminated themselves all on their own with a loss, just for good measure.

As a result, the Blue Jays and Orioles will meet at Toronto's Rogers Centre on Tuesday in a one-game winner take all matchup. The victor will advance to the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers.

Neither team has announced their starting pitcher yet, with those announcements expected to come on Monday. Toronto will choose between Francisco Liriano and Marcus Stroman, while Baltimore will decide between Ubaldo Jimenez or Chris Tillman.

As important as pitching normally is, especially in the playoffs, the more intriguing factor headed into this game is the offensive firepower and explosive potential from both squads. While neither team finished in the top eight in runs scored or top 14 in batting average across the entire Major Leagues, they both finished top four in home runs.

In fact, five of the top 15 home run hitters in the entire league came from just these two teams, led by the Orioles' Mark Trumbo (47 home runs) and the Blue Jays' Edwin Encarnacion (42). Hits may not come in bunches, but when they appear, they will likely produce baseballs surging over outfield walls.

Both teams finished the season 89-73, and the season series could not have been tighter, with Toronto winning 10 of the matchups and Baltimore winning nine. That difference is what provided the Blue Jays with the home field advantage for this game. As they enter the matchup, Baltimore has won 7 of their last nine games, compared to Toronto's having lost four of their last seven. Whether this game turns into a slugfest, or the pitchers both find a groove and turn the game into a late-inning duel, the stakes are high and the anticipation higher.

The game will begin Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET, with all coverage on TBS.

White Sox Name Rick Renteria Manager

(photo credit: chicago.suntimes.com)

The Chicago White Sox have named Rick Renteria their new manager. Robin Ventura announced that he would not be returning to the club in 2017 on Sunday.

The White Sox have not been the playoffs in eight years. Five of those seasons have been under the management of Ventura. Renteria was the manager of the team across the street, the Chicago Cubs, up until 2014 when the Cubs hired a man named Joe Maddon. 

MLB Announces Potential Three-Way AL Wild Card Tiebreaker

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The NL Wild Card is tight, but the AL Wild Card is tighter. There could possibly  be a three-way tiebreaker between the Toronto Blue Jays, their AL East rival Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers, USA Today reports.

If this happens, the Blue Jays would host the first game on Tuesday. The Orioles would host a home game on Wednesday instead of playing two road games.

The way it would work is the Blue Jays would host the Tigers on Tuesday in Toronto. The winner would clinch the first Wild Card spot. The loser of that game would then travel to Camden Yards in Baltimore to take on the Orioles. 

The AL Wild Card game will be played Thursday. The game will be in either Toronto or Baltimore, depending on how everything plays out. The winner of the AL Wild Card game will take on the Texas Rangers in the ALDS beginning next Friday.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals Will Win the NL Wild Card

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The St. Louis Cardinals are just a half game out of first place in the NL Wild Card. This team has made last season runs before and can do it again this season.

The Cardinals have struggled as of late, losing their last two games by a combined score of 16-1. However, they are not the team that struggles most out of the three teams in the race.

That would be the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have the worst record in baseball since the MLB All-Star Break ended back in July. If the Cardinals meet up with the Giants in the NL Wild Card game on Oct. 4, the Cardinals could have a good chance at advancing to the NLDS.

Why the New York Mets Will Win the Wild Card

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The last place Atlanta Braves (61-91) who are 27.5 games behind the NL East leading Washington Nationals, just swept the New York Mets in a three-game series this week. New York bounced back the following night against the Philadelphia Phillies, winning 9-8. The Mets were below .500 as recently as mid-August, but went 15-4 between Aug. 20 and Sept. 9. That stretch of play allowed the Mets to climb back into the Wild Card hunt. New York is now 6-6 in their last 12 games. If the Mets had taken care of business against Atlanta, they'd be running away with one of the National League's Wild Card spots.

As of now, though, the Mets find themselves in a three-way tie with the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals for the final two Wild Card spots. The Giants who had the best record in the majors prior to the All-Star break, now have the worst record in the majors since the All-Star game. One of the main reasons for the Giants collapse has been their bullpen, which seems to find ways to lose games, night in and night out.

The Cardinals on the other hand, have found themselves playing .500 baseball. So far in September, the Cardinals are 10-10 despite the fact that they've played the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies and the struggling Giants.

Despite the Mets ability to hit homeruns, they continue to struggle when it comes to scoring runs for the most of the season due to their inability to put runners on base before they hit those homeruns. The injuries to the Mets starting rotation have left them with some not so well known pitchers behind Noah Syndergaard and Bartolo Colon. New York is hoping to get their star lefty, Steven Matz, back from an ailing arm injury, and with their recent reshuffling of their lineup, hope to be heading in a positive direction offensively.

You only have to look at each of the club's schedules in order to determine which two clubs will move on to the Wild Card game.

The Cardinals have one series each remaining against the Reds (63-89), Pirates (76-75) and a Cubs (97-55) team that has already clinched the NL Central. If the Cardinals want to make it to the Wild Card game, they'll have to play much better than .500 baseball.

The Giants face the Padres (64-88) and Rockies (73-79), before they take on the NL West leading Dodgers (86-66) - who will likely have clinched the division by the time that series starts.

The Mets have arguably the easiest schedule of all three teams. With a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies (69-83), followed by a three-game series with the Miami Marlins (76-76), and a three-game series against the Phillies to close out the season.

Given who the Mets have to play, they're most likely to claim the top Wild Card spot, but advancing past the Wild Card game is a different matter entirely.

Why The San Francisco Giants Will Win the NL Wild Card

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With the Major League Baseball regular season quickly approaching its conclusion, the National League Wild Card race has become a tense, closely contested battle. As of Friday morning, the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants are tied for the lead with matching 81-72 records. Should those positions hold, both teams would both qualify for the one-game wild card playoff and would face each other. Not be left out, the St. Louis Cardinals, sit merely one half-game behind the both of them, one win shy in the victory column, at 80-72.

Since the league is in an even year (2016 for those with other information on their mind), expectations are high for the Giants, who have won the World Series in each of the last two even years, in 2014 and 2012. To keep up the pattern, they will have quite a bit of work ahead of them.

In their last nine games of the season, the Giants have three more games to finish a series in San Diego against the Padres, followed by finishing the season at home with three games against the Colorado Rockies and the last three against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After starting the year 50-31 over the first three months of the season, San Francisco has slowly spiraled downwards. In July, August and September, the Giants have a combined record of 31-41, including a 4-7 stretch in their last 11 games.

Their second half swoon can be attributed to multiple factors, most notably poor hitting. Left fielder Angel Pagan is hitting just .165 in September after going .324 in August. Right fielder Hunter Pence has been consistently around .290 all year, though he missed all of June and July to injury. Second baseman Joe Panik is following an All-Star 2015 campaign (.312 BA, .378 OBP, .833 OPS) with an underwhelming 2016 season (.241, .317, .698), including hitting just .145 in September. First baseman Brandon Belt is at .245 for August and September. 

The pitching staff hasn't been terrific, either. Ace Madison Bumgarner had a relatively abysmal August, with and ERA over 4.00, a WHIP approaching 1.300, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio under three. First-year Giant Johnny Cueto also had a poor August, with a 1-2 record, 4.38 ERA, and 1.243 WHIP. Matt Cain had a horrible July and August, ERAs of 6.39 and 7.24, and WHIPs of 1.421 and 1.829, respectively.

Additionally, the relief pitching has been a disaster all season. Out of 71 save opportunites, the bullpen has blown 30 of them. No other team has more, and of the nine other teams with at least 20, only the Dodgers, Marlins and Mariners are not at least seven games under .500. 

All that being said, all is not lost for the Giants as they finish their season. To this point they have split their season series with the Dodgers and Rockies, and have an advantage over the Padres. Bumgarner and Cueto have returned to stellar form in their most recent starts, and a majority of the lineup have been through the entire postseason experience multiple times, so they are more than ready and comfortable in those pressure situations. The Mets finish the season with their last six games on the road, at Philadelphia and Miami. The Cardinals end with 3 games in Chicago against the Cubs (the best record in the Majors), and then two series against the Reds and Pirates, who the Cardinals have a combined 15-16 record against. 

If the Giants merely hit a little better for the last two weeks, and can manage a few good performances out of the bullpen, they stand a great chance at finishing as one of the wild card teams headed into the playoffs.

From Wet to Dry

(photo credit: blog.johnthephotographer.com)

The 2017 MLB season begins in the one of, if not the wettest state in the USA, Florida. The Tampa Bay Rays kick off the season at Tropicana Field against their AL East rival in the New York Yankees. Rain won't be a problem, however, as the Rays play in the only dome stadium in the MLB.

Three hours later, in one of, if not the driest state in the USA, Arizona, the Diamondbacks host their NL West rival in the San Francisco Giants. Fans of the MLB will get views of two totally different climates to kick off the season. 

The Braves Don't Play at SunTrust Park Until April 14

(photo credit: tomahawktake.com)

The Atlanta Braves will be opening their new stadium in 2017. Those who are looking forward to seeing them playing in it will have to put the brakes on. 

The Braves don't play a home game until April 14, almost two weeks after the season begins. Their first game at SunTrust Park will be against the San Diego Padres. The Braves begin their season on the road against the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins. 

2016 Chicago Cubs Playoff Preview

Anthony Rizzo celebrating with fans after clinching a playoff spot in 2015

With what has been one of the most successful and memorable season as a Chicago Cubs fan, October is right around the corner. The Cubs magic number is now down to 3 to clinch the NL Central & lock up that playoff spot. Even with all the pressure on them this season, dating way back to January, that didn't stop them from going out on that field every day and proving themselves. "Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.", as Joe Maddon said it best.

Even being the best team in all of baseball, come October that record goes away and it's a new ball game for that month. Anything can happen. There are a few things the Cubs need to work on and do in October to be successful and have that long curse come to an end.

1. RISP: The Cubs no doubt have the best lineup in all of baseball. Even with Jason Heyward struggling at the plate this whole year, that hasn't stopped the Cubs from putting up a league leading run differential of 227 runs. But I would be lying if I said we always come through in scoring positions. That's been some what of a struggle; not getting those runners across to home. Addison Russell this season has done a tremendous job delivering in big clutch moments. Come October they really need to eliminate the strikeouts with men in scoring position and drive those runs in.

2. Young Struggles: In 2015, the young power hitting stars on this Cubs team had a look at what the post season looked like for the first time. They weren't facing the Atlanta Braves starting rotation, they were & will be facing the top throwers in the league. Just last year Anthony Rizzo batted a .188 while Kris Bryant followed and batted a .176 in the post season. Those two in particular really need to start off hot and carry on what they have done in the regular season to the playoffs. There's no doubt in my mind if they follow through with their MVP like seasons in the post season, This Cubs team will be set offensively.

3. Resting Guys: Joe Maddon has done a tremendous job this season with giving guys rest. The Cubs are so deep within positional players they have the ability to give those every day guys rest. I think a big part of last years NLCS bust was because guys just got worn out. You could see Arrieta becoming human again while pitching. He just got worn out. Well Joe has been giving guys off days regularly and making sure come October his team is rested. Even with going to that 6 man pitching rotation as of late, he is making sure his pitchers aren't over doing anything. That will be KEY moving forward next month.

4. Beating Themselves: The Chicago Cubs record speaks for itself. They are, no doubt, the most complete team and the best team in all of baseball. Their offense is unbelievable & their defense is one of the more underrated things about this team. They have a league leading 75 defensive runs saved as a group. With what the Cubs have done in the past 144 games, it's hard to bet against them in any type of series. They will beat themselves before another team beats them.

This is a team for the ages on the North Side of Chicago. This is a very rare and special year for the players, owners, and all of the fans around the world representing that blue and red. It's going to be a fun post season and hopefully one that will bring the Cubs to a long over due championship. Are you ready, Cubs fans?

Royals Take Series Over Sox

ROYALS WIN 2-0 over the Chicago White Sox and win the series. The Offense scored 2-runs on 2 solo homers by Kendrys Morales in the 2nd and Eric Hosmer in the 6th. Ian Kennedy pitched 6 complete innings of 1 hit baseball giving up 4 walks and recorded 6 strikeouts. The Royals now return home for a 8 game, 2 series home stand starting tomorrow with a 4 game series with the Oakland Athletics. Pitching tomorrow for Oakland is Ross Detwiler and Dillon Gee will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Kendrys Morales Hits 2 Bombs, Royals Dominate Twins

ROYALS WIN 10-3 over the Minnesota Twins and win game 2 of the series. The Royals scored 10 runs on 10 hits including a 2-run homer by Kendrys Morales to get the Royals on the board early in the 1st and another one, this time a 3-run jack by KMO putting the exclamation point on the game in the 9th. Dillon Gee pitched 6 complete innings giving up 3 runs on 8 hits, 0 walks and 3 strikeouts. Pitching the final game of the series tomorrow for Minnesota is Kyle Gibson and Danny Duffy will pitch. The game is scheduled for 7:10 at Target Field. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Hit 2 Bombs In Minnesota

ROYALS WIN 11-5 over the Minnesota Twins and win game 1 of the series. The offense scored 11 runs on 16 hits highlighted by a pair of 3-run homers by Kendrys Morales and Eric Hosmer. Ian Kennedy pitched 5.1 innings giving up 4 runs on 9 hits, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. Pitching game 2 tomorrow for the Twins is Ervin Santana and Dillon Gee will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:10 at Target Field. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Hold On To Beat Yankees

ROYALS WIN 8-5 over the New York Yankees and win game 1 of the series. The Royals offense had a 5 run 7th inning highlighted by a 3-run homer by Alcides Escobar that put the lead out of reach. Dillon Gee pitched 6 complete innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Pitching game 2 tomorrow for the Yankees is Masahiro Tanaka and Edinson Volquez will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals End Winning Road Trip With Win

ROYALS WIN 10-4 over the Boston Red Sox and win the final game of the series and win the series. The offense scored 10 runs on 10 hits. The Royals were down 4-2 in the 6th inning when they just kept the line movin and got 8 runs putting the game away. Yordono Ventura only pitched 4.1 innings giving up all 4 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks and 1 strikeout but thanks to the bullpen that's all the damage that was done. The Royals now return home for a 6 game, 2 series home stand starting with a 3 game series with the New York Yankees starting tomorrow. Pitching game 1 tomorrow for the Yankees is Michael Pineda will pitch and Dillon Gee will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Take Series Opener at Fenway

ROYALS WIN 6-3 over the Boston Red Sox and win game 1 of the series. The Royals scored 6 runs highlighted by a 3-run homer from Eric Hosmer in the 1st inning to put the Royals on the board and Alex Gordon hit a 2-run homer also in the 1st inning. Ian Kennedy pitched 5.1 innings giving up 2 runs on 9 hits, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. Pitching game 2 tomorrow for the Sox is David Price and Danny Duffy will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:10 at Fenway Park. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Win 9th Straight

ROYALS WIN 1-0 over the Miami Marlins and win game 1 of the series and win their 9th straight game. The offense only scored 1 run on 6 hits but that was enough thanks to the pitching staff. Yordono Ventura pitched 6 complete innings giving up 0 runs on 7 hits, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. Pitching game 2 tomorrow for Miami is Jose Fernandez and Dillon Gee will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:10 at Marlins Park. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Rangers Place Josh Hamilton on Release Waivers

(photo credit: onestrikeaway.com)

The Texas Rangers have placed outfielder Josh Hamilton on release waivers. They have also placed him on the 60-day DL, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Hamilton has not played at all this season due to ACL surgery. He will not play this season at all, either. He hit eight home runs in 50 games with the Rangers in 2015.

Royals Extend Winning Streak

ROYALS WIN 2-1 over the Minnesota Twins and win the final game of the series and sweep the series. The offense wasn't as explosive as they have been lately but they scored just enough to give the pitching staff room to work with. Danny Duffy added to his campaign to win the Cy Young award with another quality start throwing 6.2 innings giving up 1 run on 8 hits, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. The Royals have a day off tomorrow as they travel for a 6 game, 2 series road trip starting on Tuesday with the Miami Marlins. Pitching game 1 on Tuesday for Miami is Andrew Cashner and Yordono Ventura will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:15 at Marlins Park. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Win 7 Straight

ROYALS WIN 10-0 over the Minnesota Twins and win the 3rd game of the series. The Royals offense had another good night scoring 10 runs on 17 hits. Salvador Perez hit a 2-run shot into the left field bullpen and Alex Gordon followed him up the next at bat with a solo shot. That was the second homer for Alex on the night. Ian Kennedy pitched 8 complete innings giving up 0 runs on 4 hits, 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. With the win the Royals have now won 7 straight games and look to make it 8 straight tomorrow afternoon. Pitching the final game of the series tomorrow for Minnesota is Ervin Santana and Danny Duffy will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 1:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Win 5th Straight

ROYALS WIN 8-1 over the Minnesota Twins and win game 1 of the 4 game series. The offense scored 8 runs with half of those runs coming off of a grand slam by Alex Gordon in the 4th inning. The Royals got another good pitching performance from a starter as Dillon Gee pitched 7 complete innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. Pitching game 2 tomorrow for Minnesota is Jose Berrios and Edinson Volquez will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Sweep Tigers

ROYALS WIN 4-1 over the Detroit Tigers and win the final game of the series and sweep the series. The offense got off to a slow start as they didn't have a hit in the first 7 innings but once they got started they got on a role. On the 1st pitch of the 8th inning Alex Gordon hit a solo homer to right field to tie the game up at 1. Then in the 9th Eric Hosmer hit a 2-run homer giving KC a 3-1 lead and the Royals would add 1 more run to the lead. Yordono Ventura didn't necessarily have his best stuff tonight but he was able to keep the Royals within 1 run until the offense got going. The Royals now come home for a quick 4 game series with the Minnesota Twins before heading back on the road. Pitching game 1 tomorrow for the Twins is Tyler Duffey and Dillon Gee will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Win Series In Detroit

ROYALS WIN 6-1 over the Detroit Tigers and win the 2nd game of the series and clich at worst a series win. The offense turned the game into a home run derby as the Royals hit 4 home runs. Raul Mondesi hit one of the 4 home runs tonight in the 3rd inning which is his first career home run. Danny Duffy pitched another great game throwing 7.2 complete innings giving up 1 run on 3 hits, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. Pitching the final game of the series tomorrow for the Tigers is Anibal Sanchez and Yordono Ventura will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:10 at Comerica Park. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Braves to Call Up Dansby Swanson

(photo credit: albanyherald.com)

The Atlanta Braves will call up shortstop Dansby Swanson. The Arizona Diamondbacks picked him with the first overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. They traded him to the Braves short after for pitcher Shelby Miller.

Swanson has hit eight home runs and recorded 45 RBIs in Double-A play this season. He also has stolen six bases. The Braves play the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

Kris Bryant; The Top NL MVP Favorite

With the Chicago Cubs having high expectations coming into this 2016 season, we all knew that Anthony Rizzo & Kris Bryant were on a mission. Not only to bring the North Side a long overdue championship but to smash baseball as well. Them and the whole Cubs team have lived up to any expectations given before the season. Bryant & Rizzo, Bryzzo, are hand and hand in NL MVP favorites. But guess who is also a favorite? Daniel Murphy, The Cubs NLCS worst enemy.

After what most people thought was a fluke and just a hot streak for Daniel Murphy in the playoffs last year, has really turned that hot streak into a full season so far. He is batting a .348 with 22 home runs, and 72 Rbi's. He is the leader in the pack for the Nationals as they 8.5 games in first place over the Marlins.

Come November, Kris Bryant will be the 2016 NL MVP. Why? Even though Daniel Murphy is batting 62 points higher than Bryant, Bryant's OBP is only 4 less than Murphy which means Bryant is still working the counts and getting on base. Even in just his second season, he has matured into a great patient hitter. That has also continued with his strike outs. His ROY season, his strike out rate was 30.6% and has dropped it down this year to 23.4%. Thats a dramatic drop in one season. His walk rate is at 11.5% this year. His base running abilities have been top notch as well. Joe Maddon likes to emphasize on "Respect 90" and Bryant does just that, by putting his head down and run hard after every hit no matter if its a home run or a dribbler.

Not only is he getting on base a lot, he is doing everything he can for the Cubs to win. He has played in 6 positions this year and it goes to show all the versatility in one player. No matter where he is at, he comes ready to play and he makes a difference. Bryant's WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is at 5.35 with a month and a half yet to play, that also leads the NL. Murphy doesn't even come close to that.

Bryant is a true slugger. He topped his home run total from 2015 and has 28 home runs while having 72 RBI's. The RBI's could definitely be up, but with Joe Maddon batting him in the 2 hole in the lineup lately his main goal is to get on.

There's nothing to be taken away from either Daniel Murphy's year or Anthony Rizzo's, but as of right now, Kris Bryant appears to be the top NL MVP candidate. After just winning Rookie Of The Year, he will look to do what only a few players in MLB history have done and that is to win MVP in their sophomore year.

Giancarlo Stanton Out For Season

(photo credit: bleacherreport.com)

Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is out for the season with a serious groin injury. This is the third straight season in which Stanton did not play through the end of September.

The injury was sustained on Saturday when he tried going for a double in the bottom of the ninth in their 8-7 loss against the Chicago White Sox. He also hit his 25th home run of the season last night. When he was out for the season in 2015, he had hit 27 home runs. 

The Marlins are currently tied with the St. Louis Cardinals with the second wild card spot. The team has said they will discuss acquiring Alex Rodriguez, who was recently released by the New York Yankees. 

Royals Dominant In Series Finale

ROYALS WIN 11-4 over the Minnesota Twins and win the final game of the series and win the series. The offense scored 11 runs on 16 hits as all but 2 Royals got a hit. Paulo Orlando hit a 3-run bomb in the second deck of left field in the 4th and that really just put the game out of reach for the Twins. Edinson Volquez pitched 6 complete innings giving up 4 runs on 5 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. The Royals now go to Detroit to start a 3 game series with the Tigers. Pitching game 1 tomorrow for the Tigers is Daniel Norris and Ian Kennedy will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:10 at Comerica Park. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Nationals Release Jonathon Papelbon

(photo credit: foxsports.com)

The Washington Nationals have released pitcher Jonathan Papelbon. He requested a trade from the Nationals earlier today, and they granted his request. 

Papelbon lost his starting role as the team's closer after they acquired Mark Melancon from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Papelbon recorded a 4.37 ERA over the season. The Nationals were going to designate him for assignment until he asked to be released instead.

Royals Take Series Opener In Minnesota

ROYALS WIN 7-3 over the Minnesota Twins and win game 1 of the 3 game series. The offense scored 7 runs on 11 hits including a solo shot by Kendrys Morales in the top of the 7th. Yordono Ventura pitched 7 complete innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts. Pitching game 2 tomorrow for the Twins is Tyler Duffey and Dillon Gee will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:10 at Target Field. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Duffy Pitches 1st Career Complete Game

ROYALS WIN 2-1 over the Chicago White Sox and win the final game of the series and win the series. The Royals didn't score alot but scored just enough as they scored both runs in the 6th inning. After a long night for both bullpens last night, Danny Duffy saved a nights work for the bullpen pitching his 1st career complete game giving up 1 run on 7 hits, 0 walks and 5 strikeouts. The Royals now go on the road for a 2 series, 6 game road trip starting with a 3 game series with the Minnesota Twins. Pitching game 1 tomorrow for the Twins is Kyle Gibson and Yordono Ventura will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:10 at Target Field. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Prince Fielder Forced to Retire at 32

(photo credit: thesportspost.com)

Prince Fielder has announced that he will end his career at age 32. Fielder recently underwent his second neck surgery in three years and doctors have told him that he will not be able to play baseball again.

Fielder will finish his career with 319 home runs. That is the same home run total of his father, Cecil Fielder, who retired at 35.

He played his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers.

Diamondbacks Activate Zack Greinke Off DL

(photo credit: usatoday.com)

The Arizona Diamondbacks have activated pitcher Zack Greinke from the disabled list. He will start for the team in their game against the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

The Diamondbacks placed Greinke on the DL on July 3 with tightness in his oblique. He suffered the injury on June 28. 

He is 10-3 with a 3.62 ERA in his first season with the team. He signed a six year $206.5 million deal with the Diamondbacks in the offseason. He spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Royals Take Series From Jays

ROYALS WIN 7-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays and win the 3 game series. The Royals win their first series since the All Star break. The offense exploded for 7 runs on 11 hits including a grand slam hit by Kendrys Morales to put the game out of reach for Toronto. Yordono Ventura pitched 6.2 innings giving up 1 run on 5 hits, 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. The Royals now have a day off tomorrow and then start a 3 game series with the Chicago White Sox. Pitching game 1 on Tuesday for the Sox will be Chris Sale and Edinson Volquez will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 7:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Royals Even Series With Jays

ROYALS WIN 4-2 over the Toronto Blue Jays and win game 2 of the 3 game series. The offense scored 4 runs on 11 hits. Danny Duffy followed up his great outing last time he piched with another quality outing. He pitched 6.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. Pitching the rubber match of the series tomorrow for the Jays is Marcus Strowman and Yordono Ventura will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 1:15. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Angels Designate Tim Lincecum for Assignment

(photo credit: haloshaven.com)

The Los Angeles Angels have designated pitcher Tim Lincecum for assignment. They are hoping he will play in Triple-A Salt Lake and remain with the team. Jose Valdez will take Lincecum's spot in the Angel's starting rotation.

Lincecum had a horrible outing on Friday. He gave up six runs on nine hits, two walks and just one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings pitch against the Seattle Mariners. His ERA for the season is now at 9.16. 

Royals Win 2 Straight

ROYALS WIN 3-2 over the Tamp Bay Rays and win game 2 of the 4 game series and clinch at worst a series tie. The Royals got a early run from a RBI single by Eric Hosmer in the top of the first inning and Salvador Perez hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 7th giving KC a 3-2 lead which ended up to be the final score. Yordono Ventura pitched 5 complete innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, 4 walks and 2 strikeouts. Pitching game 3 tomorrow for the Rays is Jake Odorizzi and Edinson Volquez will pitch for the Royals. The game is scheduled for 6:10 at Tropicana Field. #ForeverRoyal -#RoyalNoah

Trevor Story Out for Season

(photo credit: faketeams.com)

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will miss the remainder of the season as he will undergo thumb surgery. He tore a ligament in his thumb after sliding into second base against the New York Mets on Saturday. 

He set a rookie shortstop record with 27 home runs. It was three short of tying the major league record of 30 set by Nomar Garciaparra in 1997. The 27 home runs also led the NL. Story also led all NL rookies with 72 RBIs.

Indians Place Danny Salazar on DL

(photo credit: sports.yahoo.com)

Cleveland Indians pitcher Danny Salazar has been placed on the disabled list with elbow inflammation. Indians manager Terry Francona said that Salazar has been dealing with elbow discomfort the past few weeks. 

In the team's 12-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins, in which Salazar pitched, he gave up six runs on six hits. The elbow discomfort kept him out of the MLB All-Star Game. 

Dodgers Demote Yasiel Puig to Minors

(photo credit: baseballessential.com)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have sent Yasiel Puig down to the minor leagues. Bleacher Report reports that Puig will play with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate team, the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Puig has hit seven home runs this season. The team even tried trading Puig before the trade deadline. That unfortunately didn't work in their favor. Puig was not happy with the news, either, according to FOX Sports. He didn't join the team for their series in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. 

Red Sox Call Up Highly Touted Prospect Benintendi

(Photo: Associated Press)

On Tuesday the Boston Red Sox called up Andrew Benintendi to join them for their road trip to Seattle this week. Benintendi, a left-handed outfielder, was Boston's 7th-overall pick out of the University of Arkansas in the 2015 draft.

In 97 games across two minor league levels, Benintendi has dazzled at the plate. He his hitting .312 with 9 home runs, 70 runs, 76 RBIs, 31 doubles and 12 triples. The last time Boston called a player up straight from Double-A, Jackie Bradley Jr. went 3-for-31 in his first 12 games and was sent down to Triple-A. In 2013, however, Xander Bogaerts was called up in August as a utility player, provided a spark as he took over full-time third base duties, and helped the Red Sox win the World Series. Both of those players were All-Stars this year. While that future may be down the road, Benintendi's presence could help solidify a lineup that has used six different left fielders this year.

The trade deadline passed on Monday afternoon, and Benintendi was high on the list of many other teams, but Boston refused to consider him a piece to be traded.

"It really came down to, we looked at some possible alternatives (before the trade deadline) to help us in left field, " said Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowki. "We thought some of them were good choices, but we also thought the cost for some of those were quite high. We also weighed that versus what we thought the availability of being ready for Benintendi would be. And our people kept coming up and saying, 'We think he can play at the big league level and we think he's ready...' So it really came down to we think he can come up here and contribute to the club and help us win. And that's important at this time."

Boston is 58-46, one game behind the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East lead and tied with the Toronto Blue Jays, 1.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card race.

Cardinals Put Rookie SS Diaz On DL With Fractured Thumb

(Photo: Associated Press)

The St. Louis Cardinals placed Rookie of the Year candidate Aledmys Diaz on the 15-day disabled list after x-rays confirmed he has a hairline fracture in his right thumb.

In his first plate appearance in Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins, Diaz was hit on the hand by a 95-mph fastball from Marlins pitcher Andrew Cashner. He took first base, staying in the game briefly, but after being forced out on a double play ball was replaced in the lineup Tommy Pham. Initial x-rays were inconclusive, but another round made things clear on Monday.

The 25-year old short stop was hitting .312 with a .894 OPS at the time of his injury. Diaz has 14 home runs, 57 RBIs and 64 runs scored this season, leading the Cardinals' team in runs, hits, doubles and batting average, and is top-3 on the team in home runs, OBP, slugging and OPS.

Though placed on the 15-day DL, his injury will likely cause Diaz to miss more time. The Cardinals had already planned on reactivating Jhonny Peralta, who had moved over to the third base earlier in the season with Diaz at short stop, but Peralta will now fill the gap at short.

Milwaukee Headed In The Right Direction

In 2015, When David Stearns was announced the new Milwaukee Brewers GM, it was time for a full rebuild. Stearns was apart of the Houston Astros during their full rebuilding era helping them get their feet on the ground and build a winning team. He was the assistant GM in Houston. The Astros were once a 100 loss team a few years ago. Now? They are making their mark in the AL West with young players like Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Alex Bergman.

Craig Counsell & David Stearns

Sending Jonathon Lucroy, Jeremy Jeffress, and Will Smith away in trades is the best thing the Brewers could have done this trade deadline. Most fans may be upset at the fact that they just traded away their 2x All-Star catcher, but the way he was swinging the bat the Brewers would've been foolish not to trade him away and get the most out of him. 

Lets just put this into perspective, The Milwaukee Brewers now have 8 of the MLB's top 100 prospects. That list includes; Arcia (13), Brinson (21) , Ray (35) , Hader (43), Ortiz (63), Bickford (65), Clark (74), and Phillips (76). That is great news considering they had one of the worst farm teams a few years ago and a big upgrade in such little time under David Stearns. Under Doug Melvin,  they would throw all their chips into one year & come out just short and be screwed for the upcoming years. Referencing 2011 when they traded Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, and Jake Odorizzi all for Zach Greinke. 

Even with being in full rebuild mode at the moment, they have great young players in the big leagues. The 25 year old SS, Jonathan Villar is a stud. The guy gets on base batting near .300 & he is the stolen base leader in the MLB. He is going to be a key piece moving forward. Tonight the Milwaukee Brewers #1 and highly anticipated prospect will debut tonight vs SD, Orlando Arcia. He's just 21 years old and will be playing SS for the Brew Crew. Villar will be sliding to 3B. Another name to look out for is Jacob Nottingham. He is a catcher in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system. With Lucroy gone, that will open a spot up in the future for him. He's a big smashing power house. Those are just some of the pieces coming together in Milwaukee. 

A plus side to this is you kept Ryan Braun. He may not be a fan favorite with all the PED's a few years ago but he is putting up great numbers still. You need veterans on your team. You can't have a team of inexperienced 21-25 year olds. It would just be a mess. Braun is a great mentor to have and a great bat to have in your lineup.

As a fan it's tough to see your team in last. It's also upsetting when you see such players like Lucroy gone but it's a business and now a days that's how the MLB works. It may suck right now, but when those prospects pan out in years to come, Miller Park will be rocking every day. Bernie will be sliding down the slide more times than he has ever been and fans will have a loaded team for years to come.