MLB 2018 Season Long Thread Thru the World Series / Picks,Trends,News Etc. !!

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28
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October to forget: Kershaw, Dodgers lose World Series again
October 29, 2018
By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) Clayton Kershaw couldn't rescue the Dodgers from the brink of World Series elimination, and now the pitcher regarded as the best of his generation might be on his way out of Los Angeles.

Down 3-1 to the Boston Red Sox, the Dodgers turned to their three-time NL Cy Young Award winner to deliver a victory and force the best-of-seven Series back to Boston.

Instead, it was another postseason shellacking for Kershaw.

The left-hander gave up three home runs, including a two-run shot by Steve Pearce in the first inning, and the Dodgers lost 5-1 on Sunday.

They glumly watched the opposition celebrate a World Series championship on their field for the second straight year. Last October, it was Houston partying at Chavez Ravine.

Manager Dave Roberts visibly exhaled. Rookie Walker Buehler stared at the Red Sox hugging near the mound.

''This one hurts for all of us,'' Roberts said.

The Dodgers managed just one baserunner - via walk - after the third inning. They were held to three hits.

Kershaw gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked none. Kershaw has a 6.06 ERA in six career postseason starts with his team facing elimination, the worst among any starter with four such appearances - Pedro Martinez is next on the list at 5.92.

After falling out of contention to start the season, the Dodgers beat Colorado in the NL tiebreaker for a record sixth straight division title and got by Milwaukee in seven games to earn their second consecutive NL pennant.

But they couldn't get it done when it counted most. And now it's been 30 years since the storied franchise won the last of its six titles.

Kershaw can opt out of the last two years and $65 million of his contract now that the World Series is over. Dodgers ownership has made it clear they'd like to keep their 30-year-old ace. He has never played anywhere else during his big-league career.

Manny Machado could be gone, too, after a short stay in Los Angeles. He was hitless in four at-bats Sunday, with three strikeouts, including one to end the game.

Acquired before the July trade deadline, Machado showed excellent defense at shortstop, but his lack of hustle and incendiary antics were even more notable. Injured Corey Seager will be back in the hole next year.

Roberts hasn't received a contract extension, but he said afterward, ''I expect to be managing the Dodgers.''

A year after leading the majors in victories, the Dodgers were on a whipsaw ride. They often fell behind and had to rally. Many times it worked. Other times not.

''I expect us to be back here next year,'' Roberts said.

Maybe not everyone, though.

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World Series sorrow returns for L.A. fans
October 28, 2018
By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Latest on Los Angeles Dodgers fans reactions to the World Series (all times local):

8:40 p.m.

For the second straight year, Los Angeles Dodgers fans had to watch another team celebrate a World Series victory on their home field.

The Dodgers lost the series to the Boston Red Sox in five games at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, just as they lost it to the Houston Astros at the stadium a year earlier.

Dodgers fan Brian Beck, who sat in the stands for both celebrations, called it one of the worst experiences of his life.

Another Dodgers fan, Glenda Morales, looked dejected walking away from her seat alongside her daughter as the Red Sox players mobbed each other in the infield after their 5-1 win.

But she said she was still hopeful, insisting the Dodgers would soon break their three-decade drought and win a championship.

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6:15 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers fans were holding onto a thin thread of hope as their team stood on the edge of elimination in the World Series.

Sunday night's Game 5 is the season's last at Dodger Stadium regardless of the result, and a cautious optimism is in the air. Down three games to one to the Boston Red Sox, the Dodgers could lose their second-straight World Series and continue a 30-year title drought.

Saturday night's rough loss still stung for some. Longtime Dodger fan Aaron Goldman said it was so painful he swore off baseball, but the vow only lasted one night and he was watching again Sunday.

Scott White, another longtime fan, was more optimistic, saying he thinks the team still has what it takes to win the title.

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Machado's first World Series one to forget
October 28, 2018
By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) Los Angeles' hopes that Manny Machado would help deliver the Dodgers' first World Series title since 1988 ended up falling way short.

Machado struggled against the Boston Red Sox in his first World Series, going 4 for 22. He was hitless in four at-bats against Boston in Game 5 on Sunday night, including falling down as he swung and missed on a Chris Sale slider to end the 5-1 Red Sox victory at Dodger Stadium. It was Machado's third strikeout of the night.

The 26-year-old Machado - who was acquired from Baltimore on July 19 - can become a free agent this offseason and is expected to command a large contract. If he doesn't re-sign with the Dodgers, it ended up being a rental that didn't produce meaningful results.

Machado's three home runs and 12 RBIs rank second among players in this year's postseason, but most of his production happened early.

He was 8 for 28 (.286 batting average) with three home runs and nine RBIs in the four-game NL Division Series against Atlanta and the first three games of the NL Championship Series against Milwaukee. But his production tailed off the rest of the playoffs as he batted .189 (7 for 37) with three RBIs in the remaining nine games.

Machado's most memorable hit of the Fall Classic ended up being for all the wrong reasons. During the sixth inning of Game 3, he had a little too much self-confidence when he apparently thought he hit a home run to left field. Instead, Machado admired what turned out to be a 368-foot single as it bounced off the wall. Had Machado run it out, it might have been a double.

In Saturday night's Game 4, Machado stepped on Steve Pearce's heel as he was running through first base. Pearce said Sunday that he didn't consider the play malicious.

Machado's baserunning was a frequent topic of conversation throughout the postseason. During the NLCS, he was criticized for not hustling during a groundout, kicking Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar near the ankle as he jogged out a groundout (which drew a fine) and a pair of hard slides into Orlando Arcia in Game 3 while the Milwaukee shortstop was attempting to turn double plays. The antics prompted Brewers star Christian Yelich to call Machado ''a dirty player.''