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[StarDust Bum]

Manager Maddon won't be back with Cubs
September 29, 2019
By The Associated Press

From the moment Joe Maddon joined the Chicago Cubs, taking the reins in a Wrigleyville bar five years ago, he talked about winning.

He was the right manager at the right time for a franchise that had experienced mostly terrible timing for more than a century. Right until his time in Chicago ran out.

The Cubs will have a new manager next season after Maddon and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced Sunday it was time for a change after three years of declining results since the franchise's historic World Series championship in 2016.

The situation was finalized when Maddon and Epstein met in Epstein's hotel room after Saturday's 8-6 victory at St. Louis, sharing some wine and reminiscing about their wildly successful partnership.

Maddon's contract expired after Sunday's season-ending 9-0 loss to the NL Central champion Cardinals.

''Change can help you grow,'' Epstein said. ''And Joe said this change is going to help him grow and I feel it's going to help the Cubs grow, too.''

The move begins what could be an active offseason for Chicago, and the 65-year-old Maddon once again becomes one of baseball's top free agents.

''I want to continue to do this, whatever's next out there, I want to be able to be on top of that too,'' said Maddon, who has used everything from petting zoos to T-shirts with slogans like ''Embrace The Target'' and ''Do Simple Better'' to help his teams over the years.

''All of it's been positive, man, and it's been interesting, entertaining and quite frankly for this time of year, feeling pretty good, feeling pretty eager about everything, so it's been a good year.''

While Maddon is out after five seasons, he is tied to Chicago forever after managing the Cubs to the 2016 championship for the franchise's first title in 108 years.

Chicago also made it to the NL Championship Series in 2015 and 2017, but it lost in the wild-card round last October and tumbled out of the playoff race altogether this year. Weighed down by a puzzling discrepancy between their 51 wins at Wrigley Field and 33 road victories, the Cubs finished third in the NL Central.

''You look at the home and road splits and what we've done on the road ... I mean these are like some really crazy, hard-to-wrap-your-mind-around things,'' Maddon said this month. ''I don't know if somebody's going to dig deeply enough to really figure it out, but it's really, just to have your mind try to extrapolate what is going on here, it's hard to pinpoint anything.''

The Cubs were in position to make the playoffs for much of this season. They had a half-game lead in the NL Central on Aug. 22. They had control of an NL wild card into September.

But a nine-game slide, including five consecutive one-run losses for the first time since 1915, wiped out their postseason chances and sealed Maddon's fate.

''We just weren't able to get over the hump,'' he said.

Per the Cubs' request, Maddon employed a more hands-on approach this year, especially on the hitting side, but the lineup was still plagued by inconsistency. There also were surprising fielding and baserunning issues given the Cubs' strength in those areas since Maddon took over.

With Maddon gone, the focus turns to Epstein, and the club's continued inability to develop pitching help for the major league roster. Yu Darvish rediscovered his form after it looked as if the Japanese right-hander might have trouble living up to his $126 million, six-year contract, but reliever Brandon Morrow's $21 million, two-year deal was a costly mistake.

Even with the disappointing finish each of the past two years, Maddon likely will have plenty of suitors. And there will be a ton of interest in the Cubs' job.

''Oh yeah, I don't want to wait. I'm ready,'' Maddon said.

The last time Maddon was available, Epstein fired Rick Renteria after just one year to create an opening in Chicago.

Maddon's arrival in November 2014 coincided with the ascent of an impressive wave of prospects. A month after Maddon signed on, Jon Lester joined the Cubs in free agency, and the team took off from there.

Chicago won 103 games on its way to the NL Central title three years ago. After eliminating San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, the Cubs stopped their championship drought by beating the Cleveland Indians in a memorable Game 7 in the World Series.

''It's hard to express kind of how (it) feels. You kind of feel like it could be an end of an era,'' said veteran utilityman Ben Zobrist, who played for Maddon in Tampa Bay and Chicago. ''When I look at my career, he's at the top. ... Joe's a special person. Those kind of people, let alone managers, don't come along very often.''

[StarDust Bum]

Pirates fire manager Hurdle after collapse
September 29, 2019
By The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) Clint Hurdle's booming voice and unrelenting optimism helped shake the Pittsburgh Pirates out of two decades of misery. His charisma gave the moribund franchise an identity, one that reconnected the club with a fan base worn down by a generation of losing.

Yet over the years, as the core that led the team to three straight playoff berths from 2013-15 vanished with trades, retirement and the pursuit of financial riches elsewhere, that optimism started to fly in the face of reality. Pittsburgh fell off the pace after winning 98 games in 2015, and as players shuffled in and out, the giddiness of those three intoxicating years of contention faded.

When Hurdle arrived for work Sunday for Pittsburgh's regular season finale against Cincinnati, the Pirates were assured of their worst record since 2011, his first year on the job. By the time Trevor Williams threw the first pitch to Jose Peraza, Hurdle already was headed home, his nine seasons in Pittsburgh over following a stunning second-half collapse marred by embarrassing off-the-field issues that indicated a clubhouse in disarray.

Calling it ''an extremely difficult decision,'' Pirates general manager Neal Huntington fired Hurdle in the final hours of a disappointing year, putting an abrupt end to a partnership that guided Pittsburgh back to relevance. The Pirates finished 69-93, including 25-48 since the All-Star break. Huntington stressed the front office wasn't making Hurdle a scapegoat for failings that stretched far beyond the manager's reach.

''There is no one thing that led us to this decision,'' Huntington said. ''It's easily summed in new voice, new leadership, new direction in the clubhouse but I'm not saying it's his fault. I'm sitting here wearing it. We are wearing it as an organization, and we're going to work our tails off to never be in this spot again.''

Hurdle went 735-720 in Pittsburgh, the fourth-winningest manager in the club's 132-year history in the National League. He took over a team coming off a 105-loss season the year before his arrival and with the help of a group that included star centerfielder Andrew McCutchen, orchestrated a revival that saw Pittsburgh become contenders in the NL Central.

Yet the Pirates never made it past the Division Series over the course of three consecutive playoff appearances. The team slid back to mediocrity as A.J. Burnett retired in 2015, McCutchen and pitcher Gerrit Cole were traded in January 2018, and catcher Russell Martin and pitcher J.A. Happ were among those who landed lucrative deals as free agents after playing pivotal roles in Pittsburgh's resurgence.

The Pirates averaged just 76 victories over Hurdle's final four seasons. He leaves with two years remaining on a contract extension he signed in 2017.

Bench coach Tom Prince filled in during a 3-1 loss after Hurdle declined the option of working one last day. Prince, who played for Pittsburgh from 1987-93 - his final year with the Pirates serving as the first of what would become a record 20 straight losing seasons for the franchise - called Hurdle ''an unbelievable man.''

''It's a tough time,'' Prince said. ''What he means to this organization. What he brought it back from? I was actually a player here. What he did to rebuild it and as a part of that? Tremendous.''

Huntington said he will explore both internal and external options for the team's 40th all-time manager. Prince and special assistant Jeff Banister - who took the Texas Rangers to the playoffs in 2013-14 before returning to Pittsburgh - both have deep ties to the team and Prince allowed he would be interested in the job.

Center fielder Starling Marte, the longest-tenured player on the roster, said he though Hurdle would be back in 2020.

''He's demonstrated to us that he's always been positive, always been a man with a plan and I really thought going into next year he was going to come in with a fresh plan, whole new energy, new perspective,'' Marte said through an interpreter. ''And when we received the news today, even though it was something out of our control, it was something that was surprising and shocking to us.''

While Hurdle is moving on, Huntington is not. Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement he ''strongly'' believes Huntington and his leadership team ''are the right people to continue to lead our baseball operations department.''

Hurdle is the fifth departing major league manager. San Francisco's Bruce Bochy and Kansas City's Ned Yost announced their retirements, San Diego's Andy Green was fired on Sept. 21, and the Cubs' Joe Maddon and Chicago announced Sunday he will not return.

Oakland's Bob Melvin, hired in June 2011, became the longest-tenured manager in the major leagues.

Shortly before his firing, Hurdle sounded upbeat about the direction of the team despite its post All-Star break funk. Pittsburgh entered the break at 44-45 but promptly lost 24 of its next 28 games. He told The Athletic last week he had received assurances he would return for a 10th season. Yet he also admitted part of a manager's job is to sell tickets by putting a winning team on the field.

Attendance at PNC Park has dropped in lock step with Pittsburgh's slide. The Pirates averaged 18,412 fans this season, down from 30,847 when Pittsburgh won 98 games in 2015.

''When you don't play well, the responsibility falls upon the manager of the team,'' Hurdle said. ''Then the people that make those decisions on whether the manager stays or the manager goes, coaching staff goes, coaching staff stays, players go, players stay, that's what front office does. . I've always felt I have a really good grasp on what my accountability and responsibility is. I've never shirked away from it or never not owned up to it. So, absolutely not winning enough games falls right here.''

Off the field, pitcher Felipe Vazquez was charged with statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person under 16 years old. Reliever Keone Kela was suspended for an argument with a team official, and Vazquez and reliever Kyle Crick got into a fight that resulted in Crick needing season-ending surgery on his right index finger.

''(There are) players that have come through our system that talked about, `This is not what the Pirates do. This is not who we are,''' Huntington said. ''I'm not going to sit here and say that it's Clint Hurdle's fault. It's all of us. It's all of us in this.''

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Skippers on the hot seat, playoff teams ailing
September 29, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday:

HOT SEAT

The day after the regular season can be dicey for managers - a lot of teams like to make changes.

A couple of clubs got a head start on their winter plans Sunday, with the Cubs announcing Joe Maddon wouldn't be back and the Pirates firing Clint Hurdle. That makes five openings - San Francisco's Bruce Bochy and Kansas City's Ned Yost stepped away after previously saying they would retire, and San Diego's Andy Green was fired on Sept. 21.

Philadelphia's Gabe Kapler and the New York Mets' Mickey Callaway are thought to be in danger of losing their jobs this week.

Kapler's Phillies have gone 161-163 over two seasons, including 81-81 this year after signing Bryce Harper to a $330 million, 13-year contract, also adding Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson and trading for star catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Jean Segura.

Callaway's Mets are 163-161, including 86-76 this year after first-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen proclaimed New York the NL East favorite, telling rivals ''come get us.''

Hitting and pitching coaches across the majors could be in jeopardy, too, on teams that missed the playoffs.

HEALING UP

The Brewers hope outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun will be OK for Tuesday night's wild-card game at Washington. Cain sprained his left ankle sliding home Saturday, and while manager Craig Counsell was ''encouraged'' Sunday, he also didn't have a timeline for Cain's potential return. Counsell is more optimistic on Braun, who left a game Friday with a left calf strain but is expected to be ready for the Nationals.

Counsell, meanwhile, has yet to say who will start against Washington ace Max Scherzer.

HOW YOU DOIN'?

The Twins and Yankees have players in need of treatment before they open an AL Division Series in the Bronx on Friday. Minnesota rookie Luis Arraez sprained his right ankle Saturday, and head athletic trainer Tony Leo said it could be anywhere from a few days to a week before he's ready to return. Arraez hit .334 in 92 games.

New York third baseman Gio Urshela sprained his left ankle Sunday, but the Yankees say it was mild with no swelling. Urshela said he expects to be ready for the opener. The Yankees are less certain on slugger Edwin Encarnacion and his left oblique injury, although he's been adamant he'll be set.

WAIT AND SEE

The Astros are awaiting an update on shortstop Carlos Correa heading into their ALDS opener at home Friday against the winner of the Tampa Bay-Oakland wild-card game.

Correa sat out the final week of the regular season with a back injury and was expected to work out early this week to determine whether he can play in the first round. Correa has barely played since Aug. 19, making only 11 plate appearances since. He is batting .279 with 21 homers and 59 RBIs.

[StarDust Bum]

Angels fire manager Ausmus after 72-90 record in only season
September 30, 2019
By The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Manager Brad Ausmus has been fired by the Los Angeles Angels after just one season in charge.

Angels general manager Billy Eppler announced the decision to move on swiftly from Ausmus on Monday, a day after they finished 72-90 for the franchise's worst record since 1999.

The dismissal of Ausmus has sparked speculation that former bench coach Joe Maddon, who was let go by the Cubs this weekend, will take over as the Angels' manager.

Ausmus was the Angels' hand-picked replacement last October for Mike Scioscia, who spent 19 years on the Angels' bench and won their only World Series title in 2002.

After Ausmus was let go by the Detroit Tigers in late 2017 following four seasons as their manager, he spent the 2018 season as a special adviser to Eppler, gaining comprehensive insight into every level of the organization.

But that knowledge didn't translate to wins as the 17th manager in the franchise history of the Angels, who regressed in his sole season with a poor pitching staff and several underperforming position players. Ausmus' team struggled for nearly every month of the summer, except for a burst of inspired play through its grief over the midseason death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in a hotel room in Texas.

The 50-year-old Ausmus was unable to stop the Angels' streak of five straight non-playoff seasons and four straight losing records during the prime of AL MVP favorite Mike Trout's career. Despite the majors' ninth-largest payroll this season at $164.4 million and the ideal franchise cornerstone in Trout, Los Angeles has made the playoffs just once in the past decade and hasn't won a postseason game since 2009.

Rumors began to swirl about Ausmus' job security last week while Maddon's future was being debated in Chicago. The Cubs' only World Series-winning manager of the past century decided to leave the club by mutual agreement last week.

The 65-year-old Maddon spent 31 years in the Angels organization, starting as a catcher and logging lengthy assignments as a minor league manager and a major league assistant coach, along with two stints as the Angels' interim manager. He was Scioscia's bench coach for six seasons, winning a World Series ring along the way, before he left to manage the Tampa Bay Rays.

Maddon was with the Angels when Arte Moreno bought the ballclub in 2003, and they have a cordial relationship. Ausmus on Sunday acknowledged he had heard the rumors linking Maddon to an Angels return.

''I have a contract,'' Ausmus said. ''That's the only thing I know. ... To be honest with you, I've learned to shrug those things off. There was a point in 2015 in Detroit, my second year there, it came out I was being fired, and (I) was there two more years. You learn to take it with a grain of salt. Those types of decisions are not in my control, so I don't worry too much about them.''

Ausmus was hired to provide a fresh voice to the Angels after nearly two decades under Scioscia while incorporating new-school strategies in analytics and player management. He did all of those things while maintaining an apparently strong relationship with Trout and his other players, but the results never showed up.

The Angels went 12-6 immediately after Skaggs' death on July 1, improving to 54-49 while rallying together in the wake of their well-liked starting pitcher's sudden death. But Los Angeles' AL wild card hopes abruptly fell apart in late July with a 2-5 homestand against AL cellar-dwellers Baltimore and Detroit, starting with a 16-inning loss to the Orioles that depleted their pitching staff.

The Angels went 7-18 in September and finished 37 games behind the AL West champion Houston Astros.

''The thing that's going to stand out the most obviously is Tyler,'' Ausmus said Sunday when asked to reflect on the season. ''There's no way around it. That's what I'll remember most about the season. There are some positives. ... There were definitely some bright spots. Despite the disappointing record, it wasn't all doom and gloom.''

Los Angeles was outscored by 99 runs this season despite a lineup including Trout, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, All-Star infielder Tommy La Stella, Andrelton Simmons and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who couldn't pitch this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Several hitters struggled with injuries, and several more had underwhelming seasons, including high-priced veteran sluggers Pujols and Upton.

But the Angels' biggest problem was a subpar pitching staff assembled by Eppler, who has been fairly successful otherwise in his reconstruction of a depleted organization over the last four years. His top three free-agent pickups - Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill and Cody Allen - all flopped mightily, wasting a combined $28.5 million. Only Cahill finished the season with the Angels, and he was banished from the rotation to the bullpen after being LA's opening day starter.

The Angels' 5.12 ERA was 25th among the 30 big league teams, and they finished in the bottom half of the league in most additional categories. The emergence of relievers Hansel Robles and Ty Buttrey in a fairly solid bullpen didn't make up for a rotation filled with underperforming veterans and rookies likely forced into the big leagues before their time.

Ausmus played 18 major league seasons as a cerebral, sure-handed catcher with four franchises, earning three Gold Gloves and an All-Star selection. He spent the first three years after his playing career working as a field executive for the San Diego Padres, who also don't have a manager after firing Andy Green on Sept. 21.

[StarDust Bum]

Marlins begin another long offseason
September 30, 2019
By The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) Derek Jeter watched the first pitch on opening day from the owner's box next to the dugout, but within a few innings he retreated to a more secluded location and rarely returned to his field-level seat during the season.

Alas, from whatever vantage point, Jeter's team looked bad.

Even by the Miami Marlins' modest standards, their 10th consecutive losing season was especially unsightly. They exceeded 100 losses for the first time since 1998 and only the second time in franchise history, finishing 57-105 and 40 games out of first place in the NL East, which they've never won.

Despite progress in the farm system that was much needed, at the big league level there was no sign of the turnaround Jeter has promised since his group bought the team two years ago.

''It has been frustrating, to say the least,'' Jeter said. ''We don't want to have just the best minor league system; we want to have the best major league team. We still have a long way to go.''

Translation: Don't expect dramatic improvement in 2020 from a franchise that played its most recent postseason game 16 years ago.

Here are things to know as the Marlins head into another long offseason:

FEEBLE OFFENSE

The Marlins finished last in the majors with an OPS of .673. Brian Anderson led them at .811, which was lower than the OPS for three teams.

As for pitching, Miami allowed 615 walks, most in the majors. The rotation to begin the season went 28-55, and only one pitcher won more than six games.

''It has been tough to watch at times,'' Jeter said. ''And I think the players will tell you it has been tough to play like this.''

COUNTING ON YOUTH

For the first time since 2012, the combined record of the franchise's minor league teams was above .500. The organization believes the pipeline of talent will soon help the major league team's record, too.

''With what's going on at Triple-A and Double-A, there are players coming up,'' manager Don Mattingly said. ''And that happens fast.''

The Marlins' $72 million payroll was the lowest in the National League, and they won't be big spenders this winter. Revenue constraints are always an issue, and Jeter doesn't want to clog the roster with free agents, figuring the Marlins will soon fill most positions by promoting prospects.

''You want to give them enough time to continue to develop,'' Jeter said. ''But you don't want to block their way.''

SET AT SHORTSTOP

Among those who will be back next season are Mattingly and shortstop Miguel Rojas, who recently signed a two-year contract for a guaranteed $10.25 million. Rojas had the best year of his career, batting .284 with 29 doubles.

''It makes me emotional, because I'm so proud of him and who he has become,'' Mattingly said. ''There is no better example of what kind of player we want.''

COSTLY TRADES

Jeter's trades of such All-Stars as Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton drew more attention and derision, but the Marlins are also paying for former owner Jeffrey Loria's unsuccessful win-now approach in the middle of decade. He traded away pitching prospects Domingo German, Chris Paddack, Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani, whose combined record for other major league teams in 2019 was 51-28.

The only player from those deals still with the Marlins is infielder Martin Prado, who hit .233 with 15 RBIs this year.

APATHY

Jeter wasn't the only one leaving a seat empty. The Marlins drew 811,302 fans, an average of 10,016 - about the same as 2018. They finished last in the NL in attendance for the 14th time in the past 15 years.

Small crowds are part of the franchise's vicious cycle, resulting in low revenue, which leads to low payroll, which leads to bad teams, which leads to small crowds.

''We need more fans to come out, right?'' Jeter said. ''We're still trying to develop that trust.''

[StarDust Bum]

Wild Card Trends
September 30, 2019
By VI News

MLB Wild Card History & Trends (2012-2018)

-- Favorites have won seven of the last eight Wild Card games

-- The 'over' is on a 3-1 run the past two years

-- Road teams have gone 8-6 overall

-- Favorites have gone 10-4 overall

-- Two wild card games have gone into extra innings and the underdog won both contests

-- The 'over'/under' has gone 7-7 overall


2018 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Oakland at N.Y. Yankees (-200) 7-2 Favorite Over (8.5)
NL Colorado (+125) at Chicago 2-1 (13) Underdog Under (7.5)

2017 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Minnesota at N.Y. Yankees (-255) 8-4 Favorite Over (7.5)
NL Colorado at Arizona (-150) 11-8 Favorite Over (8.5)

2016 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Baltimore at Toronto (-165) 5-2 Favorite Under (8.5)
NL San Francisco (-120) at N.Y. Mets 2-0 Favorite Under (6)

2015 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Houston (-110) at N.Y. Yankees 3-0 Favorite Under (7)
NL Chicago (-125) at Pittsburgh 4-0 Favorite Under (5.5)

2014 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Oakland at Kansas City (+100) 9-8 (12) Underdog Over (6.5)
NL San Francisco (-110) at Pittsburgh 8-0 Favorite Over (6.5)

2013 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Tampa Bay (-110) at Cleveland 6-2 Favorite Over (6.5)
NL Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-145) 4-0 Favorite Under (7)

2012 WILD CARD RESULTS
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
AL Baltimore (+210) at Texas 5-2 Underdog Under 9
NL St. Louis (+155) at Atlanta 6-3 Underdog Over 6.5

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Payrolls for the 10 playoff teams in baseball:

New York $203,897,446
Washington $197,203,691
LA Dodgers $196,279,677
St Louis $162,620,267
Houston $158,053,000
Milwaukee $122,530,400
Minnesota $119,651,933
Atlanta $115,247,089
A’s $92,178,833
Tampa Bay $60,084,133

Quote of the Day
“You know how I feel about Thursday night games – I feel like they are the dumbest thing ever.”
Todd Gurley

Tuesday’s quiz
Where did Jets’ QB Sam Darnold play his college football?

Monday’s quiz
Clint Hurdle managed the Colorado Rockies in their one World Series appearance.

Sunday’s quiz
Dan Marino threw 72 TD passes against the Jets, the most career TD passes by any QB against any one team.

***************************

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……

13) Three years ago, the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years; Sunday, they fired manager Joe Maddon, who led them to that title.

When he was in Boston, Cubs GM Theo Epstein fired manager Terry Francona after the 2011 season; Francona won two World Series in eight years with the Red Sox, Boston’s first World Series titles in 86 years.

Not a lot of loyalty in either case there.

Maddon is 65 years old and made $6M this year; his successor will be younger and a lot cheaper.

12) The analytics crowd in baseball doesn’t value the field manager as much as they should; teams live/travel together for 7+ months. Having the right manager makes all the difference.

If you read this site, you know I love numbers, but those guys aren’t playing fantasy baseball, managers have to deal with fragile egos and huge egos and convince guys to accept what is best for the team- they have to have real life people skills. You think major league players like to be platooned constantly?

My point is this; maybe it isn’t Joe Maddon’s fault the Cubs faded down the stretch; maybe the roster Theo Epstein gave him just wasn’t good enough.

11) Angels fired manager Brad Ausmus after only one season, a year where one of their starting pitchers was found dead in his hotel room on a road trip; not exactly an ideal scenario.

Popular wisdom is that the Angels will go after former Angel coach Maddon to be their next manager.

10) Pirates fired manager Clint Hurdle, who was 735-720 in nine years managing the Pirates, with three playoff appearances. From 2013-15, Pirates were 280-206, and made the playoffs all three years. He also led the Rockies to a World Series; pretty strong resume.

9) Cleveland Indians won 93 games this year, the most by any non-playoff team since 2000, when the Mets went 94-68 but missed the playoffs by a game.

8) Pete Alonso hit 53 homers for the Mets this year; 31 of them came with the bases empty.

7) Friday night against the Dodgers, San Francisco became the first team since the 1950 Cardinals to score 2 or less runs in a game, while stranding 17+ runners on base.

6) Monthly sports betting handle:
May: Nevada $317.3M, New Jersey $318.9M
June: Nevada $322.5M, New Jersey $317.3M
July: Nevada $235M, New Jersey $251M
August: Nevada $287.7M, New Jersey $293.5M (Pennsylvania $109M)

5) Early in his career, Dodger SS Corey Seager irritated LA officials with the number of swings he took before, during and after games; they thought he overdid it. Seager was obsessed with perfecting his swing; when he had to miss 2018 with elbow/hip injuries, he became more coachable this year and had a solid 2019, hitting .272 with 84 RBI.

4) 10 years ago, the under-18 U.S. national baseball team had Tony Wolters, Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado on it, as well as pitchers Kevin Gausman, Robbie Ray and Jameson Taillon. Pretty good team; half of the 20 players made the major leagues.

3) Rutgers fired football coach Chris Ash before baseball season ended, which is unusual. Not a lot of college football coaches get the boot before Columbus Day.

2) Steelers 27, Bengals 3:
— This was a bad football game; the Bengals’ offensive line was terrible.
— Andy Dalton was sacked eight times; he averaged 2.3 yards/pass attempt.
— Two of Pittsburgh’s three TD’s were on drives of less than 50 yards.

1) I know he is just an actor and he isn’t the characters he portrays, but I would still be queasy if Robert DeNiro was mad at me.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Scherzer, Nats open MLB playoffs vs Brewers
September 30, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:

START `EM UP

Max Scherzer throws the first pitch of this year's playoffs when Washington takes on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL wild-card game at Nationals Park (8:08 p.m. EDT).

Since a 2013 AL Division Series victory for Detroit, Scherzer has made seven postseason appearances, in a mix of starting and relieving roles, and his teams are 0-7. Scherzer himself is 0-4 in that stretch, lowering his career record in the postseason from 4-1 to 4-5.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA was slowed by back trouble this season. The Nats will have Stephen Strasburg (18-6, 3.32) ready in the bullpen.

Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62) will start for the Brewers. He has pitched in only two games since returning from a strained left oblique that sidelined him for nearly two full months; he went two hitless innings each time.

The Nationals are 0-3 in winner-take-all postseason games, all at home. They've never advanced in four previous trips to the playoffs over the past eight years.

The Brewers made it to Game 7 of the NL Championship Series last year before falling to the Dodgers. Milwaukee surged to the playoffs this September despite losing NL MVP Christian Yelich to a broken kneecap.

Milwaukee outfielders Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain each missed time in the last week with ailments. Braun expects to play; there's no decision yet on Cain.

WRIGLEY WRANGLING

The field of candidates to be the next manager of the Cubs is beginning to take shape. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein says former catcher David Ross is on the broad list being assembled by the front office. He also said he wants to talk to at least one member of the coaching staff about the job, and at least one other candidate is working for a team in the playoffs.

''We're full speed ahead,'' Epstein said.

The Cubs announced Sunday that manager Joe Maddon will not be back next year. His contract expired after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

The 42-year-old Ross played on the 2016 Cubs team that won the World Series. He serves as a special assistant in the team's baseball operations department, and also works for ESPN.

''I think it's one of the best jobs in baseball,'' Ross said on the network Sunday. ''I've got a lot of close ties with those guys. I think the interest would be there. I think my heart is drawn to that dugout a little bit.''

HEY JOE

The Angels need a new skipper, and old friend Joe Maddon might be a fit. The dismissal of Brad Ausmus on Monday immediately sparked speculation that Maddon, a former Angels bench coach who parted ways with the Cubs one day earlier, could return to the franchise where he spent three decades of his career. The 65-year-old Maddon was a catcher, minor league manager and major league assistant with the Halos, and he has a cordial relationship with owner Arte Moreno. Rumors began to swirl about Ausmus' job security last week while Maddon's future was being debated in Chicago. The Cubs' only World Series-winning manager of the past century decided to leave the club by mutual agreement over the weekend.

WORK IT OUT

The Rays and A's will loosen up at the Coliseum, a day before they meet in the AL wild-card game Wednesday (8:09 p.m. EDT). The winner takes on the Astros, beginning Friday at Houston.

Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay. He was 1-0 in two starts vs. Oakland this year, allowing one earned run in 13 1/3 innings and striking out 15. The 35-year-old is in his first season with the Rays - in 2017 with the Astros, he was the winning pitcher as a starter in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees and he won Game 7 of the World Series in relief against the Dodgers.

The A's have not yet announced a starter. They went with an opener - a strategy pioneered by the Rays - in the wild-card game at Yankee Stadium last year and it didn't work out too well. Liam Hendriks gave up a first-inning homer to Aaron Judge and New York won 7-2.

The Athletics went 4-3 against the Rays this year, with all the games in June.

[StarDust Bum]

AL Wild Card Best Bet
September 30, 2019
By Matt Blunt

Wednesday's MLB Betting Preview
Tampa Bay at Oakland (ESPN, 8:09 p.m. ET)

Really meaningful baseball is back in all of our lives now with the playoffs set to go on Tuesday night, and Wild Card games can be a great way to kick off what should be a great October. Yet, generally speaking, since these Wild Card games were instituted in 2012, you generally don't want to close with a plus-sign beside your name in the ML prices.

Only three underdogs (outside of general pick'em range) have gone on to play in the Divisional round, so Rays backers have that working against them.

MLB Wild Card History & Trends (2012-2018)

The price seems to matter more than the site for these games, as road teams do own a 8-6 SU advantage overall, doing most of that damage in the National League with a 5-2 SU record.

Over on the other side, AL home teams have won three in a row – all three as hefty -160 chalk or greater – and only the first Wild Card game back in 2012 saw the underdog closing at plus-money win the game outright.

That was the great Baltimore Orioles team of 2012 that had a breaking-in Manny Machado, a Chris Davis that wouldn't strike out 80% of the time, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, and even Jake Arrieta on the initial climb of winning a Cy Young.

This year, the Rays have that underdog role working against them as they visit an Oakland franchise that's 0-2 SU in Wildcard games in the past. But the A's are also the only MLB franchise to make at least two Wild Card games and not win at least once, so it's not like history's completely on their side either.

Opening Odds: Tampa Bay (+126) vs Oakland (-136); Total 7.5

Still some pitching decisions to be made in this one for the hosts in Oakland, as Tampa's already decided to go with Charlie Morton this year and hope that the 2019 version of Charlie Morton stays hot. Morton was a huge reason as to why Tampa Bay found themselves in this game this year, and the way he closed out the year with his Rays team winning each of his last five starts was quite impressive.

And while Morton is coming off an impressive start of one-hit ball in six innings pitched, as good as that has to make some feel about he and the Rays chances in this game, it's got me a bit queasy. With it coming at the end of a solid stretch of pitching performances for Morton and it being do-or-die, that queasy feeling gets a little worse when thinking about backing Tampa Bay.

2019 Meetings (Athletics 4-3, Under 5-2)
June 10 - Rays (-240) 6 vs. Athletics 2, Under 9
June 11 - Athletics (+140) at Rays 3, Under 9
June 12 - Athletics (+136) at Rays 2, Under 8.5

June 20 - Athletics (-110) 5 vs. Rays 4, Over 7.5
June 21 - Rays (-101) 5 at Athletics 3, Under 9
June 22 - Athletics (-105) 4 vs. Rays 2, Under 9
June 23 - Rays (+115) 8 at Athletics, Over 9

Oakland's Wild Card history without a win in multiple appearances can be a mental hurdle if the A's let it. Last year's trip to New York for this game ended poorly for the A's as they went the bullpen day route that Milwaukee's likely to use some variation this year and got burned for it.

But Oakland fans only have to look to the Colorado Rockies as an example of the most recent team to get back to the Wild Card game after losing it the year before, as a 2017 NL Wildcard road loss turned into a 2018 NL Wild Card win for them.

It will be interesting to see who the A's start (and for how long), but it is hard not to like them at home for this game. Moneyball deserves a shot in a full playoff series for the first time since 2013, and the A's just have consistently better offensive production from their big names like Chapman and Olson to trust they'll get the job done. Last year's loss in New York was a necessary experience for those guys to improve, and it pays off with a Wild Card win this year.

Besides if you root for chaos in the playoffs at times, who's got a better shot to take out Houston then a division rival in the A's right?

Best Bet: Oakland ML

[StarDust Bum]

NL Wild Card Best Bet
September 30, 2019
By Matt Blunt

Tuesday's MLB Betting Preview
Milwaukee at Washington (TBS, 8:08 p.m. ET)

Really meaningful baseball is back in all of our lives now with the playoffs set to go on Tuesday night, and Wild Card games can be a great way to kick off what should be a great October. Yet, generally speaking, since these Wild Card games were instituted in 2012, you generally don't want to close with a plus-sign beside your name in the ML prices.

MLB Wild Card History & Trends (2012-2018)

Only three underdogs (outside of general pick'em range) have gone on to play in the Divisional round, so Brewers and Rays backers have that working against them.

The price seems to matter more than the site for these games, as road teams do own a 8-6 SU advantage overall, doing most of that damage in the National League with a 5-2 SU record. Even without Yelich available, a Milwaukee/LA Dodgers series has the narratives there to make that NLDS very interesting, but again, working a make-shift bullpen day on the road as (more importantly) big underdogs, against the great Max Scherzer isn't exactly ideal for Milwaukee.

Opening Odds: Milwaukee (+165) vs. Washington (-180), Total 7.5

Really tough spot for the Brewers overall, on the road, at the end of essentially a tough week-long road trip, their fourth city in a little over a week, off getting swept in Colorado, starting a guy they know can't stretch out much past three or four innings, against the great Max Scherzer and a Nats team that's won eight in a row. Did I leave anything out? Oh yeah, no reigning NL MVP available in your lineup.

Tough to make a case for the Brewers with all that stacked up in your face, but that may be precisely why there is a case on Milwaukee; it's hard to figure how they'll get it done. But I mean, it's not like Scherzer has been Scherzer since returning from the IL, sporting a 6.11 ERA in his final three starts of the year. I mean, it's not often you'll find three-game stretches in Scherzer's career where he had more hits allowed than innings pitched.

Washington's bullpen tightened up things down the stretch to secure this home playoff game, but now with the stakes amped up does the tightened pressure of the scenario have them revert back to their gas can-like ways? I mean the scores the last two times these two played this year finished 16-8 and 15-14. A relatively short, ineffective night from Scherzer puts that Nats bullpen in the spotlight early, and who knows how good of a thing that can be for Washington.

2019 Meetings (Brewers 4-2, Over 4-2)

May 6 - Milwaukee (-110) 5 vs. Washington 3, Over 7.5
May 7 - Milwaukee (-113) 6 vs. Washington 0, Under 8
May 8 - Milwaukee (-200) 7 vs. Washington 3, Over 8.5

Aug. 16 - Washington (-155) 2 vs. Milwaukee 1, Under 9
Aug. 17 - Milwaukee (+115) 15 at Washington 14, Over 10.5
Aug. 18 - Washington (-105) 16 vs. Milwaukee 8, Over 11

Basically what I'm saying here, is the case for Milwaukee can be there, but with all that's facing them in terms of negative situational angles, it's tough to consider pulling the trigger on the Brewers. It's also saying that I want no part of Washington here as even on an eight-game winning streak I'd have a tough time trusting them in a close game late.

A Woodruff-to-bullpen outing for Milwaukee should let the Nats offense click early, but teams are putting high stress innings on Scherzer much earlier these days, and a 3-3 type game going into the closing third of the game is very reasonable.

An early offensive explosion by the Nats against Woodruff, or a late implosion by the Nats bullpen likely has the 'over' get there with ease in either case, but even in a close game, I think we see a few more runs then this number suggests.

Washington's scored 4+ runs in eight straight games, and 6+ runs in six of those games. Get to that number early and even a 6-2 Nats win in a dominant outing by Scherzer gets the 'over' home. All those negative scenarios that have the Brewers fighting uphill from the start have them struggling to keep their opponent off the scoreboard early a real issue.

Washington likely wins, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't rooting for Milwaukee, but the 'over' is the play.

Best Bet: Over 7.5 runs

[StarDust Bum]

A capsule look at the Rays-Athletics playoff game
October 1, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at the American League wild-card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics:
---

Schedule: Wednesday, at Oakland, California, 8:09 p.m. EDT (ESPN).

---

Season Series: Athletics won 4-3.

---

Projected Lineups:

Rays: 2B Joey Wendle (.231, 3 HRs, 19 RBIs in 75 games), LF Tommy Pham (.273, 21, 68, 33 2Bs), RF Austin Meadows (.291, 33, 89 in 138 games), C Travis d'Arnaud (.263, 16, 67 in 92 games with Rays; .087, 0, 2 in 10 games with Mets, and 1 at-bat in only game with Dodgers), 1B Ji-Man Choi (.261, 19, 63), DH Brandon Lowe (.270, 17, 51 in 82 games) or Avisail Garcia (.282, 20, 72, 25 2Bs in 125 games), 3B Matt Duffy (.252, 1, 12 in 46 games), CF Kevin Kiermaier (.228, 14, 55, 19 SBs in 129 games), SS Willy Adames (.254, 20, 52).

Athletics: SS Marcus Semien (.285, 33, 92, 123 runs, 43 2Bs), RF Ramon Laureano (.288, 24, 67, 10 assists), 3B Matt Chapman (.249, 36, 91, 102 runs, 36 2Bs), 1B Matt Olson (.267, 36, 91), CF Mark Canha (.273, 26, 58), DH Khris Davis (.220, 23, 73), LF Chad Pinder (.240, 13, 47), C Sean Murphy (.245, 4, 8 in 20 games) or Josh Phegley (.239, 12, 62), 2B Jurickson Profar (.218, 20, 67).

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Starting Pitchers:

Rays: RH Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA, 240 Ks, 194 2/3 innings, 33 starts).

Athletics: LH Sean Manaea (4-0, 1.21 in 5 starts) or RH Mike Fiers (15-4, 3.90).

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Relievers:

Rays: RH Emilio Pagan (4-2, 2.31 ERA, 20/28 saves), RH Yonny Chirinos (9-5, 3.85 in 26 games, 18 starts), LH Ryan Yarbrough (11-6, 4.13 in 28 games, 14 starts), RH Nick Anderson (3-0, 2.11 in 23 appearances with Rays; 2-4, 3.92, 1 save in 45 appearances with Marlins), RH Chaz Roe (1-3, 4.06 in 71 appearances), RH Oliver Drake (5-2, 3.21), RH Diego Castillo (5-8, 3.41), LH Colin Poche (5-5, 4.70), LH Brendan McKay (2-4, 5.14 in 13 games, 11 starts), RH Andrew Kittredge (1-0, 4.17 in 37 appearances, 7 as opener), RH Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 1.78, 70 Ks, 60 2/3 IP in 12 starts), LH Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29, 147 Ks, 107 IP in 23 starts).

Athletics: RH Liam Hendriks (4-4, 1.80, 25/32 saves, 124 Ks in 85 IP), RH Yusmeiro Petit (5-3, 2.71), LH Jake Diekman (1-7, 4.65 for Oakland and Kansas City), RH Joakim Soria (2-4, 4.30, 1 save), LH Jesus Luzardo (0-0, 1.50, 2 saves in 6 games), LH A.J. Puk (2-0, 3.18 in 10 games), RH Chris Bassitt (10-5, 3.81), RH Homer Bailey (13-9, 4.57 in 31 starts for Oakland and Kansas City).

---

Matchups:

First postseason meeting between two small-budget franchises that have thrived in recent years despite limited resources. ... Teams haven't seen each other since June, with the A's taking two of three at Tampa Bay before they split a four-game series in Oakland later that month. ... Clubs played a wild game in Oakland on June 20, with the Rays scoring three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 4-1 lead before A's answered with four in bottom half to win on Chapman's three-run homer off Castillo. ... Olson hit 3 HRs in seven games vs. Rays this season. Chapman and Laureano each went deep twice. ... A's managed just one run in 13 1/3 innings against Morton. He pitched seven scoreless at home June 10 and went 6 1/3 innings June 20 in Oakland. ... Fiers went 1-0 with 2.25 ERA in two starts vs. Tampa Bay. He was 9-0 with 2.90 ERA at home. ... Manaea missed most of season recovering from shoulder surgery but has been outstanding since returning in September. ... Oakland was one of three teams Rays had losing record against during season. The other two - Yankees (7-12) and Twins (2-5) - also made playoffs. ... Tampa Bay's 32-60 record at Oakland Coliseum is second-worst at any road venue where Rays have played minimum of 10 games.

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Big Picture:

Rays: A year after finishing with more wins (90) than any other team that didn't make postseason, Rays (96-66) are in playoffs for fifth time in franchise history - first since 2013, when they won Game 163 tiebreaker to claim second AL wild card. ... Fifth-year skipper Kevin Cash will be managing his first postseason game. ... Rays made playoffs four times in six-season span from 2008-13 under Joe Maddon, including run to 2008 World Series. ... Since start of 2008, when the Devil Rays changed team colors and rebranded themselves as the Rays, Tampa Bay has won 90 or more games seven times. The Dodgers (8), Yankees (7) and Red Sox (7) are the only other teams to do it that often. ... Won only previous wild-card game 4-0 at Cleveland in 2013. Kiermaier is only player still on team from that game. Bullpen coach Stan Boroski is lone coach remaining. ... Club with baseball's lowest payroll ($66.4 million) believes it has good shot to make noise in October because pitching staff has been bolstered lately by return of Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, along with Glasnow and Chirinos. ... Meadows was one of hottest hitters in the majors during September. ... Lowe is back from stint on 60-day injured list, and Choi seems to have knack for producing in key situations. ... Rays have 10 players on active roster with previous postseason experience. ... Tampa Bay put 24 players on injured list this year. Morton, Adames and Pham are only ones who spent entire season on active roster. ... Rays won franchise-record 48 road games this year, including two in Oakland.

Athletics: Oakland (97-65) made playoffs as a wild card for second straight season and tied last year's team for club's most wins since 2002. ... A's were 37-36 on June 16 but have gone 60-29 since for best record in majors. ... Oakland is making 10th postseason appearance this century but has advanced past Division Series just once, in 2006. Team is 1-14 during that span with a chance to move on, including losses in wild-card game to Kansas City in 2014 and Yankees last season. ... A's set franchise record with 257 homers and are one of 11 teams all-time to have at least seven players with 20 or more HRs. ... Oakland went 35-14 in games started by lefties compared to 62-51 vs. right-handers. ... A's finished 52-29 at home for seventh-best record at Coliseum since moving to Oakland. ... A's starters are 17-4 with 3.89 ERA in past 37 games and have 68 wins on the season, second-most in majors behind Houston. ... Davis finished on high note after struggling much of the season. He had 4 homers and 13 RBIs in his last 18 games after posting just 3 HRs and 22 RBIs over previous 57. Davis is third in majors with 156 HRs the past four years. ... Semien matched Oakland record for runs (123), tied for third-most total bases (343) and broke Rickey Henderson's franchise record with 31 homers from leadoff spot. He also is one of the top defensive shortstops in majors.

---

Watch For:

- Fresh Faces. Tampa Bay's opening day roster included 17 players with two or fewer years of major league experience, including eight of nine relievers. Meadows and Lowe became first-time All-Stars. Others such as Glasnow, Chirinos, Adames, Yarbrough and Poche are eager to make names for themselves, too, on the postseason stage.

- Shaky Bullpen. The A's rode their relievers to the playoffs last year but haven't had nearly as much success out of the `pen in 2019. Oakland had a major league-worst 30 blown saves, setting a record for the most by a 90-win team. Hendriks enjoyed a strong season after taking over as closer, with his 122 Ks as a reliever setting an A's record, but the setup situation was spotty. Oakland is hoping Puk and Luzardo, the organization's top prospects as starters, can provide a boost as late-season call-ups in the bullpen.

- Bargain Catch. One of the best moves the cost-conscious Rays made all season was purchasing d'Arnaud from the Dodgers for $100,000 on May 10. After beginning the season in a 2-for-24 slump with the Mets and Dodgers, he's been one of Tampa Bay's most consistent players. In addition to having the second-most RBIs on the team since late May, he's been solid defensively at catcher and also done a nice job at first base.

- Home Heartache. The A's are playing their first home playoff game since 2013, when they were shut out by Justin Verlander and the Tigers in a decisive ALDS Game 5. Verlander also blanked the Athletics in Game 5 of a Division Series the previous year. Oakland is 0-5 in winner-take-all playoff games at home since 2000.

[StarDust Bum]

A capsule look at the Brewers-Nationals playoff game
September 30, 2019
By The Associated Press

A look at the National League wild-card game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals:

---

Schedule: Tuesday, at Washington, 8:08 p.m. EDT (TBS).

---

Season Series: Brewers won 4-2.

---

Projected Lineups:

Brewers: RF Trent Grisham (.231, 6 HRs, 24 RBIs), C Yasmani Grandal (.246, 28, 77, 109 walks), 3B Mike Moustakas (.254, 35, 87), LF Ryan Braun (.285, 22, 75), 2B Keston Hiura (.303, 19, 49), 1B Eric Thames (.247, 25, 61), CF Lorenzo Cain (.260, 11, 48) or Ben Gamel (.248, 7, 33), SS Orlando Arcia (.223, 15, 59).

Nationals: SS Trea Turner (.298, 19, 57, 37 2Bs, 35 SBs, 96 runs), RF Adam Eaton (.279, 15, 49, 15 SBs, 103 runs), 3B Anthony Rendon (.319, 34, 126, 44 2Bs, 117 runs, 1.010 OPS), LF Juan Soto (.282, 34, 110, 110 runs, .949 OPS), 1B Howie Kendrick (.344, 17, 62), 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (.235, 12, 51 in 93 games with Texas; .323, 6, 40 in 38 games with Washington), CF Victor Robles (.255, 17, 65, 28 SBs), C Kurt Suzuki (.264, 17, 63).

---

Starting Pitchers:

Brewers: RH Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62 ERA, 143 Ks, 121 2/3 IP; went 2 innings in each of two starts since returning from injured list in September).

Nationals: RH Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92, 243 Ks, 172 1/3 IP).

---

Relievers:

Brewers: LH Josh Hader (3-5, 2.62 ERA, 37/44 saves, 138 Ks, 75 2/3 IP), RH Junior Guerra (9-5, 3.55, 3 saves), RH Matt Albers (8-6, 5.13, 4 saves), LH Brent Suter (4-0, 0.49), RH Jordan Lyles (12-8, 4.15, 33 starts with Pirates and Brewers), LH Drew Pomeranz (2-10, 4.85 with Giants and Brewers).

Nationals: LH Sean Doolittle (6-5, 4.05, 29/35 saves), RH Stephen Strasburg (18-6, 3.32, 251 Ks, NL-high 209 IP in 33 starts), LH Patrick Corbin (14-7, 3.25, 238 Ks, 202 IP), RH Daniel Hudson (6-3, 3.00, 2 saves with Toronto; 3-0, 1.44, 6 saves with Washington), RH Fernando Rodney (0-2, 9.42 with Oakland; 0-3, 4.05, 2 saves with Washington), RH Hunter Strickland (0-1, 8.10, 2 saves with Seattle; 2-0, 5.14 with Washington); RH Tanner Rainey (2-3, 3.91), RH Wander Suero (6-9, 4.54, 1 save).

---

Matchups:

First postseason meeting between the Brewers and Nationals, who moved to Washington from Montreal before the 2005 season. Winner faces the NL West champion Dodgers in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Thursday in Los Angeles. ... This is a study in contrasting approaches: The Nationals' success is built on a terrific rotation and despite a worst-in-the-majors bullpen, while the Brewers go about things completely differently, often using an opener and then mixing and matching a series of strong relievers the rest of the way. ... Moustakas (.379, 4 HRs) had the most success against the Nationals in 2019, while Braun batted .429 against them, with a couple of home runs. ... Scherzer has dominated Braun and Cain: The outfielders are a combined 0 for 29 with 12 strikeouts against the right-hander across their careers. ... Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, and Cain are both dealing with late-season injuries. Brewers manager Craig Counsell made clear that he expects Braun to start in left field even though he's been troubled recently by a strained left calf, while things are less certain with Cain, who sprained his left ankle. Cain had that ankle taped up as he walked around the visitors' clubhouse at Nationals Park on Monday and said he was hoping to play Tuesday. ... Washington set a franchise record with 231 homers this season. ... Dave Martinez makes his postseason debut as a manager; his Nationals club went 82-80 and missed the playoffs in his rookie season as a skipper in 2018. ... Washington's 5.66 bullpen ERA was worst in the majors. ... Robles ranked fourth in the majors with 12 outfield assists.

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Big Picture:

Brewers: Milwaukee lost its best player, 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich, for the rest of the season with a broken kneecap in September and still managed to finish strong and go from third place in the NL Central to a playoff berth. This is a playoff-tested team that made it to Game 7 of the NL Championship Series a year ago before losing to the Dodgers. ... Milwaukee was 68-66 in late August but went on an 18-2 tear to move into contention. The Brewers even went into the final weekend with a chance to catch St. Louis for the division title but got swept in Colorado to end up with an 89-73 record and the second wild card. ... Milwaukee batters led the NL with 692 walks and were third in the league with 250 homers, but otherwise the offense was hardly what opponents worried about, especially after Yelich, who went deep 44 times in 2019, went down. It was Milwaukee's pitching, specifically the bullpen, that carried the team down the stretch.

Nationals: Surged to a playoff spot for the fifth time in eight years by turning things around after a dismal start; they were 19-31 after a May 23 loss to the Mets completed a four-game sweep. Washington is the first team in more than a century to fall 12 games below .500 and finish with 93 wins or more. ... There were plenty of early calls for Martinez to be dismissed, but GM Mike Rizzo never wavered in his public support of the skipper. In the end, Washington (93-69) won 11 more games than in 2018, when it missed the playoffs after two straight NL East titles under manager Dusty Baker, who then got fired. ... Success is built mainly on the starting rotation, which is among the best in the majors, led by Scherzer, Strasburg and Corbin. Those three all ranked in the top 10 in the NL in ERA, strikeouts and opponents' batting average and would figure to give Washington a shot in a Division Series against the NL-best Dodgers if the Nationals can get past the wild-card game. ... Since moving to Washington from Montreal, the franchise has yet to advance in the playoffs, losing Division Series in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. That includes an 0-3 record in win-or-go-home Game 5s, each time at home. ... This is the Nationals' first appearance as a wild-card team. ... Martinez missed three games and part of a fourth because of a heart problem in September. He had a medical procedure and was back in the dugout a few days later.

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Watch For:

- Mad Max. Scherzer makes his 14th career postseason start and 17th appearance for Washington or Detroit; the three-time Cy Young Award winner is 4-5 with a 3.73 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 82 innings. The last time Washington was in the playoffs, in the 2017 NLDS against the Chicago Cubs, Scherzer appeared in relief in the fifth inning of Game 5 at home and allowed four runs, two earned, and was charged with the loss in a 9-8 defeat that eliminated the Nationals. The righty has pitched in four playoff games for Washington - and the team has lost all four.

- Open-And-Shut Case. Woodruff missed about two months with a strained left oblique and only threw four innings after returning in September, although he didn't allow a hit. That fits the Brewers' way of doing things, though: Put a pitcher on the mound to get things going, but then start shuttling guys in and out. Counsell has a tremendously deep bullpen, full of lefties such as Suter and Pomeranz he can turn to before he even goes to shutdown closer Hader and his swing-and-miss stuff.

- Rendon's Bat. Martinez has lobbied for Rendon to get MVP consideration and there's no doubt who Washington's best hitter has been all season. He led the NL in RBIs and was second in OPS and in the top five in batting average.

- Offensive Offense. Without Yelich, the Brewers really could use a healthy and effective Braun and Cain, because they don't boast a lot of other run-producers. Only one NL playoff team, St. Louis, scored fewer runs than Milwaukee this season - and the Brewers' full-season numbers include what Yelich did before getting injured.

[StarDust Bum]

911MILWAUKEE -912 WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON is 26-9 SU (18.5 Units) vs. an NL team with a batting average of .255 or worse in the second half of the season in the current season.

913TAMPA BAY -914 OAKLAND
OAKLAND is 19-8 SU (14.3 Units) in home games vs. good power teams - averaging 1.25 or more HR's/game in the second half of the season in the current season.




MLB
Dunkel

Tuesday, October 1

Milwaukee @ Washington

Game 911-912
October 1, 2019 @ 8:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Woodruff) 15.583
Washington
(Scherzer) 18.603
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-175
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-175); Under


Wednesday, October 2

Tampa Bay @ Oakland

Game 913-914
October 2, 2019 @ 8:09 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Morton) 16.296
Oakland
(TBD) 14.877
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+130); Over




MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILWAUKEE (89 - 73) at WASHINGTON (93 - 69) - 8:08 PM
BRANDON WOODRUFF (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 191-144 (+31.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 80-56 (+20.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 39-36 (+19.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +175 over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 87-80 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 50-40 (+17.0 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 125-86 (+28.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 139-98 (+29.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 80-62 (+14.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 88-73 (+20.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 50-37 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WOODRUFF is 18-4 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WOODRUFF is 13-2 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WOODRUFF is 9-1 (+8.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 175-149 (-20.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-49 (-18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 212-185 (-59.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 91-71 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-23 (-15.9 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 106-94 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 92-83 (-25.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 46-46 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SCHERZER is 1-7 (-10.2 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 6-9 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 2-6 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-2 (+2.1 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

BRANDON WOODRUFF vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WOODRUFF is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 0.538.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
SCHERZER is 2-2 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 0.900.
His team's record is 3-5 (-5.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.8 units)

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Wednesday, October 2

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TAMPA BAY (96 - 66) at OAKLAND (97 - 65) - 8:09 PM
CHARLIE MORTON (R) vs. SEAN MANAEA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 96-64 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 52-27 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 62-40 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 127-92 (+30.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 38-24 (+11.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
OAKLAND is 41-24 (+23.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OAKLAND is 24-14 (+15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 186-138 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 79-66 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 76-70 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 38-23 (+23.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MORTON is 12-1 (+10.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-3 (+1.5 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MORTON is 2-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.20 and a WHIP of 1.144.
His team's record is 2-5 (-6.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.5 units)

SEAN MANAEA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MANAEA is 1-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 0.950.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 1

Tuesday’s game
National League Wild Card Game
Brewers (89-73) @ Nationals (93-69)
Woodruff threw four scoreless innings in two opens since coming off IL in September; he is likely to go two innings here, then it is a bullpen game. Woodruff is 2-0, 0.96 in four career games (2 starts) vs Washington, and is 1-1, 1.46 in four career playoff games (1 start, total 12.1 IP), all of which were LY.

Scherzer is 1-2, 6.11 in his last three starts; he is 2-2, 2.29 in nine career games (8 starts) vs Milwaukee. He is 4-5, 3.73 in 16 career playoff games (13 starts), 0-2, 4.66 in four playoff games (3 starts) for Washington.

Milwaukee is 4-2 vs Washington this year; home side won five of the six games, with Brewers losing two of three games in Washington.

Brewers are in playoffs for only 4th time since 1982, but 2nd year in a row; they lost NLCS in seven games LY.

Nationals are in playoffs for 5th time in eight years; they lost in NLDS last four times they were in playoffs, three times in a 5th game.

Wednesday’s game
American League Wild Card Game
Rays (96-66) @ A’s (97-65)
Morton is 3-0, 2.73 in his last five starts; he is 2-2, 4.60 in seven career playoff games (6 starts), and is 2-1, 2.97 in seven career starts vs Oakland.

Manaea is 4-0, 1.21 in five starts (29.2 IP) this year, as he comes back from injury; he is 1-1, 2.70 in three starts vs Tampa Bay. This will be his first postseason appearance.

Oakland is 4-3 vs Tampa Bay this year; teams split four games played here.

Rays are in playoffs for first time since 2013.

A’s are in playoffs for 2nd year in a row, 5th time in eight years- they lost the Wild Card game in New York LY.




MLB

Tuesday, October 1

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Trend Report
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Washington Nationals
Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games at home
Washington is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games
Milwaukee is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games
Milwaukee is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Milwaukee is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Washington
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing Washington
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington


*****************************

Scherzer, Nats open playoffs vs Brewers
Associated Press

A look at what's happening around the majors today:

START `EM UP

Max Scherzer throws the first pitch of this year's playoffs when Washington takes on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL wild-card game at Nationals Park (8:08 p.m. EDT).

Since a 2013 AL Division Series victory for Detroit, Scherzer has made seven postseason appearances, in a mix of starting and relieving roles, and his teams are 0-7. Scherzer himself is 0-4 in that stretch, lowering his career record in the postseason from 4-1 to 4-5.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA was slowed by back trouble this season. The Nats will have Stephen Strasburg (18-6, 3.32) ready in the bullpen.

Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62) will start for the Brewers. He has pitched in only two games since returning from a strained left oblique that sidelined him for nearly two full months; he went two hitless innings each time.

The Nationals are 0-3 in winner-take-all postseason games, all at home. They've never advanced in four previous trips to the playoffs over the past eight years.

The Brewers made it to Game 7 of the NL Championship Series last year before falling to the Dodgers. Milwaukee surged to the playoffs this September despite losing NL MVP Christian Yelich to a broken kneecap.

Milwaukee outfielders Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain each missed time in the last week with ailments. Braun expects to play; there's no decision yet on Cain.

WRIGLEY WRANGLING

The field of candidates to be the next manager of the Cubs is beginning to take shape. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein says former catcher David Ross is on the broad list being assembled by the front office. He also said he wants to talk to at least one member of the coaching staff about the job, and at least one other candidate is working for a team in the playoffs.

''We're full speed ahead,'' Epstein said.

The Cubs announced Sunday that manager Joe Maddon will not be back next year. His contract expired after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

The 42-year-old Ross played on the 2016 Cubs team that won the World Series. He serves as a special assistant in the team's baseball operations department, and also works for ESPN.

''I think it's one of the best jobs in baseball,'' Ross said on the network Sunday. ''I've got a lot of close ties with those guys. I think the interest would be there. I think my heart is drawn to that dugout a little bit.''

HEY JOE

The Angels need a new skipper, and old friend Joe Maddon might be a fit. The dismissal of Brad Ausmus on Monday immediately sparked speculation that Maddon, a former Angels bench coach who parted ways with the Cubs one day earlier, could return to the franchise where he spent three decades of his career. The 65-year-old Maddon was a catcher, minor league manager and major league assistant with the Halos, and he has a cordial relationship with owner Arte Moreno. Rumors began to swirl about Ausmus' job security last week while Maddon's future was being debated in Chicago. The Cubs' only World Series-winning manager of the past century decided to leave the club by mutual agreement over the weekend.

WORK IT OUT

The Rays and A's will loosen up at the Coliseum, a day before they meet in the AL wild-card game Wednesday (8:09 p.m. EDT). The winner takes on the Astros, beginning Friday at Houston.

Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay. He was 1-0 in two starts vs. Oakland this year, allowing one earned run in 13 1/3 innings and striking out 15. The 35-year-old is in his first season with the Rays - in 2017 with the Astros, he was the winning pitcher as a starter in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees and he won Game 7 of the World Series in relief against the Dodgers.

The A's have not yet announced a starter. They went with an opener - a strategy pioneered by the Rays - in the wild-card game at Yankee Stadium last year and it didn't work out too well. Liam Hendriks gave up a first-inning homer to Aaron Judge and New York won 7-2.

The Athletics went 4-3 against the Rays this year, with all the games in June.

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIL at WAS 08:08 PM

MIL +157

O 7.5

[StarDust Bum]

Soto lifts Nats to 4-3 comeback wild-card win over Brewers
October 1, 2019
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WASHINGTON (AP) Washington's Juan Soto delivered a bases-loaded single against Josh Hader that scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Nationals rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in the NL wild-card game Tuesday night.

After Hader loaded the bases by hitting one batter, walking another and allowing a bloop single, Soto took a 96 mph fastball to right, and the ball skipped under outfielder Trent Grisham's glove for an error. That allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate and Soto to get to second, then turn for third.

Eventually, Soto, a 20-year-old outfielder, was caught in a rundown to end the inning, but that didn't matter: He had turned a 3-1 deficit into a lead, and so he clapped his hands, then pounded his chest and high-fived third base coach Bob Henley, shouting ''Let's go!''

''The inning was an ugly inning,'' Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. ''Crazy things happen.''

Grisham's take?

''It's gonna sting,'' he said.

Stephen Strasburg threw three scoreless innings to earn the win in the first relief appearance of his major league career, regular season or playoffs.

Daniel Hudson pitched the ninth for the save. With a runner on, Ben Gamel flied to the warning track in center for the final out.

The Nationals, so familiar with playoff heartache, now will carry a nine-game winning streak into their best-of-five NL Division Series against the NL West champion Dodgers.

Game 1 is Thursday in Los Angeles, and some in the sellout crowd of 42,993 chanted ''Beat LA! Beat LA!'' as members of the Nationals lingered on the infield with family members after the rare playoff triumph for a franchise that had never before advanced in the playoffs since moving to Washington from Montreal before the 2005 season.

''We've been here a bunch of times. Never kind of broke through,'' said Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals' first draft pick back in 2005, who singled as a pinch hitter in the eighth. ''Finally caught a break tonight.''

Yes, Washington had been 0-3 in winner-take-all postseason games, all NLDS Game 5 losses at home.

But this time was different. Thanks, in large part, to one of the kids making his debut in October, Soto, who is wholly unencumbered by any past playoff failings on this stage and in this stadium.

Still, things didn't look good early for Washington.

Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames homered in the first two innings off Nationals ace Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner whose teams had lost each of his most recent seven postseason games.

Milwaukee led the NL in walks, and Scherzer put leadoff man Grisham aboard.

The first pitch to the next batter, Grandal, came in at 98 mph and was transformed into a blink-and-you-missed-it shot that rapidly reached the bullpen beyond right field. The ball landed with such force that it bounced back onto the outfield grass.

Just like that - three minutes and seven pitches into the evening - the Brewers led 2-0.

The once-rowdy park sunk into sudden silence; if all of those red-wearing spectators' thoughts could be heard, they might have been summed up as a sigh. Strasburg paced in the bullpen.

Milwaukee went up 3-0 in the second when Thames' first career postseason at-bat ended with him driving a curveball deep to right-center.

That meant Scherzer had given up a pair of homers in three of his past six postseason appearances - and in each of his last three games in 2019.

Washington got one run off Brandon Woodruff on a solo shot from Trea Turner in the third off a high fastball, making it 3-1.

Woodruff, a burly righty, lasted four innings, giving up just two hits, and was greeted by hugs from teammates in the dugout.

That's when Counsell began his maneuvers, going to Brent Suter for the fifth, then Drew Pomeranz for the sixth and seventh, before turning to the lefty fireballer Hader. The Nationals' bats finally got going - and their team's dramatic turnaround from 19-31 in May to playoff team gets to continue.

''Everything changed,'' Soto said. ''The energy of the team, it changed.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich, lost to a fractured kneecap on Sept. 10, was in the Brewers' dugout before the game. ... OFs Ryan Braun (calf) and Lorenzo Cain (ankle) were in the starting lineup despite late-season injuries. They came into Tuesday a combined 0 for 29 with 12 Ks against Scherzer and went 0 for 4 while he was in the game, without getting the ball out of the infield. ... Braun came up limping after catching a ball against the wall in left in the second.

Nationals: C Kurt Suzuki, who missed most of September because of a bothersome right elbow, started behind the plate Tuesday and played nine innings.

ODD FOURTH

The fourth inning was bizarre. Fire alarms - false alarms, thankfully, the Nationals eventually said - rang out. The public address system went completely silent for several minutes, so the Racing Presidents mascot race in the middle of the inning went on without the usual play-by-play, and the initial two Nationals batters in the bottom half went to the plate without any walk-up music or announcement of their names.

UP NEXT

The Nationals get another chance to try to win a series against the Dodgers, who eliminated Washington in Game 5 of their 2016 NLDS, when Clayton Kershaw memorably earned his first save in the majors. LA won the teams' season series this year 4-2.