ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Clayton Kershaw can't shake his postseason curse, not even in a neutral-site NL Championship Series a few miles from his hometown. The longtime ace of the Dodgers faltered at the start of the sixth inning against Atlanta, allowing three straight hits before watching the rest of a six-run outburst in the Braves' 10-2 win in Game 4 on Thursday night. Kershaw's franchise-high 12th postseason loss put Los Angeles down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series at the home of the Texas Rangers, on the brink of a second straight defeat in the NLCS after posting the best record in the majors during the pandemic-shortened season. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner — pitching two days after he was scratched from a Game 2 start because of back spasms — allowed four runs in five-plus innings, boosting his career playoff ERA to 4.31. While Kershaw is also the club's career leader in postseason wins with his 11-12 record, his October resume simply doesn't match his stellar regular-season... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Friday: GETTING TIGHTER Ji-Man Choi and the Rays will try for the third day in a row to reach the World Series. A pair of losses to Houston has narrowed Tampa Bay’s lead in the AL Championship Series to 3-2 at Petco Park in San Diego. Game 6 will be a rematch of the opener when Blake Snell pitched the Rays past Framber Valdéz and the Astros 2-1. GUSTY GAME Braves slugger Freddie Freeman and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw seemed to having trouble seeing in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series because of windy conditions in a stadium with a retractable roof. Major League Baseball said it wanted to keep the roof open at Globe Life Field — barring rain — when the agreement was reached for the new home of the Texas Rangers to host three rounds of the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened season. Freeman reached for his eyes after striking out swinging in the first inning Thursday, and Fox reported he said, “I can’t see,” when he got back... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Atlanta's Freddie Freeman and Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw apparently had trouble seeing early in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series because of windy conditions in a stadium with a retractable roof. Major League Baseball said it wanted to keep the roof open at Globe Life Field — barring rain — when the agreement was reached for the new home of the Texas Rangers to host three rounds of the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened season. Fox reported during the telecast Thursday night that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told umpire Cory Blaser between innings that Kershaw and first baseman Max Muncy were having trouble seeing. Freeman was reaching for his eyes after striking out swinging in the first, and Fox reported he said, “I can't see," upon returning to the dugout. The MVP candidate with two homers in the NLCS briefly tried glasses while in the field and also was shown getting eyedrops. Freeman cleanly fielded Corey Seager's hard one-hopper to first... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Baby Braves were the Battered Braves in their first loss of these playoffs. Now the young pitchers who had been so poised and effective in the postseason will have to try to get Atlanta back on track. Rookie starter Kyle Wright and the Braves gave up a postseason-record 11 runs in the first inning of a 15-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series on Wednesday night. The 15 runs allowed in the first three innings were more than the Braves permitted in their first seven postseason games combined. And those 13 previous runs included seven scored by Los Angeles in the final three innings of Atlanta's 8-7 win in Game 2. The Braves will have to remind themselves they still lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 on Thursday night in the first NLCS with no days off since 1978, and the first ever at a neutral site, the home of the Texas Rangers. Wright gave up seven runs while getting just two outs after Atlanta starters allowed only five runs... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are having trouble figuring out the back end of their bullpen. Blake Treinen surrendered Austin Riley's tiebreaking home run leading off the ninth inning, and the right-hander combined with lefty Jake McGee to give up four runs in Atlanta's 5-1 victory over the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series opener Monday night. Treinen and McGee were two of the ninth-inning options because Kenley Jansen, the club's career leader in saves, has been struggling with his velocity and command. Manager Dave Roberts has chosen his words carefully while saying the bullpen roles are open in the ninth. Ronald Acuña Jr. followed Riley's homer with a double, and Treinen was gone after giving up Marcell Ozuna's RBI single. Treinen's only out was a long flyball to center by Freddie Freeman that moved Ozuna to third. After starter Walker Buehler allowed one run with seven strikeouts in five innings, Brusdar Graterol retired three straight to escape the sixth when... [More]

A capsule look at the best-of-seven NL Championship Series between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers in Arlington, Texas, beginning Monday night: ___ Season Series: Did not play. ___ ATLANTA BRAVES Record: 35-25. Playoff Entry: NL East champions. Playoff Seed: No. 2. Manager: Brian Snitker (fifth season). Projected Rotation: LHP Max Fried (7-0, 2.25 ERA, 50 Ks), RHP Ian Anderson (3-2, 1.95, 41 Ks, 32 1/3 IP, 6 starts), RHP Kyle Wright (2-4, 5.21, 30 Ks), RHP Josh Tomlin (2-2, 4.76), RHP Bryse Wilson (1-0, 4.02, 1 save in 15 2/3 IP) or RHP Huascar Ynoa (0-0, 5.82). Top Hitters: 1B Freddie Freeman (.341, 13 HRs, 53 RBIs, 51 runs, 1.102 OPS), DH Marcell Ozuna (.338, 18, 56, 77 hits, 1.067 OPS), OF Ronald Acu�a Jr. (.250, 14, 29), C Travis d'Arnaud (.321, 9, 34). Top Relievers: RHP Mark Melancon (2-1, 2.78 ERA, 11 saves), LHP Will Smith (2-2, 4.50), LHP Tyler Matzek (4-3, 2.79, 43 Ks in 29 IP), RHP Chris Martin (1-1, 1.00, 1 save), RHP Shane Greene (1-0, 2.60). Series Summary: Winners... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Freddie Freeman has come a long way this year. The slugging first baseman recovered from a serious bout with COVID-19 in July in time to play a full season for the Braves and help them to their first NL Championship Series since 2001. As the Braves prepare to meet the Los Angeles Dodgers starting on Monday in Arlington, Texas, Freeman was asked to reflect on everything that’s happened since the night the coronavirus caused his temperature to spike to 104.5. “I try not to think about,” he said. “I try to live in the moment ... but I was just happy to try and make opening day and now here we are eight wins away from a World Series.” Freeman and the Braves swept the Miami Marlins to end a streak of eight straight series losses in the NLDS. He admitted before the series that their losing streak in the division series was a chip on his shoulder and was thrilled to finally end it, in part so he didn’t have to hear about it anymore. “I’m just glad the narrative is changing,” he... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carlos Correa hit a go-ahead, three-run homer after Michael Brantley’s two-run shot in the fourth inning, helping the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 11-6 on Thursday to win their home-run heavy AL Division Series in four games. Correa drove in five as the Astros — October villains to many a year after their sign-stealing scandal was exposed — advanced to the AL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season. It will be their first ALCS under Dusty Baker, their 71-year-old manager. Baker earned his first closeout win since the 2003 NL Division Series and improved to 4-13 in closeouts. Houston will play either the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-seven ALCS in San Diego. The Rays lead their ALDS 2-1. The Astros and A’s combined for 24 homers — 12 each — the most in a postseason series of five games or fewer. Houston clinched at Dodger Stadium, where it won the 2017 World Series in seven games. The Astros’ sign-stealing scheme used during... [More]

After playing for three teams in 2019, Travis d'Arnaud felt sure he'd found a home when he signed with the Atlanta Braves last winter. Turns out, the fit was just right for d'Arnaud to deliver a postseason to remember. After homering in each of the first two games of the NL Division Series, d'Arnaud hit a two-run double in Atlanta's four-run third inning on Thursday that helped give the Braves a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins and a three-game sweep of the series. D'Arnaud was 6 for 10 with two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs — the most by a catcher in a division series. He hit a high fastball from Sixto Sánchez off the fence in right-center for the two-run double. “That was like old school right there, just tomahawking the ball,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He just put an old-school hack on that thing.” Asked how he stayed on top of the high pitch, d’Arnaud said “I’m still wondering, too. I just tried to put the barrel on the ball. I got rewarded with a double that scored two... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ KID’S GAME Prized rookie Deivi García is set to become the youngest Yankees pitcher to make a postseason start in Game 2 of the best-of-five AL Division Series against rival Tampa Bay. New York won the opener 9-3 on Monday. The 21-year-old García made his major league debut Aug. 30 and went 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA in six regular-season starts. He’ll surpass Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who was nearly 22 when he started Game 4 of the 1950 World Series against the Phillies, as the youngest postseason starter for New York. The 5-foot-9 García also will become the youngest pitcher to start in the postseason for any team since Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Julio Urías was 20 in Game 4 of the 2016 NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. Tyler Glasnow, 27, goes for the AL East champion Rays. The 6-foot-8 Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA) had 91 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings this season. He's won six straight decisions and four consecutive starts, including... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday: ___ KID’S GAME Prized rookie Deivi García is set to become the youngest Yankees pitcher to make a postseason start in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against rival Tampa Bay. The 21-year-old García made his major league debut Aug. 30 and went 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA in six regular-season starts. He’ll surpass Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who was nearly 22 when he started Game 4 of the 1950 World Series against the Phillies, as the youngest postseason starter for New York. García also will become the youngest pitcher to start in the postseason for any team since Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Julio Urías was 20 in Game 4 of the 2016 NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. Tyler Glasnow, 27, goes for the AL East champion Rays. The 6-foot-8 Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA) had 91 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings this season and has won six straight decisions and four consecutive starts, including six innings of two-run ball to win the first-round clincher... [More]

A capsule look at the best-of-five playoff series between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves in Houston beginning Tuesday: ___ Season Series: Braves won 6-4. ___ MIAMI MARLINS Record: 31-29. Playoff Entry: second place, NL East. Playoff Seed: No. 6. Manager: Don Mattingly (fifth season). Projected Rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.00 ERA), RHP Pablo Lopez (6-4, 3.61, 59 Ks), RHP Sixto Sanchez (3-2, 3.46), LHP Trevor Rogers (1-2, 6.11, 39 Ks in 28 IP). Top Hitters: 1B Jesus Aguilar (.277, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs), SS Miguel Rojas (.304, 4, 20, .888 OPS). Top Relievers: RHP Brandon Kintzler (2-3, 2.22 ERA, 12 saves), RHP Brad Boxberger (1-0, 3.00). Series Summary: The Marlins are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, when they rallied past the Cubs in an NL Championship Series famous for the Steve Bartman episode at Wrigley Field and then beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. ... The Marlins topped the Cubs in the postseason again this year, sweeping two first-round games at... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman was voted Major League Player of the Year by Baseball Digest on Monday, and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber was a unanimous pick as Major League Pitcher of the Year. Freeman received eight of 17 first-place votes and 34 points after hitting .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was second with four firsts and 26 points. Bieber was 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings, leading the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He received all 17 first-place votes and 51 points. Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer was second with 28 points. Milwaukee’s Devin Williams was voted relief pitcher of the year. He had a 0.33 ERA and struck out 53 in 27 innings. Williams received 12 first-place votes and 39 points. Oakland’s Liam Hendricks was second with four firsts and 32 points. Voters included writers and broadcasters. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run in the 13th inning, finally ending the longest scoreless duel in postseason history as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 in the opener of their NL wild-card series on Wednesday. The East champion Braves won the first game of a postseason series for the first time since the 2001 NL Division Series and can wrap up the best-of-three series on Thursday. If they do, it will snap a record-tying streak of 10 straight playoff round losses. What began as a pitching showdown between between Cy Young contenders Trevor Bauer of the Reds and Atlanta’s Max Fried devolved into a strikeout contest. The teams combined for a postseason record 37 Ks — 21 by the Braves. After a couple of hits in the 13th against Archie Bradley, Freeman drove one into center field off Amir Garrett against a five-man infield with one out to end a game that dragged on for more than 4 1/2 hours. A four-time All-Star, Freeman produced another big year... [More]

Shortly after noon in Atlanta, Nick Senzel of the Cincinnati Reds slapped the first pitch from Max Fried to right field for a single, starting a day of baseball unlike any that had come before. Eight postseason games, all set to start in a span of around 10 hours. “This is like September Madness,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “It’s going to be mad.” Wednesday indeed had a bit of an NCAA Tournament feel, with a smorgasbord of playoff games starting early in the afternoon and scheduled to last long into the night. For much of the 20th Century, baseball had a maximum of seven games in any single postseason. Wednesday’s schedule alone included more than that, the result of an expanded postseason for 2020 that includes 16 teams after a regular season shortened to 60 games by the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no telling when or if the sport will have a day like this again. It won’t happen this year — when the Astros beat Minnesota 3-1, they eliminated the Twins and ensured that Thursday’s... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Pablo Sandoval is on the Atlanta Braves' roster for the NL wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds. The 2012 World Series MVP joined the Braves after being released by the San Francisco Giants a couple of weeks ago. He started at third base in the final game of the regular season, going 0 for 2 with two walks in a 9-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Sandoval played 33 games for the Giants, hitting .220 with one homer and six RBIs. The Braves also brought back infielder Charlie Culberson to the big league roster and released left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone, who was acquired at the trade deadline but posted a 14.90 ERA in three starts. ___ The 28-player rosters for the best-of-three series between the Reds and the Braves: CINCINNATI Pitchers (12): RH Tejay Antone, RH Trevor Bauer, RH Archie Bradley, RH Luis Castillo, LH Amir Garrett, RH Sonny Gray, RH Raisel Iglesias, RH Michael Lorenzen, RH Tyler Mahle, LH Wade Miley, RH Lucas Sims, RH Robert Stephenson Catchers (2): Tucker... [More]

A capsule look at the best-of-three playoff series between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves beginning Wednesday. All games in Atlanta: ___ CINCINNATI REDS Record: 31-29. Playoff Entry: NL wild card. Playoff Seed: No. 7. Manager: David Bell (second season). Projected Rotation: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-4, NL-best 1.73 ERA, 100Ks), RHP Luis Castillo (4-6, 3.21, 89Ks), RHP Sonny Gray (5-3, 3.70, 72 Ks). Top Hitters: DH Jesse Winker (.255, 12 HRs, 23 RBIs), 1B Joey Votto (.226, 11, 22), RF Nick Castellanos (.225, 14, 34), 3B Eugenio Suarez (.202, 15, 38). Top Relievers: RHP Raisel Iglesias (4-3, 2.74 ERA, 8 saves), RHP Lucas Sims (3-0, 2.45), LHP Amir Garrett (1-0, 2.45, 1 save), RHP Tejay Antone (0-3, 2.80). Series Summary: The Reds took off in early September and earned their first playoff appearance since 2013. Cincinnati won six in a row beginning Sept. 13 and finished the season 11-3, including an extra-inning victory over Minnesota in the finale. The team won its last five series. The... [More]

The 2020 baseball season began with Juan Soto testing positive for COVID-19. Now, he's a 21-year-old batting champion — after beating out another player who went through his own ordeal with the coronavirus. Perhaps it was fitting. Soto finished atop the National League with a .351 average Sunday, becoming the youngest person to win the batting title in the NL. The Washington outfielder outlasted Atlanta's Freddie Freeman, who hit .341. The fact that either player was in a position for this type of accomplishment was emblematic of a regular season that felt chaotic and uncertain at times — but ultimately reached the finish line. Soto missed baseball's season opener between the Nationals and New York Yankees back in July, but he ultimately played in 47 games and was one of few bright spots as the defending champions struggled. Freeman played in all 60 games for the Braves, but only after a scary battle with COVID-19. He said he had a fever of 104.5 degrees and prayed for his life. There have... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ LET'S GET IT SETTLED St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Philadelphia enter the last day of the regular season competing for two postseason spots, and the biggest game of the day pits Christian Yelich's Brewers against Yadier Molina's Cardinals. A team-by-team breakdown of what each club needs to clinch: Cardinals (29-28) — Qualify with a victory over Milwaukee or a loss by the Giants. If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. Brewers (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over St. Louis, or with losses by the Giants and Phillies. Giants (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over San Diego and a Brewers loss. If the Giants and Brewers win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. Phillies (28-31) — Qualify with a win over Tampa Bay and losses by the Brewers and Giants.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Sunday: ___ LET'S GET IT SETTLED St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Philadelphia enter the last day of the regular season competing for two postseason spots, and the biggest game of the day pits Christian Yelich's Brewers against Yadier Molina's Cardinals. A team-by-team breakdown of what each club needs to clinch: Cardinals (29-28) — Qualify with a victory over Milwaukee or a loss by the Giants. If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. Brewers (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over St. Louis, or with losses by the Giants and Phillies. Giants (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over San Diego and a Brewers loss. If the Giants and Cardinals win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. Phillies (28-31) — Qualify with a win over Tampa Bay and losses by the Brewers and Giants.... [More]