A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:SALE ON HOLDRed Sox ace Chris Sale is still feeling weak and trying to regain lost weight after a stomach illness forced him to spend a night in the hospital after he started the ALCS opener against the Astros. Boston had hoped to start Sale in Game 5 on Thursday night, but instead will give him a couple extra days to recover while planning to pitch him in Game 6 on Saturday, if necessary.Sale threw in the outfield for 10-15 minutes Wednesday before Game 4 in Houston, but manager Alex Cora said the lanky left-hander didn't throw a bullpen as planned. Cora didn't announce a starter for Game 5, adding that decision would be dictated by the outcome of Game 4. Options include Game 2 starter David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez or Joe Kelly.Game 1 winner Justin Verlander is scheduled to pitch for the Astros.DEFENDING CHAMPSThe Astros are still under scrutiny, even after Major League Baseball absolved the World Series champions of any wrongdoing... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wade Miley threw just five pitches in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series before Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell emerged from the Dodger Stadium dugout and abruptly removed his starter.Oddly enough, five innings after this extraordinary bit of subterfuge, Counsell probably waited a bit too long to go to his bullpen again.Brandon Woodruff pitched 5 1/3 innings of highly unusual relief against the Dodgers on Wednesday, but he also gave up Max Muncy's tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning of Los Angeles' 5-2 victory.Counsell has used his bullpen liberally and unconventionally throughout the Brewers' remarkable season, and this particular gambit yielded mixed results.All the results aren't in yet, either: After walking leadoff hitter Cody Bellinger and then leaving Game 5, Miley will start Game 6 in Milwaukee on Friday when the Brewers attempt to avoid elimination."Look, they're trying to get matchups, we're trying to get matchups," Counsell said. "They're a very tough... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wade Miley threw just five pitches in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series before Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell emerged from the dugout and abruptly removed his starter.Oddly enough, five innings after this extraordinary bit of subterfuge, Counsell probably waited a bit too long to go to his bullpen again.Brandon Woodruff pitched 5 1/3 innings of highly unusual relief against the Dodgers on Wednesday, but the right-hander gave up Max Muncy's tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning of Los Angeles' 5-2 victory to put the Brewers on the brink of playoff elimination.Counsell unveiled his latest creative usage of his bullpen at a pivotal point in the series, but it didn't stop the Brewers from losing for the third time in four games after a 12-game winning streak that propelled them deep into the postseason.A surprise bullpen game worked well, until it didn't.Woodruff escaped a first-inning jam and kept the Dodgers in check until the fifth, when he gave up Austin Barnes'... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have pulled starting pitcher Wade Miley after he faced just one batter in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series.Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell unveiled his latest creative use of his bullpen Wednesday at a pivotal point.The left-handed Miley faced only Cody Bellinger in the first inning, walking the young slugger on five pitches.Counsell surprisingly emerged from the dugout and called for right-hander Brandon Woodruff to face the rest of a Los Angeles lineup featuring six right-handed batters.Fox Sports reported during its broadcast that a short start for Miley was the plan all along for Counsell, who had used his bullpen liberally and unconventionally throughout the Brewers' remarkable season.Miley will start Game 6 in Milwaukee on Friday.Miley was pitching on three days' rest in Game 5 after he made it into the sixth inning of Game 2 on Saturday. Counsell decided to give him a short workday in preparation for a longer start Friday.Woodruff hasn't... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have pulled starting pitcher Wade Miley after he faced just one batter in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series.Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell unveiled his latest creative use of his bullpen Wednesday at a pivotal point.The left-handed Miley faced only Cody Bellinger in the first inning, walking the young slugger on five pitches.Counsell surprisingly emerged from the dugout and called for right-hander Brandon Woodruff to face the rest of a Los Angeles lineup featuring six right-handed batters.Fox Sports reported during its broadcast that a short start for Miley was the plan all along. He will start Game 6 in Milwaukee on Friday.Woodruff escaped the first inning by getting Manny Machado to ground into a double play.___More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/mlb and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger is leading off for the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series on Wednesday, hours after his game-winning single pulled Los Angeles into a 2-all tie with Milwaukee in the best-of-seven series.Bellinger singled home the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning of a 2-1 victory Tuesday night that lasted more than five hours. The Dodgers primarily have been using Chris Taylor in the leadoff spot.Manager Dave Roberts said he made the change to "shake things up" and because he likes Bellinger's at-bats against Brewers left-handed starter Wade Miley.Bellinger started Games 1 and 3 and entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of Game 4.Max Muncy is starting at second base and hitting fifth for the Dodgers. Austin Barnes is starting at catcher for the second straight game while Yasmani Grandal continues to struggle.The Brewers are starting Hernan Perez at second base, his first start since Game 1 of the series. He will hit fifth.Erik Kratz is back... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger is leading off for the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series, hours after his game-winning single pulled Los Angeles into a 2-all tie with Milwaukee in the best-of-seven series.Bellinger singled home the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning of a 2-1 victory Tuesday night. The Dodgers primarily have been using Chris Taylor in the leadoff spot.After Wednesday's game, the series shifts back to Milwaukee for Game 6 on Friday.Bellinger started Games 1 and 3 and entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of Game 4.Max Muncy is starting at second base and hitting fifth for the Dodgers. Austin Barnes is starting at catcher for the second straight game while Yasmani Grandal continues to struggle.The Brewers are starting Hernan Perez at second base, his first start since Game 1 of the series. He will hit fifth.Erik Kratz is back starting at catcher and hitting seventh. He started Games 2 and 3 and came off the bench in the 11th inning on Tuesday for Milwaukee.___More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLB and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado has stepped into trouble again, causing at least one opponent to call him "a dirty player."Both benches cleared after the Los Angeles Dodgers' star shortstop clipped the back leg of Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out his groundout Tuesday night in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.Aguilar left his foot on the base for a moment after Machado was already out, and the star shortstop appeared to show his displeasure by bringing his left foot forward and kicking Aguilar on the back of the leg.The incident immediately took the top spot on the growing list of Machado's debatable decisions in baseball ethics."He's a player that has a history of those types of incidents," Milwaukee slugger Christian Yelich said. "One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you're just a dirty player. It's a dirty play by a dirty player, and that's what it is. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can't... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time since the Milwaukee Brewers began their incredible late-season surge, their bats went cold enough to lose.The Brewers managed just eight hits over 13 innings in their 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, evening the NL Championship Series at 2 games apiece.With the chance to move to the brink of the World Series, a lineup that was resourceful and powerful throughout the regular season and in the division series couldn't hit a homer or string together any significant rallies.Just two of the Brewers' hits went for extra bases. They went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 runners.Those struggles made it even more painful when Manny Machado slid home with the winning run on Cody Bellinger's single."There's a bunch of guys we need offense from," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We've got some good contributions from guys at the bottom. But I think a bunch of guys are not really on it right now offensively."The most... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado has stepped into trouble again, causing at least one opponent to call him "a dirty player."Both benches cleared after the Los Angeles Dodgers' star shortstop clipped the back leg of Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out his groundout Tuesday night in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.Aguilar left his foot on the base for a moment after Machado was already out, and the star shortstop appeared to show his displeasure by bringing his left foot forward and kicking Aguilar on the back of the leg.The incident immediately took the top spot on the growing list of Machado's debatable decisions in baseball ethics."He's a player that has a history of those types of incidents," Milwaukee slugger Christian Yelich said. "One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you're just a dirty player. It's a dirty play by a dirty player, and that's what it is. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can't... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time since the Milwaukee Brewers began their incredible late-season surge, their bats went cold enough to lose.The Brewers managed just eight hits over 13 innings in their 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, evening the NL Championship Series at 2 games apiece.With the chance to move to the brink of the World Series, a lineup that was resourceful and powerful throughout the regular season and in the division series couldn't hit a homer or string together any significant rallies.Just two of the Brewers' hits went for extra bases, and the Brewers went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 runners."There's a bunch of guys we need offense from," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We've got some good contributions from guys at the bottom. But I think a bunch of guys are not really on it right now offensively."Milwaukee hadn't scored fewer than two runs in a game since Pittsburgh blanked the Brewers on Sept. 22. Milwaukee... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado has stepped into trouble again.Both benches cleared after the Los Angeles Dodgers' star shortstop clipped the back leg of Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out his groundout Tuesday night in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.Aguilar left his foot on the base for a moment after Machado was already out, and the star shortstop appeared to show his displeasure by bringing his left foot forward and kicking Aguilar on the back of the leg.Aguilar wasn't hurt, but he was angry. Dodgers first base coach George Lombard joined the discussion before players spilled onto the field from both benches and bullpens.Nothing happened beyond that spirited argument, and the bad feelings were gone when Machado singled in the 13th inning. He briefly hugged Aguilar while they stood together at first base."We're family. Things happen," Machado said. "Everything that happens on the field stays on the field. He's a great guy. We go way back... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado has stepped into trouble again.Both benches cleared after the Los Angeles Dodgers' star shortstop clipped the back leg of Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out his groundout Tuesday night in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the NL Championship Series.Aguilar left his foot on the base for a moment after Machado was already out, and the star shortstop appeared to show his displeasure by bringing his left foot forward and kicking Aguilar on the back of the leg.Aguilar wasn't hurt, but he was angry. Dodgers first base coach George Lombard joined the discussion before players spilled onto the field from both benches and bullpens.Nothing happened beyond that spirited argument, and the bad feelings were gone when Machado singled in the 13th inning. He briefly hugged Aguilar while they stood together at first base.Machado then showed he's got plenty of hustle in the right circumstances: He sprinted from second to home on Cody Bellinger's two-out single,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When the Dodger Stadium crowd wasn't booing Yasmani Grandal or chanting his backup's name, the fans largely sat in a disappointed hush while the Milwaukee Brewers' pitching staff mowed down their team.The Dodgers' miserable Monday night only got more intriguing after the Brewers' 4-0 victory in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, when Enrique Hernandez wondered aloud why his team and its fans didn't come to play."We had no energy," the Los Angeles second baseman said. "The stadium had no energy. The fans had no energy. Overall, it was a pretty bad game for everybody who calls themselves Dodgers."The Dodgers fell behind after three batters and never caught up during their first home game of the NLCS. Los Angeles went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, struck out 14 times and managed just five hits.This comprehensively frustrating evening required an outlet, and Grandal is wearing a target during his miserable postseason. Dodger Stadium, normally a cauldron of... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Of all the chants that could have emanated from the Dodger Stadium stands during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS, "We want Austin!" was not exactly the most likely.But after Los Angeles catcher Yasmani Grandal committed his third passed ball of the series Monday night, the voices of exasperated fans pleading for his unsung backup, Austin Barnes, improbably echoed through Chavez Ravine.And when Grandal struck out on three pitches with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 4-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, he only heard boos.The fans' vocal disappointment was mostly a measure of their dissatisfaction with Grandal, who is having a miserable postseason in every aspect. The veteran catcher dropped to 3 for 22 in the playoffs with 10 strikeouts despite a popup that turned into a ground-rule double in Game 3.But the unlikely chant for his backup also reflected the big-budget Dodgers' desperate frustration with their own inability to seize the important... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Told he had the day off after pitching three shutout innings in the NL Championship Series opener, hard-throwing Milwaukee left-hander Josh Hader wasn't expecting a call to the bullpen.After watching Brewers relievers blow a late three-run lead in Game 2, Hader would have embraced back-to-back outings, high pitch count and all."Adrenaline can do a lot things," he said when asked if he could have pitched.The best-of-seven series is tied at a game apiece after the Dodgers dented the rest of the Brewers' hard-throwing relievers in the late innings for a second straight day and won 4-3 on Saturday.While Wade Miley pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings and became Milwaukee's first pitcher to get an out in the sixth inning in the postseason, the Dodgers rallied from a three-run, seventh-inning deficit for the win.Miley had thrown 74 pitches when he was removed."Look you're either too early or too late," manager Craig Counsell said. "At some point, you've got to make a decision, and I... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.Grandal committed two errors and had two passed balls in Los Angeles' Game 1 loss Friday night. Austin Barnes replaced Grandal behind the plate.Manager Dave Roberts said he likes the pairing of Barnes and Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. He also said Barnes has "got some history" with Milwaukee starter Wade Miley, but he is just 1 for 4 in his career against the lefty."Yasi had a tough one last night, but it's not the reason why he's not in there today," Roberts said.Roberts said Grandal will start Game 3 on Monday in Los Angeles.Roberts also put Yasiel Puig in the starting lineup in right field. Cody Bellinger will begin Saturday's game on the bench, but Roberts said he will enter at some point.Bellinger went 0 for 4 in the series opener. The young slugger is 0 for 15 in the playoffs."There is a frustration where he wants to see results, and all players do," Roberts said. "But I encourage him, even today, that where he's at mechanically, I encourage him mentally to stay there in a positive way, because he's going to get some big hits for us."Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell made two changes, inserting Travis Shaw at second base and Erik Kratz at catcher. The addition of Shaw gives the Brewers four lefty batters against Ryu.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.Grandal committed two errors and had two passed balls in Los Angeles' Game 1 loss Friday night. Austin Barnes replaced Grandal behind the plate.Manager Dave Roberts says he likes the pairing of Barnes and Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. He also says Barnes has "got some history" with Milwaukee starter Wade Miley, but he is just 1 for 4 in his career against the lefty.Roberts also put Yasiel Puig in the starting lineup in right field. Cody Bellinger will begin Saturday's game on the bench, but Roberts says he will enter at some point.Bellinger went 0 for 4 in the series opener. He is 0 for 15 in the playoffs.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers put Xavier Cedeno on their roster for the NL Championship Series against Los Angeles, adding another left-hander to their deep bullpen for the matchup with the Dodgers' power-packed lineup.Cedeno had a 1.13 ERA in eight innings over 15 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31. Cedeno replaces slick-fielding outfielder Keon Broxton, who homered in Game 3 of the NLDS sweep against Colorado.Left-handed hitting Max Muncy has a team-high 35 homers for the Dodgers. Two more left-handers, Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson, are next with 25 each."We made a choice basically to add another pitcher, because it could be a seven-game series," manager Craig Counsell said. "We add another left-hander that we think matches up well in kind of a number of situations. So we add extra potential outs. And then the sacrifice is we're losing a baserunner, a defender, and we're losing a hitter."The Dodgers are sticking with 12 pitchers and... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — David Freese is hitting third for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, returning to a city where he enjoyed postseason success in 2011.Freese was the 2011 NLCS MVP after hitting .545 with three homers and nine RBIs for St. Louis in the Cardinals' six-game series victory over the Brewers.The Dodgers acquired Freese this season in August from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit .385 in 19 games in the regular season with Los Angeles.The right-handed hitting Freese is in the lineup at first base against Brewers left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez. Lefty slugger Max Muncy, who leads the Dodgers with 35 homers, will come off the bench.Chris Taylor and Justin Turner hit ahead of Freese, who is followed by cleanup hitter Manny Machado, Matt Kemp and Kike Hernandez.Cody Bellinger, the only left-handed hitter in the lineup, is seventh. Switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal hits eight, followed by starter Clayton Kershaw.The Brewers are going... [More]