Jose Altuve Sends Astros Back to World Series with Walk-Off Homer, Defeating Yankees

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 19, 2019

American League

Altuve: ALCS MVP

Houston Astros 6 New York Yankees 4

After a year's absence, Houston is heading back to the World Series.

With two down in the bottom of the ninth, Jose Altuve launched a home run over center field, snapping a 4-4 tie for the walk-off win.

George Springer was aboard for the ride, having worked out a walk from Aroldis Chapman ahead of Altuve's at-bat.

Chapman, who had just earned his first save in Friday's 4-1 Yankee win, was saddled with the loss.

Altuve, the 2017 AL MVP, was at his best in game six, doubling and scoring the Astros' first run on Yuri Guriel's three-run, first inning homer. Opening the sixth inning with a walk, Altuve went to third on Michael Branley's single and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Alex Bregman.

Houston maintained the lead until New York tied it in the top of the ninth on DJ LeMaheiu's two-run homer, but the Yankee's hopes came crashing down in the bottom of the frame.

Altuve was 3-for-4 on the night, with three runs and two RBI. For the series, he batted .348 (8-for-23) with two home runs, three RBI and six runs, earning AL Championship Series MVP.

Having achieved the best regular season record in the majors, Houston will have home field advantage for the World Series against the Washington Nationals. The Nationals earned their spot in the fall classic by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Games one and two will be in Houston, with games three, four, and five (in needed) in Washington. If the series is extended, games six and seven will be played back in Houston.

The series begins Tuesday, October 22, at 8:08 pm ET. All games will be televised nationally by Fox.

Yankees Get One Back as Aaron Hicks, James Paxton Stymie Astros in Game Five

Players of the Day for Friday, October 18, 2019

American League

Paxton: 6IP, 4H, 1ER, 9K

New York Yankees 4 Houston Astros 1

After Houston pushed across a run in the top of the first, Justin Verlander ran into immediate trouble in game five of the AL Championship Series, allowing a leadoff home run to DJ LeMaheiu, followed by a three-run blast off the bat of Aaron Hicks in the bottom of the inning.

Hicks belts 3-run homer

Those four runs were more than enough for Yankee starting pitcher, James Paxton, who shut down the Astros over the next five innings, keeping them from scoring again. Paxton worked six solid frames, giving up four hits and four walks, striking out nine. After 112 pitches, Paxton hit the bench, Tommy Kahnle, Zack Britton, and Aroldis Chapman finished up, Chapman firing a hitless ninth inning for his first save of the series.

Paxton was 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA during the regular season. Friday's victory was his first of the post-season. In just 221 regular season at-bats, Hicks batted .235 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in a season shortened by injuries.

With five games on the books, Houston still leads, three games to two, with game six slated for an 8:08 start on Saturday night at Yankee stadium.

The winner of the AL pennant will face the Washington Nationals, champions of the National League, in the 2019 World Series.

ALCS: George Springer, Carlos Correa Lead Astros to 8-3 Game Four Win over Yankees

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 17, 2019

American League

Houston Astros 8 New York Yankees 3

Carlos Correa

George Springer and Carlos Correa each knocked three-run homers and that was enough to squash the Yankees in game four of the AL Championship Series.

George Springer

Springer unloaded off Yankee starter, Masahiro Tanaka in the third. Correa's three-run bomb was launched off reliever Chad Green. It was Correa's second homer of the series; Springer's was his first.

The result was the Astros with a 3-1 edge in the series, leaving the Yankees on the verge of elimination and the Astros poised to head to their second World Series in the past three years. Houston was the best team in baseball in 2017, defeating the LA Dodgers, four games to three.

The Washington Nationals await the winner of the AL series after sweeping the Cardinals four straight in the NLCS.

Game five is Friday at Yankee Stadium, 7:08 pm ET.

NLCS: Trea Turner Sets Up Nationals Sweep of Cardinals; ALCS: Astros Take 2-1 Lead over Yankees

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 15, 2017

American League

Houston Astros 4 New York Yankees 1

Behind Gerrit Cole's seven shutout innings, Houston took a two games to one advantage in the AL Championship Series, dumping the Yankees in game three, 4-1.

The leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award, Cole allowed four hits, walked five, and struck out seven. Staked to a 2-0 lead by Jose Altuve's home run on the first pitch of the game and Josh Reddick's second inning solo shot, Cole was able to relax and employ his entire repertoire to dominate the Yankees from the mound.

Game four is slated for Wednesday, 8:08 pm ET. Game five is Thursday, with the same start time.

National League

Washington Nationals 7 St. Louis Cardinals 4

Turner set the Nats' table

For the first time since 1933, a world series will be played in Washington, DC.

86 years ago, the American League's Washington Senators played the New York Giants in the fall classic, losing four games to one. This season's National League entrant, the Washington Nationals, are hoping for a better result after ousting the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight.

The final touches to complete the sweep actually occurred early in game four. In Washington's first at-bat, Trea Turner led off with a single, moved to third on an Adam Eaton double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rendon.

A 1-0 lead for National's starter, Patrick Corbin, was a good start, but Washington was just getting going, eventually sending 10 men to the plate and scoring seven first inning runs, capped by Turner's second single of the frame, which plated a pair.

Dakota Hudson, the St. Louis starter, managed to retire just one batter before Adam Wainwright came on as a replacement with five runs already plated. Hudson was saddled with four earned runs (three were unearned) and the loss.

The Nationals did not score again in the game, but it was more than enough as the Cardinals were only able to muster a run in the fourth and three in the fifth inning. For the series, the Cardinals only scored six runs.

Champion of the National League for the first time in franchise history, the Nationals await the winner from the American League. Whether it's Houston or New York, the 2019 World Series will start at the home of the AL team.

ALCS: Carlos Correa Blasts Walk-Off 11th-Inning Homer As Houston Evens Series With Yankees

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 13, 2019

Correa: Walk-Off HR

American League

Houston Astros 3 New York Yankees 2, 11 innings

After dropping the opening game of the ALCS at home, the Astros needed a big effort and they got it from shortstop Carlos Correa.

Correa got Houston on the board in the second inning, belting a double that plated Alex Bregman with the game's first score.

Aaron Judge socked a two-run homer for the Yankees in the fourth, countered by George Springer's solo mash in the fifth, tying the game at two-all. Correa was also brilliant in the field, fielding a deflected ground ball and throwing out DJ LeMaheiu at the plate in the top of the sixth.

The game remained tied through the ninth and into extra innings, but Correa ended it with a leadoff homer in the 11th that sailed into the right field stands, evening the series at a game apiece.

Monday is a travel day for the teams, back to New York for games three, four, and five. Game three is Tuesday at 4:08 pm ET.

National League

There were no National League games on Sunday. The NLCS resumes Monday, as Washington hosts St. Louis in game three at 8:05 pm ET. The Nationals lead the series, two games to none.

ALCS: Yankees Grab Game One Behind Gleybar Torres; NLCS: Nationals Take 2-0 Lead Over Cardinals

Apologies in advance for the brevity of this reporting. Half of the internet seems to be down (possibly due to rolling blackouts in California?) and access is limited and slow.

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 12, 2019

American League

Torres: 3-for-5, HR 5 RBI

New York Yankees 7 Houston Astros 1

Opening the AL Championship Series in Houston, the New York Yankees took the initiative with a 7-0 whitewash of the Astros, on a big night for second baseman Gleyber Torres.

Torres got the Yankees on the board first with a double in the fourth inning, plating DJ LeMaheiu. In the sixth, Torres homered to put New York ahead 2-0. Giancarlo Stanton added a solo shot in the same inning.

In the seventh, Torres' bases-loaded single brought in two more runs as the Yankees pulled away. Torres completed the scoring with a ground out to short that brought home LeMaheiu from third base.

Yankee starter, Masahiro Tanaka held the Astros scoreless though the first six innings, allowing one hit and a walk, striking out four. Three New York relievers finished up, each throwing a scoreless inning.

Game two is Sunday at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Game time is

National League

Washington Nationals 3 St. Louis Cardinals 1

Washington took a two games to one edge in the NLCS, taking down St. Louis 2-0 on Friday night and taking the second of the Cardinals' home games by a 3-1 score on Saturday.

The series heads to Washington for the next three games, beginning with game three on Monday. Game four is Tuesday and game five, if needed, is Wednesday.

David Price, Rafael Devers Send Boston To World Series

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 18, 2018

American League

AL Championship Series Game Five: Boston Red Sox 4 Houston Astros 1

Price: 6IP, 3H, 0ER, 9K

Boston's David Price and Houston's Justin Verlander dueled through six innings until Red Sox third baseman, Rafael Devers, delivered the winning blow, a three-run sixth-inning homer that effectively finished off Verlander and the Astros, sending the Red Sox to a 4-1 win and a trip to the world series.

Verlander suffered his first loss of this post-season, previously notching two wins, over Cleveland in game one of the ALDS and game one against Boston in the championship series. It was Houston's only win against Boston as the Red Sox won four straight.

Devers: 3-run homer

Price evened his 2018 post-season record at 1-1, tossing six innings of shutout ball, nursing a 1-0 lead from the third inning on J.D. Martinez's solo homer run. Price allowed just three hits, didn't issue any walks and fanned nine. The Astros never threatened. With Price on the mound, they never had more than one baserunner per inning, none advancing past second and they went down in order in the third, fifth. and sixth.

This will be the first Red Sox world series appearance since they defeated St. Louis in 2013, four games to two. Boston's experience in the 21st century has been a positive one, winning the World Series in all of their appearances, previously winning in 2004 and 2007. They swept the Colorado Rockies in 2007 and also swept the Cardinals in 2004, taking the title for the first time since 1918.

National League

The NL Championship Series continues Friday in Milwaukee with game five beginning at 8:39 pm ET. The Dodgers lead the Brewers, three games to two.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Homers In Boston Victory; Clayton Kershaw Dominates Brewers As Dodgers Take Game Five

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 17, 2018

American League

AL Championship Series Game Four: Boston Red Sox 8 Houston Astros 6

Bradley Jr. does it again!

Jackie Bradley Jr. did it again. The Boston center fielder belted a two-run homer in the sixth inning, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 Boston lead that the Red Sox would never relinquish.

Bradley Jr. has become an instant superstar, reminiscent of the Reggie Jackson heroics in the 70s that earned him the name "Mr. October."

In four games against Houston in the Championship Series, Bradley is hitting only .250 (3-for-12), but his hits have been timely and game-changing. In game two, he doubled and drove in three runs. Game three's grand slam sealed Boston's win and another homer put Boston ahead in game four.

The win leaves Boston with a 3-1 lead in the series, with game five scheduled for Thursday at 8:09 pm ET in Houston. A Boston win sends the Red Sox to the World Series. A Houston victory sends the series back to Boston for game six and, if necessary, game seven.

National League

NL Championship Series Game Five: LA Dodgers 5 Milwaukee Brewers 2

Kershaw: 7IP, 3H, 1R, 9K

Clayton Kershaw was at his best, holding the Brewers to one run over seven innings, taking the Dodgers to the brink of their second straight World Series appearance with a 5-2 win over Milwaukee and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

On Lorenzo Cain's double with two aboard, the Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the third, but that was all they would get off Kershaw, who struck out Christian Yelich, walked Ryan Braun, and struck out Jesus Aguilar to end the bases-loaded threat. After that, he was perfect, retiring the next twelve batters in order from the fourth through seventh innings. He walked two and fanned nine.

During that stretch, the Dodgers rallied with a run in the fifth inning, two in the sixth, and two more in the bottom of the seventh. Kershaw walked in the seventh and came around to score on Justin Turner's single.

With the lead safely in hand, the Dodgers went to the bullpen, needing four relievers to hold down the Brewers. Milwaukee struck for a run in the ninth, but, with Curtis Granderson on second base, Kenley Jansen fanned Jesus Aguilar to shut down the rally and end the game.

The Dodgers find themselves one win away from the World Series as the series heads back to Milwaukee on Friday for game six and seven, if necessary, on Saturday.

Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy Lead Mets to Sweep of Cubs, Head to World Series; Blue Jays Stay Alive as Marco Estrada Stops Royals

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Estrada saves Blue Jays

American League


With 7 2/3 solid innings from Marco Estrada, the Blue Jays staved off elimination with a 7-1 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Game five was decidedly one-sided, as Estrada allowed only three hits and didn't give up a run until the eighth inning, when he surrendered a two-out homer to Salvador Perez.

Estrada set down the entire lineup in order over the first three innings, then after Alcides Escobar singled to open the fourth, Estrada recorded 11 straight outs, beginning with a double play that erased Escobar and Ben Zobrist, until walking Lorenzo Cain with two down in the seventh.

Toronto used a four-run sixth inning to take hold of the game, highlighted by Troy Tulowitzki's bases-loaded double which plated three.

The teams head back to Kansas City for game six on Friday. First pitch is slated for 8:07 pm EDT.

National League

Duda drives in five

Murphy set MLB HR mark

The Cubs will have to go Back to the Future if they wish to end their 107-year-old World Series drought because the New York Mets completed a four game sweep with an 8-3 win to capture the NL title and head for October glory.

New York took little time to press their case, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding two in the second.

Lucas Duda provided the power, socking a three-run homer in the first inning and driving in two more in the second with a double.

Daniel Murphy set a mejor league record with his sixth home run in the last six games, sending out a two-run shot in the eighth to put the game completely out of reach.

The Mets make the trip to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2000, when they lost to the Yankees in five games. They last won the World Series in 1986, when they defeated the Red Sox in seven games.

Alcides Escobar Leads Royals to 14-2 Wreck of Blue Jays in ALCS; Daniel Murphy Homers Again as Mets Take 3-0 Lead over Cubs in NLCS

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 20, 2015

American League

Escobar: 4 RBI

Despite Toronto's 11-8 win in game three, the ALCS seems destined to be in the hands of the Kansas City Royals, who took a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the best of seven series with a 14-2 mashing of the Blue Jays Tuesday at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

Leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar paced the Royals, going 2-for-3 with a pair of sac flies and a ninth inning single that plated the final two Kansas City runs. Escobar drove in four runs.

Escobar singled in the first and was aboard for Ben Zobrist's homer as the Royals pounded knuckballer, R.A. Dickey for four first inning runs.

Dickey lasted only until two down in the second inning, allowing an Alex Rios solo homer, which ended his mound appearance. It didn't get much better as the Royals ripped through six Toronto relievers, adding four runs in the seventh, three more in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Murphy: 5 games, 5 HR

Toronto now faces elimination in Wednesday's game five at the Rogers Centre. Start time is 4:07 pm EDT.

National League

Daniel Murphy was at it again, homering for the fifth straight game, and so were the players batting immediately in front and back of him, as the 2-3-4 Mets batters were a combined 8-for-14 and scored all five of the Mets runs in a 5-2 game three win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Murphy, David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes backed the pitching of Jacob deGrom, who tossed seven innings, allowing just four hits, two of them solo homers by Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber, which were the only runs the Cubs would score on the night.

Both Cespedes and Wright had two singles and a double. Wright scored three runs; Cespedes drove in two. Murphy went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. His solo homer in the second put the Mets ahead 2-1.

The win put the Mets in the enviable position of being up three games to one in the best of seven NLCS, with the chance to put the hopes of generations of Cubs' fans to rest for another season on Wednesday. Game time is 8:07 pm EDT in Chicago.

Toronto Bashes Royals, 11-8, for Game Three ALCS Victory as Troy Tulowitzki Hoemrs

Players of the Day for Monday, October 19, 2015

American League

Tulowitzki: 3-run Homer

A little home cooking was just what the Toronto Blue Jays needed to notch their first win of the ALCS, topping the Royals Monday night at the Rogers Centre, 11-8.

While the score suggests that the game was close, Kansas City only cut into the Toronto lead in the ninth, scoring four runs before being retired for the night.

The key blow of the game was struck by Toronto shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki, whose third inning homer increased the Blue Jay lead from 3-2 to 6-2. The Jays tacked on three more runs in the frame, knocking out Royuals' starter, Johnny Cueto, who lasted just two innings officially, not getting any outs before being lifted in the third, allowing eight runs on six hits and four bases on balls.

Ryan Goins and Josh Donaldson also homered for the Jays. Donaldson hit a two-run shot in the third; Goins smacked a solo homer in the fifth inning.

The win leaves the Royals with a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series. Game four is scheduled for a first pitch at 4:07 pm EDT, Tuesday in Toronto.

National League

There were no NL games on Monday. The NLCS continues with game three in Chicago with the Cubs hosting the Mets at 8:07 pm EDT. New York holds a 2-0 edge n the series.

Mets Grab 2-0 Lead in NLCS as Daniel Murphy Homers for 4th Straight Game

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 18, 2015

American League

The Kansas City Royals lead the Toronto Blue Jays two games to one in the AL Championship series as the teams took Sunday off to travel and prepare for game three, in Toronto, Monday, at 8:07 pm EDT.

Murphy: HR, 2 RBI

National League

Daniel Murphy homered for the fourth straight game, leading the New York Mets to a 4-1 win over the Cubs in game two of the best-of-seven NLCS.

Murphy, who had a career-high 14 homers during the regular season, has gotten red-hot during the playoffs. His homers in games four and five of the NLDS helped defeat the LA Dodgers. In the NLCS, his first inning, game one solo shot helped the Mets to take a 4-2 victory.

On Sunday, Murphy again went yard early, touching off a two-run blast against Chicago ace, Jake Arrieta, sending the Cy Young hopeful to his first defeat since July 25. Murphy also singled and walked, going 2-for-3 for the game.

Arrieta only lasted five innings, giving up all four of the Mets' runs. It was his shortest outing of the season, matching starts on May 2nd and June 6th, both of which ended in losses. Arrieta had won 13 straight, including 11 during the regular season. He also won the wild card game against Pittsburgh and notched a win against St. Louis in the divisional series.

Noah Syndergaard got the win for New York, allowing one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out nine.

The Mets lead the series two games to one, with the series heading to Wrigley Field in Chicago for games three and four, and, if necessary, game five.

Game three is scheduled for Tuesday night at 8:07 pm EDT.

Mike Mousttakas Lead Royals to Game Two Win in ALCS; Matt Harvey, Mets Take Game One over Cubs

Moustakas: 2-4, 2 RBI

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 18, 2015

American League


Kansas City took game two of the ALCS with a 6-3 victory over Toronto, giving the Royals a two-games-to-none lead in the best of seven series.

The Royals overcame a 3-0 Blue Jay lead with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. After yielding a leadoff single to open the first, Toronto starter, David Price, set down 18 straight Royals and was cruising along with a comfortable lead into the seventh. Then Kansas City struck like lightning, scoring five runs on five hits, sending Pirce to the showers.

Mike Moustakas singled in a run during the seventh-inning rally and singled home another in the eighth to complete the scoring for Kansas City.

The series takes a day off Sunday for travel. Monday, the venue shifts to Toronto's Rogers Centre for game three, at 8:07 pm EDT.

National League

Harvey: Game One Winner

Matt Harvey worked into the eighth inning while the Mets built a lead on solo homers by Daniel Murphy and Travis d-Arnaud leading to a 4-2 triumph at Citi Field in game one of the NLCS.

The Mets put their ace on the mound at home and Harvey did not disappoint, striking out nine and not yielding a run until the Cubs struck for a single run in the fifth, temporarily tying the game at one apiece. Murphy's first-inning solo shot had given the Mets the lead earlier.

Curtis Granderson singled home a run in the bottom of the fifth, then d'Arnaud smashed his solo shot to dead center, the ball traveling some 436 feet for the 3-1 lead.

Granderson drove in another run in the eighth to complete the scoring for the Mets.

Harvey threw 64 of 97 pitches for strikes and allowed only three hits and one run until Kyle Schwarber touched him up with a solo shot in the eighth. Mets' closer, Jeurys Familia, took over after Harvey's 7 2/3 innings, slamming the door shut with a four-out save.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 8:07 pm EDT at Citi Field in New York.

Cubs Advance to NLCS on Javier Baez Blast; Jose Bautista Leads Blue Jays over Rangers; Toronto to Meet Royals in ALCS

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14, 2015

American League

Bautista Sends Jays to ALCS

A pair of game fives took place Wednesday in the ALDS, with Toronto moving on past the Texas Rangers, 6-3, and the Royals disposing of the pesky Astros, 7-2.

In Toronto, Jose Bautista had he game-winner, stroking a three-run blast in the seventh which broke open a 3-3 tie.

The Royals advanced to their second straight ALCS, riding the two-hit pitching of Johnny Cueto to the victory. Cueto's only mistake was a second-inning homer with a man aboard to Luis Valbeuna. The Royals hung in, took the lead in the fifth inning and polished off the Astros with three more in the eighth.

The Royals host Toronto in game one of the AL Championship series, which gets underway Friday, October 16.

National League

Baez puts Cubs in NLCS

The Mets and Dodgers will go to a decisive game five after LA came back to take game four in New York, 3-1. Game five is slated for an 8:00 pm ET start on Thursday in Los Angeles. Zack Greinke goes to the hill for the Dodgers, while the Mets will start Jacob DeGrom.

In Chicago, the Cubs took down the Cardinals, the team with the best regular season record, 6-4, advancing to the NL Championship.

The Cubs continued to employ the long ball as their major force, socking three home runs in the clincher against St. Louis, the unlikely hero of the game, shortstop Javier Baez, who unloaded for a three-run homer in the second inning off Cardinal starter, John Lackey. Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber also homered for the Cubs.