Top News:
Sean McAdam / Boston Herald:
Jon Lester will start it off — Sources: Red Sox go with lefty in ALDS opener — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In 2003, he won Game 5 for the Florida Marlins in Yankee Stadium on three days' rest and was named World Series MVP. — Four years later, he won all four of his postseason starts for the Red Sox [team stats].
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yanks want to clinch against Sox — The Yankees and Red Sox are both headed for October, but the two rivals would love to make a statement to assert themselves as the favorites in the American League. — With only 10 days to go until the end of the regular season, the two AL East contenders …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
After a Disappointing First Season, Girardi Adjusts — Joe Girardi's hair is the color of steel, buzzed close to his scalp, suited for the military. The reason is that anything else would look frizzy. But the haircut, it seems, has always informed the narrative.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, The Yankee Universe, Bats, It's About The Money and Zell's Pinstripe Blog
Mike Puma / New York Post:
AL East title within weekend reach — Uncork the champagne and use red socks to mop up spills on the clubhouse carpet. That would be quite a Yankee Stadium party. — Lights, camera, AL East title. The Yankees can make it official this weekend, appropriately enough with the Red Sox across the field to witness the celebration.
Associated Press:
Dodgers one win away from playoffs; Nats hit 100 losses — WASHINGTON (AP) — Rafael Furcal (FSY) hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning Thursday night, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Washington 7-6 to hand the Nationals their 100th loss of the season.
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Joe Posnanski:
What Our Eyes See — This is not — repeat NOT — that angry 20,000 word diatribe about Hall of Famer Jim Rice that I originally proposed after reading his Sullivan Tire blog post about Zack Greinke, the appropriately titled “Greinke is a Good Pitcher — Not Dominant.”
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Jim Rice / Ask 14:
Greinke is a Good Pitcher - Not Dominant — Zack Greinke didn't really impress me last night. He pitched well and maybe I caught him on a bad night, but to me he didn't seem dominant. Greinke has may have the lowest ERA in the AL since Pedro Martinez in 2000, but he doesn't strike …
Discussion:
The Sporting Blog, Circling The Bases, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Yawkey Way Academy and Amazin' Avenue
Canadian Press:
HERNANDEZ WINS NO. 17 AS MARINERS DOWN BLUE JAYS — TORONTO — There is lots of intrigue building around Felix Hernandez right now, and how his future plays out this winter is something the Toronto Blue Jays will be watching closely. — The dominant right-hander struck out a season-high 11 batters …
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Mike Puma / New York Post:
Hairston has tendinitis in wrist — Considering the list of possible alternatives, tendinitis to Jerry Hairston Jr.'s left wrist doesn't sound like such a bad thing to general manager Brian Cashman. — The Yankees received that diagnosis yesterday, a day after Hairston left a game against the Angels in obvious pain.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
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David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Answer Man: Denard Span talks beaning, OBP, Target and Spam — About 48 hours after getting hit in the head with a pitch against the White Sox on Monday, Minnesota Twins outfielder Denard Span — was still feeling the effects. So what better way to test his mental faculties and ease …
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Appalachian League Top 20 Prospects With Scouting Reports — Electric stuff earns Braves' Julio Teheran the No. 1 spot — BURLINGTON, N.C.—Order was restored in the Rookie-level Appalachian League when Danville dispatched Elizabethton in two games to win the title.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Russell, staff not in trouble — A month ago, the Pirates' front office, all the way up to owner Bob Nutting, strongly endorsed the return of manager John Russell and the full coaching staff. And despite the historic losing stretch of late, that stance has stuck.
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Chicago Sun Times:
Three takes on the White Sox — Octavio Dotel said he approached the club about his immediate future and a contract extension last month and was told he wasn't in the plans. The reliever at least appreciated the Sox being upfront with him. As he turns his attention to free agency, New York is atop his wish list.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
Mora preparing to leave Orioles ‘with my head up’ — Third baseman's career with team likely to end with season; he says he still loves the city — When he joined the Orioles in July 2000, Melvin Mora was one of 14 unfamiliar commodities received in the club's now infamous trade-deadline fire sale …
Associated Press:
Tigers' Verlander strikes out 11 as Indians drop 11th straight — CLEVELAND (AP) — Justin Verlander (FSY) pitched the Detroit Tigers closer to a division title and pushed the Cleveland Indians within one loss of matching a franchise record for futility with a 6-5 win on Thursday night.
John Shea / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants Beat: Lincecum open to long-term deal — (09-24) 22:52 PDT — Tim Lincecum answered the question exactly how Giants fans wanted him to. For the first time, the ace will be eligible for arbitration, meaning his salary will skyrocket, and he was asked if he'd be open to a long-term deal.
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Fielder is last candidate to play all 162 — Goal to be in lineup every day started in Little League — MILWAUKEE — When Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis took a night off on Tuesday in Toronto, the Brewers' Prince Fielder became the season's lone iron man.
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
FINAL: Red Sox 10, Royals 3 — SOX WIN (11:51, TOP 9, 10-3 SOX) — After a long, ugly victory, the Sox cut their magic number clinch the AL wild card down to three. Clay Buchholz pitched 6 2/3 sterling, shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing five hits, all singles.
