Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
Red Sox lose again — then lock up AL wild card … BOSTON(AP) Behind a closed clubhouse door, the Boston Red Sox celebrated their sixth playoff berth in seven years in the usual way: with spraying beer, commemorative hats and T-shirts, and the customary promises that they will play better once the postseason begins.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Red Sox Monster, Over the Monster, The Big Lead and Batter's Box Interactive …
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Sox in postseason as Wild Card winners — Despite losing to Jays, Rangers loss clinches playoff berth — BOSTON — A couple of hours after a nearly epic comeback against the Blue Jays fell short in an 8-7 loss, the Red Sox at last got the ending they were looking for, even if it occurred 3,000 miles from Fenway Park on Tuesday.
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Sano to sign with Twins: Huntington responds — CHICAGO - Miguel Angel Sano, the top prospect in the Dominican Republic, will sign with the Minnesota Twins for a $3.15 million bonus, agent Rob Plummer just told the Post-Gazette in a phone conversation. — Sano, a shortstop expected …
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Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Morning links: The Sano saga — CHICAGO — As someone who spoke almost daily for several months with Miguel Angel Sano's agent, Rob Plummer, I can attest in the strongest terms that blame will be hard to assign for the Pirates not getting this player. — Plain and simple, these sides grew to dislike each other.
Discussion:
By Gosh, It's Langosch, Where Have You Gone …, BUCCO Fans.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and MLB Rumors
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Miranda's single helps Yanks walk off — NY turns tables on KC in ninth as Burnett fashions 15th pie — NEW YORK — Try telling Juan Miranda that these games don't matter. After a successful season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Miranda has never seen a stage this big.
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Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Longball onslaught tailed off at Stadium — Mark Teixeira and the Yankees have had many memorable home runs this season, but after a record pace to start the season ... The new Yankee Stadium has produced more homers than have ever been hit in the Bronx before and the most homers in the majors this year.
Adam Rubin / Surfing The Mets:
Nats 4, Mets 3: Magic number 4 for season to be over — Pedro Feliciano matched the franchise record he set last season when he made his 86th relief appearance and struck out Adam Dunn, but the Mets lost, 4-3, to the Nationals on Tuesday night when the eighth inning unraveled after Feliciano departed.
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Mark Zuckerman / Washington Times:
Nats hit the five-year mark with victory
Nats hit the five-year mark with victory
Discussion:
Nationals Journal, MLB.com, The washington times Blogs, NationalsPride.com and William World News
MLB:
Knoblauch charged with assault — HOUSTON — Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch was charged with assaulting his common-law wife. — A judge set Knoblauch's bond at $10,000 after he appeared in court Tuesday. According to a criminal complaint, Knoblauch's wife told police he hit …
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Andy Jasner / MLB.com:
Moyer exits game with left groin strain — Veteran left-hander's status for Wednesday unknown — PHILADELPHIA — Jamie Moyer limped off the field after the top of the seventh inning in the Phillies' 7-4 victory over the Astros on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park.
Discussion:
Philliesflow.com
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Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers in talks with GM Ned Colletti on contract extension — 'He's obviously done a very good job,' owner Frank McCourt says. — The Dodgers have reached the postseason for three times in four years under General Manager Ned Colletti, whose current deal includes a mutual option for 2010.
Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
Tigers-Twins winner faces stacked deck … As close a race as is the American League Central, a winner already has emerged as the Tigers and Twins battle to the wire: it's the New York Yankees, the winner's Division Series opponent. — Detroit could have salted away the division …
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Firings in Mets organization sending a message — is not the White House favorite he used to be during the George W. Bush years, but the general manager still enjoys the Mets' trips to the nation's capital even though the former Rangers owner has turned over the keys to Air Force One.
Jeremy Greenhouse / Baseball Analysts:
Thoughts from the 2009 New England Symposium on Statistics in Sports — On Saturday, Harvard hosted NESSIS, a gathering of sports statisticians that could be billed as the little brother of the sports analytics conference at MIT, only geekier. I say that as a compliment. — Academia vs. Industry (vs. Internet?)
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Some good news to share with you — Now that everything is finalized, here is some more news for you. — I'm thrilled to announce that The Journal News has hired Chad Jennings of the Times-Tribune in Scranton and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Blog to cover the Yankees. Chad starts on Oct. 7.
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Sports Illustrated:
Marlins' 5-4 win slows Braves' postseason drive … ATLANTA(AP) Manager Bobby Cox wasn't terribly concerned after the Atlanta Braves lost a tight game in a close playoff race. — “We almost pulled it off,” Cox said. “We had the bases loaded. We had a couple chances. Anything can happen.”
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Greinke: Beware of the Tigers — Zack Greinke has not pitched against the Yankees this season, but the Kansas City ace has an opinion about which AL Central contender the Bombers should prefer not to face when the playoffs open next week. — Just as you'd expect a Cy Young front-runner to say …
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
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Owen Perkins / MLB.com:
Iannetta helps Rox stretch Wild Card lead — Catcher hits pinch-hit homer in 11th for three-game cushion — DENVER — The Rockies were two outs away from their first smooth-sailing victory in nine days, since winning a pair of games in Arizona by six and four runs.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
So long from Yankee Stadium — A few things to mention on the way out the door: — • A very happy birthday to Shelley Duncan. Here's hoping he gets a chance to play for somebody next season. — • You can read me starting next week in The Boston Globe and on Boston.com's Extra Bases blog.
Discussion:
Generation Third