Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw pulled after allowing 6 runs in 1st inning  —  LOS ANGELES — The ball sailed into the air and Clayton Kershaw rested his hands on his knees, head down, legs slightly bent, back toward home plate, a painful, all-too-familiar sight in this place, at this time of year.

Rangers slam way past O's, head home with 2-0 lead  —  Garver makes playoffs debut, hits second postseason grand slam in Texas' history  —  BALTIMORE — As the ball left Mitch Garver's bat, Leody Taveras — standing on third base after a leadoff walk — immediately threw his hands in the air.

Astros part ways with assistant GM Bill Firkus, farm director Sara Goodrum  —  HOUSTON — The Astros have parted ways with assistant general manager Bill Firkus and farm director Sara Goodrum, The Athletic has learned, representing the first major front-office shakeup under first-year general manager Dana Brown.

Does MLB's playoff format already need changes as higher seeds lose advantage?  —  The five-day layoff between the end of the regular season and start of the Division Series is not the reason the Baltimore Orioles trail the Texas Rangers, two games to none.  It is not the reason …

Red Sox fire pitching coach Dave Bush and infield coach Carlos Febles  —  The Red Sox have fired pitching coach Dave Bush and third base coach/infield instructor Carlos Febles.  —  Bush had been the pitching coach since the 2020 season, following three years as a Red Sox minor league pitching coordinator.

Recent PlaysPhiAtl  —  Castellanos lined into a double play, center fielder Harris II to third baseman Riley to first baseman Olson, Harper out.  —  Top 9th  —  Realmuto flied out to center fielder Harris II.  —  Top 9th  —  Iglesias pitching.  —  Top 9th  —  Harper walked.  —  Top 9th

How Phillies beat Braves behind manager's risky moves, Turner's unreal play in NLDS Game 1  —  It seemed so unorthodox, and yet, it worked so magnificently.  —  That's because Phillies manager Rob Thomson made all the right moves Saturday in Game 1 of the NLDS, and the Phillies beat the heavily favored Atlanta Braves 3-0.

A pitching pothole KO'd the Cardinals.  Can they get up and back into ‘fight for titles’?  —  With his teammates all around him emptying their lockers and filling bags and boxes with gear this past Sunday — literally zipping and taping shut the baggage they'll carry from a failed season …

The radical calm of Bruce Bochy  —  BRUCE BOCHY SPEAKS in a low rumble, walks like his shoes are three sizes too small and prefers to talk about anything but himself.  He manages a baseball game as if there are actual human beings on the field and not just a collection of numbers designed to dictate all outcomes, big and small.

‘Just an embarrassment:’ Major League Baseball managers are grossly underpaid  —  LOS ANGELES − They are the face of the franchise.  —  They're the voice of the team, the representative of the organizational brand, the messenger to their fanbase, the ones who ultimately are responsible …