Here are three things we’ll be looking at today in the world of baseball:
1. ALCS Heading to Game 4:
The Blue Jays arrived in Seattle trailing 0-2 in the AL standings, but that didn’t stop them from thrashing the Mariners 13-4 last night. They’ll try to keep that momentum going as they try to end the series tonight at 5:33 p.m. local time, when the future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer (5.19 ERA) assumed Luis Castillo (3.54 ERA). Even though Scherzer is one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, this pitching matchup clearly favors Seattle. Not only did Castillo put up much better regular-season numbers than the 41-year-old Scherzer, but he threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the ALDS in Game 2 against the Tigers before providing 1 1/3 innings of key relief in a marathon Game 5. Meanwhile, Scherzer was left off the ALDS roster entirely by the Blue Jays due to concerns about playing against Yankees hitters.
2. NLCS Heading to Game 3:
Before the American League prime time game begins, the Dodgers and Brewers will face off in Los Angeles at 3:08 pm local time. The Brewers hope to follow in Toronto’s footsteps and win the series-opening road game after losing back-to-back home games. They’ll do that with an as-yet-unannounced starting pitcher, although Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that the left-hander Jose Quintana (3.96 ERA) is expected to play a role one way or another in today’s game. He will face right-handers Tyler Glasnow (3.19 ERA). Both have been successful so far in the postseason, with Quintana pitching three scoreless innings of relief against the Cubs in Game 3 of the NL while Glasnow tossed ten strikeouts in 7 2/3 scoreless innings between his relief outing in the Wild Card Series against Cincinnati and his start in Game 4 against Philadelphia.
3. Changes to the exemption line?
As the start of the offseason approaches, some clubs that are no longer searching have begun 40-man roster maintenance in preparation for the upcoming winter. This has led to some activity on the waiver wire in recent days. The White Sox struck out four players to the minor leagues earlier this week, and two waiver claims have already occurred: Pittsburgh’s claim Will Robertsonand the claim of Minnesota Ryan Kreidler after he was designated to make room for Robertson on the Buccaneers’ roster. Minnesota’s Kreidler isn’t required to take corresponding action, but will other clubs place some of their fringe 40-man roster players on waivers in the coming days?
