Triple Crown contender Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Nolan Arenado and the big-hitting Colorado Rockies at
Dodger Stadium.October baseball is about to begin with Game No. 163 on
Monday.Two tiebreakers on the same day for the first time in major league
history. Both to divvy up divisions
David Freese Jersey , too.“It’s interesting that baseball is such a perfect game in some ways that it takes 162 to not decide anything,” Chicago
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and the Cubs begin the
doubleheader drama when they host Milwaukee for the NL Central crown. Later in
the afternoon, Dodgers rookie Walker Buehler is set to start when Los Angeles
faces Colorado for the NL West title.There’s a catch, though.All four teams are
already assured playoff spots, either as a division champ or wild card. The
Dodgers, Rockies, Brewers and Cubs knew that going into Sunday, the final
scheduled day of the regular season
Tyler Glasnow Jersey , and then romped by a combined score of 48-5.So, it means this: These matchups are not one-and-done.Never before has a team that
lost a tiebreaker got to keep playing. Bucky Dent’s pop-fly homer finished off
the Red Sox in 1978. Matt Holliday slid home — and maybe touched the plate — to
eliminate San Diego in 2007. David Price pitched Tampa Bay past Texas in 2013 to
win the most recent matchup.This time, they’re all in. But, there’s still a big
difference between winning the division or going into the postseason as a wild
card.The Brewers-Cubs winner gets to start the best-of-five Division Series at
home on Thursday against the wild card winner. The Colorado-Los Angeles winner
also begins the NLDS at home versus Atlanta.“It’s a game where obviously it’s
not do-or-die, but I think that it’s a must-win game,” Dodgers manager Dave
Roberts said after a 15-0 rout in San Francisco.“To win the game and get a
couple days off, to host the Division Series is very important,” he said.The
tiebreaker losers play Tuesday at the NL Central’s site to determine who
advances.The AL playoff scenario is set.Oakland and the Yankees hold the
wild-card game Wednesday night in New York and the winner goes to Boston on
Friday. Defending World Series champion Houston opens the ALDS against
Cleveland.Arenado homered twice and Charlie Blackmon hit for the cycle as the
Rockies roughed up Washington 12-0. The Nationals decided to skip ace Max
Scherzer and instead start Erick Fedde.Colorado, which has never won a division
title since beginning play in 1993
http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-adam-frazier-jersey , will try to deny the defending NL champion Dodgers their sixth straight West
title. German Marquez, who struck out eight straight batters to begin his last
start, takes on Manny Machado, Justin Turner and their Los Angeles
teammates.“It’s two of the best young starting pitchers in the big leagues
pitching in this type of game,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It’s great.”The
Dodgers topped Colorado 12-7 in the season series. The Cubs are 11-8 against
Milwaukee.At Wrigley, lefty Jose Quintana is set to start for the Cubs. He’s 6-2
with a 1.60 ERA in 10 starts against Milwaukee. The Brewers haven’t announced
their starter.The Cubs put themselves in this position with a 10-5 win at home
over St. Louis. Milwaukee won its seventh in a row, trouncing Detroit
11-0.“Expecting it to be fairly hostile tomorrow,” Yelich said. “Any time we
play the Cubs, it’s a hostile environment
Chad Kuhl Jersey , especially in Wrigley Field. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re looking forward to it.”Yelich is hitting .323 in his first season
with Milwaukee, sealing the first batting title in Brewers’ history. He has 109
RBIs, tied with Arenado and two behind Javier Baez of the Cubs. Yelich’s 36 home
runs are even with Colorado’s Trevor Story and St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter, one
behind Arenado.Since the tiebreakers are considered game No. 163 of the regular
season, all stats Monday will count, giving Yelich a chance to win the first NL
Triple Crown since Joe Medwick in 1937. A look at what’s happening around the
majors today:ROCK ‘EMColorado has won six in row, boosting its playoff position.
The NL West leaders aim for a four-game sweep when they take on the Phillies at
Coors Field, having outscored them 34-4 so far in the series. Antonio Senzatela
(6-6, 4.52 ERA) starts for the Rockies against Jake Arrieta (10-10
http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-ivan-nova-jersey , 3.94).The Rockies’ 14-0 romp Wednesday night moved them a half-game past the Los
Angeles Dodgers for the division lead. They’re also 1 1/2 games ahead of St.
Louis for the second NL wild-card spot.HOLDING ONLefty Jon Lester and the
Chicago Cubs try to maintain their lead in the NL Central when they host
Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have a half-game edge over Milwaukee,
which is idle. Chicago and the Brewers both have clinched playoff spots, so one
will win the division and the other will be in the all-or-nothing wild-card
game. Lester (17-6, 3.43 ERA) is 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA in his last seven starts.
The Cubs will see how star third baseman Kris Bryant is feeling — he didn’t play
Wednesday night because of a bruised left wrist, the result of being hit by a
pitch the previous day.CAUGHT SHORTThe NL East champion Braves will find out if
there’s any update on shortstop Dansby Swanson. The team said Wednesday that he
has a partially torn ligament in his left hand, putting his postseason status in
jeopardy. Swanson won’t play the rest of the regular season, which ends Sunday.
The Braves open the best-of-five NL Division Series on Oct. 4.The 24-year-old
Swanson was on the disabled list in May and missed 13 games with left wrist
inflammation. He is batting .238 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs and is considered
a candidate to be a Gold Glove finalist.TUNE UPAstros right-hander Gerrit Cole
(15-5, 2.92) gets loose when he pitches at Baltimore. His following start will
come in the Division Series when AL West champion Houston takes on Cleveland.
Cole has 272 strikeouts. Teammate Justin Verlander leads the league with
280.
