NL West: The National League West is no longer an open race. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks last night (9/19), as their 7-6 score got them into the playoffs for the first time since they won the division in 2009.
With A.J. Ellis' go-ahead homer, the Dodgers can focus on winning home-field advantage now, as they have guaranteed themselves a ticket into October baseball for the first time since 2009. In that three year span, the Dodgers never finished above 86 wins, and had one losing season. AL East: In the American League races, the Boston Red Sox have the AL East with a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays (9/20). Behind great pitching from John Lester, they will reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009. This has been quite a comeback for the Red Sox who finished with a 69-93 record last season. NL East: The Braves have clinched the National League East with a Nationals 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins (9/21). They are looking to win home field advantage in the National League. They are playing Colorado today. AL West: The American League West also has been won. With a 4-0 loss by the Texas Rangers, the Oakland A's will take the division for the second consecutive year as they are currently playing the Twins this afternoon. (9/21) AL Central: The Tigers clinched the American League Central yesterday (9/25), with a classic Max Scherzer gem, as he pitched seven innings of shutout ball, and struck out ten, en route to his 21st win. He has been great for the Tigers this season, and continues to come through in clutch moments. They beat the Twins, 1-0. NL Central: The St. Louis Cardinals have clinched the National League Central, with a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs yesterday (9/27). Lance Lynn tossed six shutout, as the Cards cruised to their first division title since 2009. This is their third consecutive playoff appearance. 1st NL Wild Card: The Pittsburgh Pirates will be getting a home playoff game on October 1st, as they will be playing the Cincinnati Reds for the 2013 NL Wild Card game. They clinched it yesterday (9/28). 2nd NL Wild Card: Due to the Pittsburgh Pirates locking up the #1 spot, the Cincinnati Reds will guarantee themselves the second Wild Card spot.
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Roy Halladay has been shut down for the season, according to multiple reports. He exited his start last night, after only three batters. After a long conversation on the mound, Halladay was relieved from his start, and was replaced by Luis Garcia. It became known later that Halladay was suffering with right shoulder fatigue, and that his season would be over. Halladay was replaced after three batters, getting one to pop out, and walking two. He reached only 83 MPH, and was sweating heavily, even though he was playing in an air-conditioned stadium in Miami. The laboring Halladay only threw 16 pitches, and five for strikes. Halladay then had a long conference on the mound with Rich Dubee, Ryne Sandberg, and the Phillies athletic trainer before exiting from the game. In the whole scheme of things, Halladay's audition for a contract has gotten worse, especially since he's showing signs of shoulder problems. The Phillies still would like to re-sign Halladay, but they have to know what type of risk they're dealing with in re-signing him. It's very hard to know how Halladay will be pitching next season, but I still assume teams would be willing to give Halladay a contract because of the type of pitcher he is. That was his last audition for the year, as it really capped off how Halladay has pitched over this season. One of baseball's brightest stars took a hit on Monday. Manny Machado, the young Orioles third baseman, had a serious left knee injury in the 7th inning of today's game. He was immediately carted off the field, in serious pain. Machado's current status is unknown, but it is known that he will have an MRI tomorrow. Machado injured his leg landing on first base funny, after he beat out a softly-hit ground ball to Rays second baseman Tim Beckham. Machado was tagged out between first and second, but received an ovation as he exited the field on a stretcher. His leg bent funny while landing on the bag, which could imply a tear of some sort in the knee, either the ACL or MCL. Machado was named to the AL All-Star team this July, and has been a great part of the Orioles offense and defense, playin an all around game that has really boosted the team. Hopefully, he can get back onto the field as soon as possible, but this injury could be very serious. I'll keep you updated as I learn more about Machado's injury. 41 year old Andy Pettitte will be retiring at the end of this season, and will join Mariano Rivera as the two Yankees legends who will be retiring at the of the 2013 campaign. The 250 game winner (255-152 career record) has been one of the best pitchers in Yankees history. Pettitte announced his retirement Thursday. He has a career 3.86 ERA and 2,437 strikeouts in 3,300 innings pitched. This season, Pettitte is 10-10 with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. The Yankees drafted Pettitte in 1990 in the 22nd round of the draft. He entered the MLB for his first full season in 1995 and pitched until 2010, when he decided to retire for the first time. He then returned in 2012. He has won 20 games twice, and has been one of the Yankees most reliable pitchers over his career. Pettitte will be missed by the Yankees and their fans. Source: Phillies will officially name Sandberg full-time manager concluding the 2013 season9/19/2013 A source has told Cover The Bases that Phillies interim manager Ryne Sandberg will officially be named manager concluding the season. He has been the interim manager since August 16th, with the firing of former manager Charlie Manuel.
The Phillies have gone 18-14 since Sandberg's taking of the helm, as they look to improve their team in 2014. He will be apart of that, and will be the manager for the foreseeable future in Philadelphia. This is the first step to the Phillies rebuilding, solidifying their managerial position. Sandberg will be that piece and will be the manager.
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