A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
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KID’S GAME
Prized rookie Deivi Garcia is set to become the youngest Yankees pitcher to make a postseason start in Game 2 of the best-of-five AL Division Series against rival Tampa Bay. New York won the opener 9-3 on Monday.
The 21-year-old Garcia made his major league debut Aug. 30 and went 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA in six regular-season starts. He’ll surpass Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who was nearly 22 when he started Game 4 of the 1950 World Series against the Phillies, as the youngest postseason starter for New York.
The 5-foot-9 Garcia also will become the youngest pitcher to start in the postseason for any team since Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Julio Urias was 20 in Game 4 of the 2016 NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs.
Tyler Glasnow, 27, goes for the AL East champion Rays. The 6-foot-8 Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA) had 91 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings this season. He’s won six straight decisions and four consecutive starts, including six innings of two-run ball to win the first-round clincher against Toronto.
LONG AND SHORT
Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros look to grab a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Division Series against AL West champion Oakland. Correa homered twice and drove in four runs to power the Astros to a 10-5 victory at Dodger Stadium in Game 1. The star shortstop is 6 for 11 (.545) with three home runs in three playoff games this year.
Houston’s young bullpen also is a huge reason the defending American League champions are 3-0 in the postseason. The unit hasn’t allowed a run in 14 2/3 innings, holding opposing hitters to 3 for 43 (.070) at the plate.
WHO’S UP?
The Padres hadn’t said whether starters Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger will be healthy enough to crack their NL Division Series roster and pitch against the Dodgers. Both were left off the first-round roster, Lamet with biceps tightness and Clevinger with an elbow impingement. If either is activated, they could pitch Game 1 in Arlington, Texas – San Diego hadn’t announced a starter yet.
”Obviously, those are two of their better starters,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ”We’re preparing for both those guys until we don’t have to.”
Los Angeles will start right-hander Walker Buehler in the opener, with left-hander Clayton Kershaw set for Game 2. Buehler has been dealing with a troublesome blister.
BRAVE NEW WORLD
The Braves are back in the NL Division Series for a third straight year but haven’t advanced to the NL Championship Series since 2001. They’re hoping they can hold off the upstart Marlins, who have never lost a postseason series. Max Fried (7-0) starts the opener for Atlanta in Houston against Sandy Alcantara (3-2).
Atlanta ended a streak of 10 consecutive losses in postseason rounds by shutting out the Reds in a two-game sweep for their first playoff series win since 2001.
”We want to move on past the NLDS,” star slugger Freddie Freeman said. ”We won a series but it’s still just the Division Series. So, we’ve got some work to do. And we have chips on our shoulders from the last couple of years.”
Atlanta is looking for a big series from Freeman after he was hampered by a nagging elbow injury in the 2019 playoffs.
”He was hurt, there’s no doubt about it,” manager Brian Snitker said. ”That guy laid it out there for us. I know it wasn’t fun for him. It was bothering him.”
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