There is nothing like postseason baseball. As the World Series is set to get underway on Tuesday, we are still trying to determine what teams will match up.
On Friday, the Astros earned a berth, but their opponents are still yet to be determined as the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers still battle it out in the National League.
With so much excitement around the League Championship series, let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories of the week.
Houston To The World Series
Not only have the Astros made it to five straight American League Championship series, but they have now earned a trip to the World Series in three of them. In fact, they have had some odd year magic as they have made the World Series in 2017, 2019, and now 2021.
In Game 6 of the ALCS on Friday, they were able to clinch the victory with a 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. In the win, Luis Garcia went 5.2 innings of scoreless ball while Yordan Alvarez went four for four, and Kyle Tucker cemented the win with a three-run shot in the eighth.
Back to Alvarez, the Cuban designated hitter won the ALCS MVP after hitting .522/.538/.870 with a home run, six runs batted in, and seven runs in 23 at-bats.
The Astros will now enjoy a few days off before the World Series starts on Tuesday. They are currently the favorite to win it all at -150.
Dodgers’ Injury Woes Continue
The Dodgers were already without starter Clayton Kershaw and first baseman Max Muncy. The injuries keep racking up, though, as Justin Turner is out for the rest of the postseason with a hamstring injury, Max Scherzer won’t start in Game 6 as he deals with a dead arm, and reliever Joe Kelly was put on the injured list with a bicep injury.
Losing Scherzer is a massive blow for the Dodgers. While he is 0-1 in the playoffs, he has pitched 16.2 innings over four games with a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
The Dodgers haven’t announced a replacement to start Game 6 Saturday night, but they could turn to David Price. Los Angeles replaced Joe Kelly with Price, and he could be a candidate to make a spot start.
During the regular season, Price was 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and had struck out 58 in 73.2 innings.
As they continue to try to fight off the Braves in elimination games, the Dodgers will hope for heroic performances like they got from Chris Taylor in Game 5. In the Dodgers’ 11-2 victory, Taylor went four for five with three home runs, six runs batted in, and three runs scored.
The Braves are currently the favorite to win the NLCS as their odds sit at -240.
Yankees Keep Their Manager In The Fold
With Aaron Boone’s contract set to expire, there was some uncertainty surrounding who would manage the New York Yankees next season.
On Tuesday, general manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees answered that question as they signed Boone to a three-year extension that will keep him in place through 2024. The deal also includes a club option that could keep him for a fourth season.
Boone has been at the helm since the beginning of 2018, and he has a 328-218 regular-season record in that span.
While he hasn’t had the postseason success that Yankees’ fans would hope for, he still has made the postseason each of the four years.
This season, the Yankees were bounced by the rival Boston Red Sox in the A.L. Wild Card game.
