:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YX7VDG4PNVA7LDIEGM5766QNGY.jpg)
Rangers snap 16-game road losing streak, rout Dodgers 12-1
Jonah Heim and Nate Lowe had two-run homers among their three hits apiece, Kolby Allard pitched five scoreless innings of five-hit ball and the Texas Rangers emphatically snapped their 16-game road losing streak with a 12-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5J2VGHLG4JEOTPUWQUW53YN27M.jpg)
Diamondbacks' Gallen has sore forearm, might miss opener
SETBACK IN THE BULLPENBlue Jays right-hander Kirby Yates will miss several weeks because of a strained muscle in his forearm. He allowed one run and five hits, striking out five without a walk. Ross Stripling struck out seven and walked none in 3 2/3 innings, but gave up three runs and five hits. Bryan Abreu, a top Astros pitching prospect who turns 24 next month, started and pitched three perfect innings, striking out four. Baltimore starter John Means allowed four hits and walked three over 3 2/3 innings, striking out three.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/F563HFI4LZEVTFTKUV7Y4GIZ7E.jpg)
Rangers trade RHP Lance Lynn to White Sox
The Chicago White Sox acquired a big workhorse for their starting rotation. Lance Lynn was traded from the Texas Rangers to the White Sox on Tuesday for right-hander Dane Dunning and lefty Avery Weems. The on-the-rise White Sox are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2008, going 35-25 and finishing tied for second in the AL Central before losing to Oakland in their wild-card series. While the Rangers didn't move Lynn at the Aug. 31 trade deadline, they did send All-Star lefty Mike Minor to Oakland. Weems, 23, was 5-4 with a 2.09 ERA over 14 starts in the White Sox minor league system in 2019 after he was selected on the sixth round of the amateur draft.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ILJ5HQNR3FDILDNSYHIGZY5OUI.jpg)
Pitchers already experiencing both extremes this postseason
Chicago White Sox pitcher Matt Foster walks to the dugout after retiring the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning of Game 3 of an American League wild-card baseball series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ILJ5HQNR3FDILDNSYHIGZY5OUI.jpg)
Pitchers already experiencing both extremes this postseason
Then there were teams like the Indians and Chicago White Sox, whose seasons are over in large part because of control problems that popped up at the worst possible time. The Atlanta-Cincinnati contest was the first postseason game to be scoreless after 11 innings. The Chicago White Sox know all about that problem. The White Sox ended up using nine pitchers and Oakland used eight. The A's won 6-4, helped along the way when Matt Foster walked in two Oakland runs in the fourth.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SVBWZFXUAVCYDMU7MYNQVZZ74Y.jpg)
Pinder delivers timely hit, A's advance in playoffs at last
Oakland stopped a nine-game losing streak in winner-take-all postseason games, a major league record that dated to the 1973 World Series. “I woke up this morning feeling like this was going to be a hard game and it was a hard game,” Melvin said. The low-budget A's had not captured a winner-take-all postseason game since beating Hall of Famer Willie Mays and the New York Mets. That prompted White Sox star Tim Anderson to say, “I guess they haven’t done their homework.”“It’s a tough one to swallow but we've got to keep going,” Anderson said. HURLING ITThe 17 pitchers, nine by Chicago, were the most in a nine-inning postseason game.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GPZRN55Y4NEATL37O3FONEM5J4.jpg)
White Sox lose Jiménez, Crochet to injury in Game 3 vs A's
CORRECTS TO THIRD INNING NOT SECOND INNING Chicago White Sox's Eloy Jimenez, right, leaves the game with an injury next to a trainer and manager Rick Renteria, left, during the third inning of Game 3 of an American League wild-card baseball series against the Oakland Athletics, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GPZRN55Y4NEATL37O3FONEM5J4.jpg)
White Sox lose Jiménez, Crochet to injury in Game 3 vs A's
Jiménez returned to Chicago's lineup for the first time since Sept. 24 but left in the third inning with renewed discomfort in his sprained right foot. Jiménez hit a leadoff double before signaling to the bench that he needed a pinch-runner. Manager Rick Renteria was late writing his lineup waiting to see whether Jiménez could play. Crochet — the 11th overall pick in this year's amateur draft — relieved fellow rookie starter Dane Dunning in the first. Jiménez went through extensive baseball work Monday and still experienced soreness, keeping him out the initial two in the best-of-three round.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6UJ4XOTH4BH4FH3HSEJDZDOEOI.jpg)
LEADING OFF: 9 of 16 playoff spots open going into last week
But going into this last week, a lot of postseason spots are still wide open. Tampa Bay, Oakland, the White Sox and Minnesota also have earned AL spots, and Cleveland, Toronto and Houston have the inside track on the three remaining positions. With six spots in play, it should be an entertaining week with Cincinnati, Milwaukee and San Francisco all at .500. NICE STARTDane Dunning is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts for the White Sox since making his major league debut this season. The White Sox lead second-place Minnesota by 2 1/2 games.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZENREGFVA5HCRDIPNHKG3PWKI4.jpg)
Dunning pitches White Sox past Twins for 6th straight win
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dane Dunning delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Chicago. The AL-best White Sox also moved 16 games over .500 for the first time since they were 71-55 on Aug. 26, 2012. Byron Buxton hit his third career inside-the-park homer for Minnesota, but the Twins finished with just four hits. But the White Sox went ahead to stay with three runs in the bottom of the third. White Sox: LHP Jace Fry threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings after he was reinstated from the 10-day injured list.