The Indians are short on starting pitchers. Enter 24-year-old rookie left-hander Ryan Merritt, with 11 innings of major league experience, all this year.
Jesse Spector
Major League Baseball spokewoman Phyllis Merhige was given the impossible task of explaining why the decision was made to play baseball indoors on a perfect day, and while she did her best, there simply was no making sense of it.
The MVP third baseman jump-starts his team early in Game 4 and maintains that spark for nine innings. His team stays alive for another game.
Curt Schilling keeps tweeting out that "bloody sock" photo because he lives in a world of conspiracy theories and cover-ups.
For the Cleveland Indians, Corey Kluber is more than their ace. He's an embodiment of confidence that the team is turning to in Game 4.
More than any in-game tactical moves, a manager’s job is about handling the clubhouse and being prepared for all situations. Terry Francona showcased that preparedness on Monday.
Bauer's bid to become the most famous pitcher in the ALCS with a wound since Curt Schilling did not last long.
The Indians rookie is getting his first taste of October baseball following Bauer's bizarre drone injury.
The Blue Jays skipper thinks the human element is inherent to baseball, and that his star right fielder is motivated by the balls-and-strikes controversy.
The leaves are turning, cool winds are staring to blow and there’s something in the air that just lets you know it’s a special time of year. That’s right, it’s conspiracy season.
Cleveland has allowed one run in two games to one of the best-hitting teams in baseball. The result: a 2-0 series lead.
Justin Smoak joins the roster because of the injury.
The Cleveland shortstop is a superstar in the making. A strong showing in his first October is accelerating the process.
Andrew Miller worked a lot in his two ALDS appearances against the Red Sox. A repeat in the ALCS against the Blue Jays could lead to an advantage for Toronto.
Washington is eliminated in a classic Game 5 that turned on a bad coaching decision but wasn't decided until after the best pitcher in baseball came on as a closer.
Clayton Kershaw was on the mound for the final out of the Dodgers-Nats NLDS . . . as a closer. It was a symbol of October baseball at its finest, and a possible glimpse into the sport's future.
The Metro doesn't run 24 hours day like Chicago's trains do.
The Nationals manager wants to push out any bad mojo heading into Game 5 of his team's NLDS against the Dodgers in D.C.
Playoff series are essentially coin flips, as the Cubs well know. They're about to test their luck again in the NLCS.
Terry Francona pulled his pants down on Monday night, dared the baseball gods, and got away with it.
The bond between David Ortiz and the Red Sox fanbase was a connection between a player and a city on a rare level beyond the field.
The end of his career might be a stepping stone to Cleveland breaking its run of 68 years without winning the World Series.
Another honor for Big Papi.
That it all went down the way it did only suggests that the baseball gods have a sense of humor.
Game 3 of the ADLS was postponed until Monday due to rain. The Red Sox are confident they can bounce back from 0-2 deficit.
Good news for Red Sox fans, Sunday might not be the last day of Boston’s season.
Joc Pederson, Josh Reddick, Ben Revere and more share their stories.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred thinks bat flips are good for the game. Wait, what?
"Who else do I have?" the Nationals manager wonders, apparently unaware of the several options on his bench.
The rain was light, with occasional heavier bursts, and the tarp was on the field at Nationals Park throughout Saturday afternoon.
The Dodgers got five outs from closer Kenley Jansen in Game 1 vs. the Nationals. LA didn't fool around with lesser relievers in the late innnigs, which is how it used to be (and should be again).
The three-time Cy Young Award winner still has a losing record in the postseason, which is all that a lot of fans and media care about. That's a shallow and wrongheaded way to look at things.
Seager is the youngest Dodger to go deep in the postseason after connecting against the Nationals' Max Scherzer.
"I mean, you know, you pee on it," Hill said. Uh, sure thing, Rich.
It's 2016, so things like a three-run, ninth-inning homer by a backup infielder are expected. Of course, that's exactly what happened in New York.
The numbers say the Giants ace outdid himself with his complete-game four-hit shutout in New York. That's saying a lot, because Mad Bum has been money for many an autumn.
The commissioner should realize that comparing professional athletes to seasonal apprentices is a PR loser.
Cubs? Red Sox? Dodgers? We look at every team in this year's MLB postseason.
More often than not, one of the starters in a win-or-go-home game fails to live up to the hype. The Giants' and Mets' aces will put that history to the test Wednesday night,
In the spirit of the (election) season, we examine whether Orioles manager Buck Showalter's reasoning for not going to his lights-out closer in a must-win game holds up.
Madison Bumgarner just gave away the recipe that has led the Giants to three World Series victories this decade
DJ LeMahieu and the Rockies have nothing to apologize for.
After 67 fantastic years at the microphone, Vin Scully’s legendary career ended Sunday.
Interesting way to end a lengthy hate affair: There wasn't much booing of Big Papi in his Yankee Stadium finale.
The idea of Curt Schilling for president should be a joke.
“Clinching (the East) here in New York means the same thing as if we would clinch in Tampa or Baltimore,” Ortiz said before Tuesday's game, which he ended with a strikeout.
The Twins famously cut loose David Ortiz before he became a star. But it wasn't the colossal error people think it was.
Baseball will miss Jose Fernandez, a face of his generation. Fernandez, 24, dies in a boating accident.
"I won't pretend to know you, but I need to tell you, from one privileged urban white kid to another, be better."
Even though he's only been in the majors since August, Yankees C Gary Sanchez deserves the award.
New York's skipper is a master motivator but a lousy in-game tactician. He proved that again at the worst possible time.
Ron Darling offers his take on the Mets' best Game 6 of 1986.
Tebow has "the sound," according to a slugger who knows that sound well.
Sheffield was at the front of baseball's race issues a decade ago, while Ripken is the face of the Orioles organization.
Joe Girardi had a bad weekend, but so did everybody in a Yankees uniform
Tim Tebow, aspiring NFL quarterback, is no more.
The 43-year-old right-hander continues to amaze, not only with his bionic arm but with his glove. The Amazin's are sure happy he can still field his position.
Chicago becomes champion of the Central on Sept. 15. That's impressive. The trick now is to be playing on Oct. 15 and beyond.
The easiest programming decision that MLB Network will ever have is Oct. 2, the final day of the season.
Stop worrying about expanded rosters ruining baseball and enjoy the young talent.
Orioles center fielder Adam Jones had some interesting things to say about NFL players who are protesting the national anthem.
The Dodgers skipper pulled starter Rich Hill after 89 pitches in the middle of a perfect game. But Champagne has a way of easing hurt feelings, and that is what the first-year skipper has to bank on.
The rookie pulled off a rarely seen pickoff play from behind the plate.
A missed call in Thursday's Cleveland-Houston game may have affected the outcome.
Signing Tim Tebow is a good move for the Mets that doesn't have anything to do with 2016.
Joe Girardi was saying in July and August his .500-ish club was still in the race. Most observers thought the Bombers were finished. Now look where they are.
There are better ways of honoring baseball's first Latino superstar.
The Giants have really stunk since the All-Star break. But they haven't stopped their playoff pursuit.
David Ortiz says Trump's words are a "slap in the face" to Latinos.
It’s all there in the numbers, but it goes so far beyond the numbers.
Kris Bryant is already one of baseball's best players. He will soon be its best-known player.
With so many clubs in the playoff hunt and so many players in contention for awards, the final month of the regular season will be plenty exciting.
The Mets are winners of four of five, and their makeshift group of starting pitchers are, surprisingly, getting the job done.
Tim Tebow brings things to the table other than his baseball ability.
Major League Baseball should adopt a transfer system similar to European soccer.
Rangers are best against baseball's best, so is Texas the World Series favorite?
Though the worlds of MLB and WWE may not intersect all that often, there is a heavy overlap between baseball fans and wrestling fans, enough to make you wonder a bit about why that is.
Kyrie Irving is looking to join a club that only includes Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and LeBron James.
The Royals are world champions, beating the Mets in five games in the World Series after yet another late-inning comeback.
The second-longest punt return touchdown in Eagles history gave Philadelphia a 10-point lead over the Jets.
National audiences don't get to see Steven Stamkos and the Lightning often during the season. Now, one of the game's brightest stars gets to shine on the game's biggest stage.
This week, Jesse answers your baseball questions, your hockey questions and your Wile E. Coyote questions. Dive in, won't you?
The Royals were not expected to be among baseball's best teams, even after their American League title last year. What nobody counted on was the effect of the October experience soothing regular-season nerves.
Major league pitchers are free to use whatever they want to use in order to get a better grip on the ball, so long as it's not too obvious. At least, that's how the outdated system of unwritten rules works.
With playoff games in other sports starting at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday night, could ESPN's 7 p.m. baseball broadcast keep viewers engaged enough to stick around?
The Marlins made a surprise move to make GM Dan Jennings their new manager. It's a lot crazier than the Flyers' decision to tap a college coach as their new bench boss.
What will it take to get the Mets' lineup back on track? There is no way to say for sure, but you can be sure that it will.
In his latest #AskSpector column, SN 's baseball expert looks at the so-called #yearofthetriple, and if it's actually real.
It's playoff season in hockey and basketball, but the constant promise of anything from the sublime to the ridiculous keeps regular-season baseball plenty interesting.
The "best goalie in the world" tilts the odds in New York's favor in a Game 7 once more.
Could the seven-time MVP have helped a team in 2008? You bet he could have.
It would be nice if Major League Baseball would show more respect for the flag and make displays of patriotism something everyone can be proud of.
By shortening the regular season, baseball could keep its stars fresher and reap massive financial rewards from lengthening the playoffs.
For a select handful of players in MLB history, the number on their back has been the source of good-natured ribbing and high school giggles.
The Birds aren't going to chirp about being disrespected after winning 96 games and the AL East season.
The club got it right by replacing Ron Roenicke with Craig Counsell after 25 games.
By denying Alex Rodriguez a $6 million bonus, the Yankees are helping him rehabilitate his shattered image.
Jesse Spector empties his tweetbag with a lot of talk about Dairy Queen and a list of five things Mike Trout can't do.
Losing Adam Wainwright to an Achilles injury is a major blow to the Cardinals. It does not mean that St. Louis has to immediately go out and try to find an ace.
It is time for Rob Manfred to try to put an end to beanball wars once and for all.
The commissioner says MLB is following "best practices," as defined by Homeland Security.
Just because Bryan Price has, at least in his view, been candid with the media does not mean that journalists stop doing their jobs.
Jesse Spector empties the tweetbag and enters the hyped conversations surrounding Kris Bryant and peanut butter.
With the move of top hitters to the No. 2 spot, the move of pitchers to No. 8 may be here to stay.
The Dark Knight's return to the Citi Field mound creates a playoff-type atmosphere in Flushing. The team and its fans hope it was a dress rehearsal for October baseball.
Major League Baseball teams are just getting started, and just like their brethren in the other sports, their dreams only involve the regular season insofar as the months ahead are necessary to qualify for the chance to win the World Series.
The Giants' pitching staff has survived injuries before, but the Tigers' depth will be put to the test.
The players' verdict on MLB's new pace-of-game rules? "I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a difference.”
He was cheered louder than any member of the Yankees' starting lineup, drowning out a few scattered boos
The Yankee ace gets hit hard on opening day. Should the team be concerned?
Mike Trout will win another MVP award, but the Angels will come up short again in the playoffs.
The Mets have had six straight losing seasons. Can they turn it around in 2015?
The A's have done a lot of re-shuffling, but will it help them in 2015?
It's only a question of when the Senior Circuit will adopt the rule.
The Rockies aren't going to make the postseason, but will they avoid the NL West cellar?
Huge obstacles stand between baseball's all-time hits leader and Cooperstown.
Will the Nats end Washington's long World Series drought?
Spring training already has proved to be interesting for the Mets.
Houston is better than it has been in years, but the team's record may not reflect it.
Felix Hernandez remains the rotation anchor, but will power-hitting pickup Nelson Cruz help get the M's atop the AL West?
A-Rod's back, and the Yankees have plenty of questions as they try to return to the postseason for first time in three years.
What's on tap for the Bucs this season?
Baseball and its players' union take steps to shorten game time by picking up pace between innings. Batters, be ready.
Will Cole Hamels sneak onto the Red Sox team bus? Maybe he should at least try.
Media outlets are relying on pseudoscience to analyze baseball's most controversial player.
McCarver is a more relaxed story-teller on his Fox Sports Midwest broadcasts.
Baseball fans focus on the wrong milestone; real MLB action doesn't start until March.
Sporting News' review of MLB broadcasts continues.
By adding Casey Janssen, Washington addresses its only remaining weakness.
A franchise accustomed to offseason alterations is at it again. Success remains elusive.
Also, will Jesse Spector ever learn to throw a knuckleball?
After 107 years, Joe Maddon, Jon Lester & Co. will hoist the World Series trophy.
Tweaks, not major surgery, would help improve the process of deciding who gets into Cooperstown.
The voting process isn't perfect, but the Hall of Fame has other problems.
