Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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The Astros seemed like they could be at a disadvantage against the Royals in the ALDS, not only because the Royals were the superior team during the regular season, but also because Houston had to burn ace Dallas Keuchel in the Wild Card Game just to get a Division Series berth. On Sunday, however, Keuchel got his first start of the series, and helped put the Astros ahead of Kansas City 2-1. Now, Houston has a chance to end the series and move on to the ALCS for the first time ever -- and to a League Championship Series for only the fifth time in their 54-season history. The Royals will send Yordano Ventura to the mound once again, after rain shortened his Game 1 outing to just two innings.
Whereas the Astros pushed ahead in a tied series, the Blue Jays made their ALDS 2-1 by avoiding elimination in Sunday’s late-night matchup against the Rangers. Marco Estrada did the job that David Price and Marcus Stroman could not and pulled out a victory for Toronto, thanks in large part to Troy Tulowitzki’s big night that included a three-run rocket of a homer. Of course, now the Jays have to do it again in order to force a winner-take-all Game 5, and they’ll turn to R.A. Dickey for that task, opposite the Rangers’ Derek Holland.
These are just two of the four games on Monday’s slate. The Cubs and Cardinals are now in Chicago, where Jake Arrieta will finally take the mound with a chance to put the Cubs ahead of their longtime rivals. Mets/Dodgers has shifted to New York and Citi Field, where Chase Utley is sure to receive a warm reception if he’s allowed to be in the stadium. It’s up to Matt Harvey to help erase the taste of Game 2, with Brett Anderson opposing him to try to make it two in a row for Los Angeles. Hope y’all are ready for another 12 hours of playoff baseball.
- If you somehow missed the entire weekend, Chase Utley broke Ruben Tejeda's leg on Saturday with a slide that only Pete Rose could love. He's now been suspended two games, and Joe Torre went so far as to say the umps got the call wrong and that the result should have been a double play. Utley is appealing, but it's unclear if the suspension will be overturned or upheld. The decision should come before game time, though.
- Players seem split on whether it was just good, old-fashioned, hard-nosed baseball, or if hyphenated descriptors of the slide are dumb and wrong.
- Who is this dude with the iPad at all the ALDS games?
- The Minute Maid roof got involved in Sunday's action, with Colby Rasmus whacking it to earn a lowly single.
- What should the Red Sox do with closer Koji Uehara in 2016?
- The Indians reportedly want to add a bat this winter, presumably one that will do a better job than Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn.
- Adam Wainwright missed nearly all of 2016, but the idea him starting Game 4 is intriguing (and probably unlikely).
- So, the Nationals might not need to worry about fitting Jonathan Papelbon into their 2016 plans, as they are reportedly set to make sure he's not in their 'pen next summer.
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