The Dodgers are one of the four major league baseball teams — along with the Yankees, Cubs (Billy Cub is not a sanctioned team mascot) and Angels (no, I don’t count the Rally Monkey) — without an official mascot. So imagine my surprise when during the bottom of the 8th inning in tonight’s NLCS Game […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the St Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Game 3 of the NLCS, cutting the Cardinals' series lead to 2-1. Hyun-Jin Ryu got the start for the Dodgers and had himself a great night, allowing three hits over seven shutout innings, walking one and striking out four. The Cardinals didn't have an […]

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig is one of the most electrifying players to watch in baseball, and he proved that on Monday night – while probably pissing off a lot of his critics in the process. In the bottom of the fourth with Adrian Gonzalez on third, Puig hit a ball to deep […]

According to multiple reports, 20-year MLB veteran umpire Wally Bell has passed away. He was 48 years old. Bell, who had open heart surgery in 1999, apparently died of a heart attack at a hospital in Youngstown, Ohio. Bell last worked the Cardinals-Pirates NLDS series last week, with his final assignment being third base for […]

After taking a couple of days to recharge my batteries and enjoy life, I'm back with your morning Dugout Digest. So…what have we missed over the weekend? PIC OF THE DAY David Ortiz furthers his legend. (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports) The Cardinals lead the Dodgers 2-0 in the NLCS thanks to a pair of […]

The Red Sox weren't dead in Game 2 of the ALCS versus the Tigers, but it was difficult to find a pulse during the first five innings Sunday night.  For the second consecutive game, a Detroit starting pitcher was completely shutting down the powerful Boston lineup. Max Scherzer hadn't allowed a hit for five innings […]

First, let me say that I don't get the whole "throwing back a home run ball" thing at all. If I was lucky enough to catch a home run ball — during spring training, regular season or the postseason — you'd better believe I'd keep it. That said, I do understand that if someone who […]

The Red Sox and Tigers gave us baseball's second 1-0 game of the day in Game 1 of the ALCS, following the Cardinals' victory by that score over the Dodgers earlier Saturday. With its win, Detroit takes a 1-0 lead in the series. However, the Red Sox and Tigers may have one-upped their National League […]

With Clayton Kershaw pitching for the Dodgers, the Cardinals didn't figure to score many runs in Game 2 of the NLCS. Sure enough, St. Louis only mustered one run and two hits against the likely NL Cy Young Award winner.  Unfortunately for Kershaw and the Dodgers, their lineup couldn't put any runs on the board […]

Is this the ALCS that most people expected? The Red Sox finished with the best record in the league, but some felt the Rays were the hotter team and might upset them. The Tigers weren't necessarily viewed as an underdog versus the A's, despite a banged-up lineup and not having home-field advantage. But through various […]

As Joe Lucia wrote last week, Carlos Beltran is a freak in October. As talented and productive as the Cardinals outfielder is during the regular season, he rises to the moment during the postseason.  We saw the latest example of that during the Cards' 3-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS […]

For the second consecutive season, the Athletics lost to the Tigers in the ALDS despite having home-field advantage. Detroit limped into the postseason, nursing injuries and trying to get healthy in September. Meanwhile, everything appeared to be coming together for Oakland with a lineup that mixed platoons well, a young starting rotation and the AL's […]

Cal Ripken Jr. keeps saying he has an itch to return to baseball. The presumption is that he's really itching to manage, the closest Ripken could get to being on the field as a player. But should the Washington Nationals be the team to scratch that itch for him?  The legendary Orioles shortstop is an […]