Today is a travel day for the four teams in the American League Division Series, which resumes tomorrow. Texas leads Toronto 2-0 while the Houston-Kansas City series is tied 1-1. So far there has been a home-field disadvantage in the playoffs, as the home teams are 2-6. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Chicago Cubs later today in Game 2 of their National League Division Series. St. Louis took the series opener 4-0 Friday as John Lackey gave up just two hits over 7 1/3 innings while Tommy Pham...

The Nationals will have a new look next season in many respects. They will have a new manager for the first time since 2013. They will also be without Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann, two of the longest-tenured starters in their clubhouse. Not only will the players that step onto the field next season be guided by a new skipper, there also will need to be players in the clubhouse that lead by example. Those players may also need to be the sounding board for the younger players, who may need...

Have the playoffs been going the way Orioles fans hoped for so far? The teams that O's fans seem to be rooting against are losing. The Yankees were eliminated by Houston in the American League wild card game. Then O's fans have looked on as Texas has taken a 2-0 lead on the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series. Let's just say the Jays have a few players that have rubbed O's fans the wrong way a time or two. Most of you don't seem very keen on the Kansas...

Before the Nationals hired the Matt Williams to be their manager in 2013, there was reportedly a bit of flirting with Cal Ripken Jr. Fast-forward two years and Williams is out while Ripken has yet to sit on bench as a major league manager. As speculation of Williams' potential firing escalated as the Nationals' playoff hopes faded away over the past two months, Ripken's name was floated again as a possible replacement. Hours after firing Williams, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo held a...

The qualifying offer for free agents this winter reportedly has risen from $15.3 to $15.8 million, which is the amount that the Orioles will dangle in front of first baseman Chris Davis and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. They haven't decided what to do about catcher Matt Wieters. No player has accepted the qualifying offer, which sets his salary for the upcoming season. Teams receive a compensation pick in the next draft if the player signs with another team. A qualifying offer can't be made to a...

The opening games in the two National League Division Series are set for tonight. First, the St. Louis Cardinals (100-62) will host the Chicago Cubs (97-65), and then the Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70) host the New York Mets (90-72). The longtime rival Cubs and Cardinals are meeting in the postseason for the first time. During the regular season, St. Louis went 11-8 versus Chicago. Cubs lefty Jon Lester (11-12, 3.34 ERA) faces Cards righty John Lackey (13-10, 2.77 ERA) in a matchup of former Red...

Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy threw another 20-pitch bullpen session today in Sarasota and continued to make significant progress. Bundy also threw 20 pitches on Wednesday, his first time on a mound since May in Trenton. The Orioles are limiting him to only fastballs before mixing in the changeup and breaking ball. Dr. James Andrews cleared Bundy last month to start a throwing program after he was shut down with discomfort caused by calcification in the Teres minor muscle behind his...

Orioles right-handed pitching prospect Branden Kline had Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews yesterday in Pensacola, Fla. Kline, who turned 24 on Sept. 29, went 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in eight starts this year for Double-A Bowie, but did not pitch after May 20. In late May, he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection to alleviate elbow discomfort and eventually resumed a throwing program. He pitched in one game during the Orioles' instructional league program which is under way...

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner will not be participating in the Arizona Fall League, a club source confirmed. The organization has decided that Turner will get some rest after playing in 116 minor league games and 27 major league games this season. He is not injured. Turner was originally scheduled to be on the Salt River Rafters taxi squad, which meant he could participate only in games on Wednesday and Saturday. But Turner played for two organizations and four teams this season, and still...

The Dodgers, Mets, Cardinals and Cubs are playing in the National League Division Series for a chance to play for the NL pennant. Here's a primer: * The Dodgers last won the World Series when they beat Oakland in 1988 after winning the National League Championship Series against the Mets. The Dodgers won in seven games with Orel Hershiser the pitching star. He threw eight innings in Game 1, six in Game 3, recorded a save in Game 4 and pitched a 6-0 shutout in Game 7. Ironically, Mets manager...