2 weeks agoNew York Mets first baseman
Pete Alonso smashed a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to get the Mets started off on the right foot in their 12-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Alonso went 2-3 at the plate with three RBI, a walk and four runs as part of his big night. Driven by Alonso's performance, New York will travel to Los Angeles and fight to extend their season in Game 6. The 29-year-old improved his postseason OPS to .990 after Friday night's monster performance, solidifying him as one of the more reliable threats in New York's lineup. He will look to continue his productive ways on Sunday in Los Angeles. DFS players will want to target him in their lineups regardless of who the Dodgers throw. As of now Los Angeles has yet to name a starter, but Alonso will be a threat regardless.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees first baseman
Anthony Rizzo and catcher
Austin Wells are both back in the starting lineup for Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Friday at Progressive Field against Cleveland Guardians right-hander
Gavin Williams. Rizzo and Wells, both lefty hitters, took a seat in the Game 3 loss with a left-hander on the mound. Rizzo fractured two fingers at the end of the regular season and didn't play in the AL Division Series. He's gone 3-for-7 with a double, two walks and a run scored in three games in the ALCS. Wells has just two hits in 28 trips to the plate this postseason with two RBI, two walks and 12 K's. Rizzo has never faced Williams in his career, while Wells has a single and a strikeout in two at-bats. Rizzo is batting sixth on Friday, with Wells in the eight-hole as the Yankees look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoCleveland Guardians catcher
Bo Naylor and outfielder
Will Brennan will start on the bench again in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Friday at Progressive Field against the New York Yankees with right-hander
Luis Gil on the mound. Cleveland will stick with
Austin Hedges behind the plate, and he will bat eighth, while rookie
Daniel Schneemann will make his second straight start in right field and bat sixth. Naylor picked up a hit as a pinch-hitter in the Game 3 win on Thursday but has gone 1-for-15 overall with four strikeouts in his first eight playoff games. Brennan also picked up a pinch hit on Thursday for his second knock in 11 at-bats this October. Hedges has gone 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his career against Gil, while Schneeman has a single and RBI in two at-bats this year versus Gil.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Zack Meisel
2 weeks agoAfter New York Yankees right-handed reliever
Ian Hamilton (calf) suffered a left-calf injury in the loss in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday to the Cleveland Guardians, the Yankees removed him from the playoff roster and replaced him with right-hander
Mark Leiter Jr. It's a tough break for the 29-year-old, as he now will not be eligible to play in the World Series if the Yankees advance past Cleveland. He allowed an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out three in just 1 2/3 relief innings in his first postseason with the team this year. The 33-year-old Leiter will now give the Yankees extra depth out of the bullpen the rest of the way. Leiter began the year with the Cubs and had a 4.98 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and a 33:9 K:BB in just 21 2/3 relief innings for the Yankees in the second half.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers rookie outfielder
Andy Pages will start in center field and bat out of the nine-hole for Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against the New York Mets and left-hander
David Peterson. Pages also got the start in the Game 4 win on Thursday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the 10-2 victory. In his first six playoff appearances for the Dodgers this year, Pages has just one single in 11 plate appearances with four strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch. He faced Peterson twice during the regular season and had a single and an RBI. The 23-year-old Cuban outfielder went 35-for-98 (.357) with three of his 13 home runs during the regular season against left-handed pitchers, perhaps making him a DFS sleeper worth looking at on Friday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoNew York Mets outfielder
Jesse Winker will return to designated hitter and will bat fifth for the Mets in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander
Jack Flaherty. With Winker back in there in a must-win game, veteran
J.D. Martinez will retreat back to the bench after going 0-for-4 with four walks and three strikeouts in the last two games as the Mets' DH. The left-handed-hitting Winker has two hits in seven at-bats with two walks, two strikeouts and a run scored so far in the NLCS and has gone 4-for-16 with a homer, triple, three RBI, four walks, three strikeouts, a stolen base and four runs scored in eight games (six starts) this postseason. He really likes facing Flaherty, as he's hit .375 (9-for-24) with two home runs, three doubles, two RBI, three walks and three K's in his career against him.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Tim Healey
2
weeks
agoNew
York
Mets
manager
Carlos
Mendoza
said
that
right-hander
Kodai
Senga
is
unlikely
to
pitch
now
for
Game
5
of
the
National
League
Championship
Series
on
Friday
at
Citi
Field
against
the
Los
Angeles
Dodgers.
The
Mets
are
read more...
2 weeks agoNew York Mets infielder
Jeff McNeil will draw into the starting lineup for the first time this postseason in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander
Jack Flaherty. McNeil will start at second base and bat eighth. The 32-year-old former batting champion fractured his right wrist in early September and didn't rejoin the team until the start of the NLCS. He saw three pinch-hitting appearances in the first four games of the series but was unable to record a hit. With McNeil jumping into the starting lineup,
Jose Iglesias will retreat to the bench for a must-win game for New York. McNeil has only faced Flaherty three times in his career and has a single and a strikeout. He'll be a low-upside DFS play on Friday's slate.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers first baseman
Freddie Freeman (ankle) is back at first base and is batting cleanup for the Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against New York Mets left-hander
David Peterson. Freeman has been managing a right-ankle injury since the final week of the regular season and had the day off in the Game 4 win over the Mets on Thursday. The 35-year-old All-Star left-handed hitter will return on Friday, though, as the Dodgers look to punch their ticket to the 2024 World Series. Despite it being a lefty-lefty matchup, Freeman has fared quite well against Peterson in his career, going 6-for-19 (.316) against him with two home runs, five RBI, a walk and seven strikeouts. And even though Freeman hasn't been 100% in the playoffs, he's gone 7-for-27 with an RBI, walk, steal and a run scored.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoBoston Red Sox left-handed reliever
Chris Murphy (elbow) started a throwing program last week as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery that he had back in April of this year. Murphy will be rehabbing all offseason and will not be ready to roll for the start of spring training in February or for the start of the 2025 regular season. However, barring a setback with his left elbow, the 26-year-old southpaw should be able to contribute in a relief role for the Red Sox at some point next season. The former sixth-round selection in 2019 out of the University of San Diego made his big-league debut in 2023 as a multi-inning reliever and went 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA (3.70 FIP), a 1.41 WHIP, one save, 49 strikeouts and 17 walks in 47 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for the BoSox.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees relief pitcher
Ian Hamilton (calf) suffered left-calf tightness in his outing in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Thursday at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians. Hamilton injured himself trying to make a play at first base in the sixth inning and was pulled after recording just one out. In one-third of an inning pitched, he allowed an earned run and a walk. It's unclear how severe the 29-year-old's injury is, but if the Yankees are forced to take him off the roster for the ALCS, he won't be eligible to pitch in the World Series if New York advances past the Guardians. Thursday's outing was only his second postseason appearance, with his first coming in the AL Division Series against the Royals, when he tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in the Game 2 loss on Oct. 7.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
2 weeks agoNew York Yankees closer
Luke Weaver finally had a bad showing this postseason, taking his first blown save in a 7-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 3 of the ALCS. Weaver had been terrific before this game, allowing just one run in seven frames and converting all four of his save chances. Unfortunately, he threw one bad pitch to
Jhonkensy Noel in this one, and Big Christmas took him deep. It was actually the first blown save of Weaver's entire 2024 campaign, and even though he only took over the full-time closer role in September, that is still impressive. He will continue to work as the Yankees closer and should have the team's full trust despite the tough outing.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoNew York Mets third baseman
Mark Vientos continued his strong postseason on Friday, going 2-for-5 with a solo homer in a 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately, Vientos couldn't do much about the non-stop attack from the Dodgers lineup. The 24-year-old has had an excellent postseason so far, hitting .370 with a 1.070 OPS to go with four homers and 12 RBI in 41 at-bats. What's more impressive is that he is doing this as a rookie. Big things could be coming for Vientos.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Mookie Betts was all over the score sheet on Friday, going 4-for-6 with a homer, a double, three runs scored, and four RBI. Betts led the way for the Dodgers to take a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 10-2 win over the New York Mets in Game 4 of the NLCS. Betts has been solid since shedding his postseason hitless streak that dated back to last year. He is now hitting .278 with a .964 OPS to go along with three homers and 10 RBI in 36 at-bats in these playoffs. Betts and the Dodgers will look to close out the series on Friday when they send
Jack Flaherty to the bump.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani set the table nicely in Game 4 of the NLCS, going 1-for-3 with a homer, three walks, and four runs scored in a 10-2 win over the New York Mets. Ohtani started the game off by taking
Jose Quintana deep and then drew three walks over the remainder of the game. He scored every time he got on base thanks to a big game from
Mookie Betts. With the Dodgers lineup being so deep, it is hard to see them being shut down for three straight games. Still, they will hope to close things out as soon as they can, which is Friday with
Jack Flaherty on the mound.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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