CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have clinched their fourth straight postseason berth
http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-russell-wilson-jersey , getting into the playoffs when Milwaukee beat St. Louis.The Cubs were still
playing Pittsburgh at Wrigley Field on Wednesday when their trip to the playoffs
was assured. The Brewers also locked up a playoff spot with their
victory.Chicago (91-66) began the night with a half-game lead in the NL Central
over the second-place Brewers, and the Cubs went into extra innings against
Pittsburgh.When Milwaukee won and improved to 92-67, it ensured third-place St.
Louis (87-72) could win a maximum 90 games. Because either the Cubs or Brewers
will win the NL Central, only one can be a wild card.One of the two contending
NL West teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado, will win that division.
That means only one of those two could be a wild card.That adds up to a
postseason trip to the Cubs, who won the 2016 World Series to end a 108-year
title drought.Chicago hopes to win its third straight NL Central title and avoid
Tuesday’s wild-card game. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rather than pop, Ronald Acuna Jr.
started the game with a popup. The big-hitting rookie never got into the swing
at Dodger Stadium, and neither did the rest of the Atlanta Braves.Hoping to
break loose in their first postseason appearance since 2013, the Braves instead
were blanked on six singles Thursday night, losing 6-0 to the Los Angeles
Dodgers to begin the NL Division Series.Acuna and fellow rookie Ozzie Albies
were held in check
Martin Perez Jersey , as were veterans Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis. Atlanta never got a runner past second base against Hyun-Jin Ryu and trio of Los
Angeles relievers.Acuna, who was 0 for 4 and struck out twice, said he didn’t
think there was any pressure participating in his first postseason game.“Never,
to be honest. I don’t see any need to put any unnecessary pressure on
ourselves,” he said.Two hallmarks that propelled the Baby Braves to 90 wins and
the NL East title were nonexistent in Game 1 — solid starting pitching and
timely hitting.Atlanta though has continued a late-season offensive slump as
this was the third time in the past six games they have been shut out. The
Braves have scored three or more runs just once in their past six.All-Star Mike
Foltynewicz, Atlanta’s best pitcher all season, allowed four runs on three hits
in two innings. The right-hander, who had not allowed a home run in four of his
last five starts, allowed two longballs, including a leadoff drive by Joc
Pederson on his third pitch.Foltynewicz threw 28 pitches in the first and almost
didn’t get out of the inning. He loaded the bases with two outs before striking
out Yasiel Puig. Foltynewicz got into more trouble in the second inning,
allowing a three-run shot to Max Muncy after hitting Pederson with a pitch and
walking Justin Turner.Foltynewicz said that he had the same feelings as if it
were a regular start
Jurickson Profar Jersey , but manager Brian Snitker thought that pitching in his first postseason game might have gotten to him.“I think he was amped up,
overthrown, got out of the delivery a little bit,” Snitker said. “He got hurt
quick, really. I mean, we’re lucky he got out of the first inning. But, you
know, it was just a situation there you get behind against a guy like that, we
were just trying to try and stop the bleeding there a little bit.”The
20-year-old Acuna reached on shortstop Manny Machado’s error to lead off the
sixth but was caught stealing when he missed a sign from third base coach Ron
Washington.“It was just a kid, I think, that was out there and thinking that his
teammate’s going to put that ball in play and he’s going to try to help make
something happen
http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-delino-deshields-jersey ,” Snitker said of the missed sign.The 21-year-old Albies was 1 for 4 and
24-year-old Johan Camargo was hitless in four tries.Snitker’s overall assessment
of his team?“I think they were jacked up and excited, and it’s a big moment to
this point in their career, Folty included. And take nothing away from what he
did all year, I mean. And it was good for him to experience this,” Snitker
said.“And I think guys now, since we have experienced it, they’ve been through a
lot, they’ve come back a lot all year,” he said. “And I think they’ll come back
with a little more sense of what we’re in for tomorrow.”Sean Newcomb, mentioned
by Snitker before Thursday’s game as a possibility to start Game 3 on Sunday,
was the first pitcher out of the bullpen and went two innings. That would leave
Kevin Gausman and Julio Teheran as the likely starters.The Braves’ task of
evening up the series on Friday could be one of their more difficult games of
the season as they face Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.“I think everyone knows we
have our hands full
Joey Gallo Jersey ,” said Freeman, who was 1 for 4. “It was nice to get the first game out of the way. A lot of young guys got their first playoff game so
hopefully we can score some runs tomorrow.”Anibal Sanchez, who will start for
the Braves, didn’t seem that fazed about the matchup.“I don’t think too much
about the pitchers that I’m going to face. I just try to keep my mind on the
hitters that I’m going to face against Dodgers,” Sanchez said before Thursday’s
game. “I think they got a pretty good lineup. It’s no doubt how good Kershaw is
and what he’s been doing for his whole career. But at the end, I don’t want to
put that impression in my mind.”
