Mariners Moose Tracks, 10/12/17: MLB Playoffs, Shohei Ohtani, and Manny Acta

Good morning everyone and happy Thursday! Yesterday was a pretty big day in the playoffs as the Nationals forced a Game 5 while the Yankees punched their ticket to the ALCS with a hard-fought win over the Indians. Here’s what else is going on in the realm of baseball.

In Mariners news...

• I guess the field at Safeco is undergoing some minor renovations.

• Mariners CEO John Stanton is confident in the team’s future.

Around the league...

• Shohei Ohtani is going to undergo ankle surgery soon. But don’t worry, it’s not expected to impact his 2018 season.
• David Schoenfeld takes a look at why Dusty Baker’s teams tend to struggle when the games mean the most.
• John Farrell has been ousted as manager of the Red Sox following Boston’s elimination.
• Derek Jeter might not be done gutting the Yankees organization to fill roles with the Marlins.
• Apparently Manny Acta didn’t make the cut for the Tigers’ managerial opening. I think the surprising part to me is that Acta interviewed for the role.
• The strike zone does appear to expand during the playoffs, writes Jeff Sullivan.