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Good morning folks! Happy Friday! With the World Series just around the corner, let’s get you a kickstart today with some links.
In playoff news...
- With their backs to the wall for the second straight game, the Astros pulled out a one-run victory over the Rays thanks to a timely homer from Carlos Correa.
- The Braves bounced back from their historic loss by putting together their own lopsided win over the Dodgers.
In Mariners news...
- Mallex Smith, Bryan Shaw, and Jimmy Yacabonis have all officially declared free agency.
Around the league...
- This, from Wednesday night, is a pretty bad look for the Astros (more-so the previous regime, I suppose).
Zack Greinke on Dusty Baker keeping him in the sixth: “It’s nice having someone have confidence in me. Since I‘ve been here, they haven’t seemed to have confidence in my ability. It was nice having that happen at an important time like that.”
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 15, 2020
- The Rays are weird in such a fun way.
The Rays are, like, scientifically engineered to be delightful. John Curtiss just called Ryan Yarbrough his "pal pal," short for palindrome pal, because Curtiss wears No. 84 and Yarbrough wears No. 48.
— Stephanie Apstein (@stephapstein) October 14, 2020
- Sporting News handed out its awards for the 2020 season, bestowing Kyle Lewis with their American League Rookie of the Year.
- The New York Times tracked down a White Sox fan in San Diego who used his opportunistic living arrangements to make the Astros’ lives difficult.
- A very on-brand exchange from Dusty here.
Dusty on the Altuve/Joe Morgan comp: "These guys are like twin Mighty Mouses. You know who Mighty Mouse is?" (Reporter says no.) "I didn't think so. Look up Mighty Mouse. Mighty was a bad little dude, man. He had super strength. Didn't let size hold em down."
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) October 15, 2020