MLB Weekly Digest 10/23/17

Read Time:2 Minute, 28 Second

The previous week in MLB was about a team making a return trip back to the Fall Classic, a starting pitcher earns more postseason accolades, and a club in the National League will have a new manager for the 2018 season.

Astros Win Game 7, Will Meet Dodgers in World Series

The Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees by a 4-0 score in Saturday’s ALCS Game 7 and will face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the World Series.

This marks the first time the Astros will be playing in the Fall Classic since 2005 when they were a member of the National League.

The Astros utilized impressive pitching from the duo of Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers Jr.

Morton started the game and was extremely efficient, by tossing five scoreless innings on only 54 pitches.

McCullers threw the final four frames, fanning six batters and yielding just one hit. The impressive aspect for McCullers is that his last 24 pitches were all curveballs.

The Astros seemed to be in trouble after the Yankees won all three games in New York, but returning home to Houston was precisely what the team needed.

They move on to face the Dodgers, and it will be an entertaining World Series.

Astros Verlander Named ALCS MVP

The pitching for the Astros was superb in Game 7 of the ALCS, but if not for a dominant start by another member of the rotation, the Astros wouldn’t be playing in the Fall Classic.

Justin Verlander was acquired by the Astros on Aug. 31, and he’s making the club look like geniuses for adding him.

Verlander threw a complete game in Game 2 of the ALCS and with the Astros facing elimination in Game 6, he was still phenomenal, by holding the Yankees scoreless for seven innings.

In the two ALCS starts, Verlander was 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 16 innings. He came up big in the exact moments when the Astros needed him to be vintage Verlander.

The right-hander is back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2006 when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Nationals Fire Manager Dusty Baker After Two Seasons

The Washington Nationals will enter the 2018 campaign with a new manager after the team let manager Dusty Baker go after just two seasons, per Dan Kolko of MASN.

Nationals announce Dusty Baker will not return as manager next season.

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) October 20, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Baker led the Nats to a 192-132 record over his two seasons with the franchise, winning the National League East in both years.

However, they came up short to advance past the NLDS on both occasions.

The move to part ways with Baker was more about the Nats coming up short in the postseason and less about the regular season performance.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

[email protected]

http://ngscsports.com