The last week in MLB was about a pair of teams clinching a spot in the World Series, and a club in the National League has selected their next manager.
Boston Red Sox Defeat Houston Astros in Five Games, Advance to World Series
The Boston Red Sox have advanced to the World Series as they defeated the Houston Astros 4-1 a couple of days ago in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
The Red Sox received a stellar outing from starting pitcher David Price in the clinching game. Price had struggled in prior postseason appearances, but tossed six shutout innings, while striking out nine.
It wasn’t a surprise the Red Sox were victorious in this series as they led the majors in wins and had a loaded lineup. However, it was surprising they dispatched the Astros in just five games.
The Astros had yielded a meager eight runs in their first four playoff games, which all resulted in wins but allowed a staggering 27 runs over the next four games against the Red Sox.
The emergence of Price figuring things out will be a big bonus as the Red Sox get ready for the World Series Tuesday night at Fenway Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Los Angeles Dodgers Reach Second Straight Fall Classic After Defeating Milwaukee Brewers in Seven Games in NLCS
The Los Angeles Dodgers were victorious in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers as they won 5-1 and are back in the Fall Classic for the second straight year.
The Dodgers received an early lead due to first baseman Cody Bellinger hitting a two-run home run in the second inning, and outfielder Yasiel Puig put the game out of reach with a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
The team handed the ball to rookie Walker Buehler and he surrendered just one run in 4 2/3 innings. Buehler was solid in one of the biggest outings of his career.
This Dodgers-Brewers series was weird because at different junctures it appeared the Brewers were the better team, and then you blink, the Dodgers seemed to have the upper hand.
The one thing this NLCS showed is relying too much on a bullpen can be a downfall. The Brewers have a phenomenal bullpen, but their lack of rotation depth was highlighted in this series.
Jhoulys Chacin and Wade Miley gave the Brewers quality innings in October, as Chacin allowed one run in 16 innings and Miley surrendered two runs in 14 2/3 innings.
However, the lack of having an ace that can shut down the opposition for at least six innings forced Brewers manager Craig Counsell to use his bullpen frequently.
The Dodgers move on to face the Boston Red Sox in what could be a very exciting World Series.
Cincinnati Reds Select David Bell As Their New Manager
The Cincinnati Reds have selected David Bell to be their new manager, per a club announcement.
David Bell has been named the new manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He will be introduced at a press conference on Monday at 11:00 a.m. pic.twitter.com/BdIlLCGKMG
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) October 21, 2018
He’ll be introduced at a press conference tomorrow morning.
Bell was in in the majors for 12 years as a player and accumulated a .257 batting average with 123 home runs and 589 RBIs.
Bell was a minor league manager for the Reds from 2009-12, spent one year as the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs, spent three years as an assistant hitting coach and bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and this past season year was the vice president of player development with the San Francisco Giants.
He certainly has the experience to succeed with the Reds possibly.
The surprising aspect of this hiring is regarding Jim Riggleman. He went 64-80, after the team fired Bryan Price, following a 3-15 start to last season.
The Reds played much better under Riggleman, and it seemed he would be the favorite to be their new manager, but management felt that Bell was the better option.
Author Profile
- 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.
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