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The last week in MLB was about a team in the National League Championship Series showcasing their pitching dominance, a team in the NL will be looking for a new manager next season, and another manager’s job is safe.
Washington Nationals Hold 2-0 NLCS Lead in Large Part to Strong Pitching
The Washington Nationals have a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a strong performance from their pitching staff.
The Nationals have held the Cardinals to four hits and one run over the first two games of the series.
The Nats entered the series having an edge with the starting pitching, but they’ve been almost unhittable.
The two starting pitchers for the Nationals in Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer each had a no-hitter for at least six innings in both of their outings.
It’s extremely tough for a team to have any success when you’re unable to create scoring chances.
The Cardinals’ pitching staff has done their part, yielding just five runs through two games.
They will have their ace Jack Flaherty in Game 3 Monday, but the team will have to find a way to score runs.
Flaherty can pitch a gem, but if they’re unable to provide him any run support, then it won’t matter how well Flaherty pitches.
The Cardinals might be swept if their lineup doesn’t improve from the first two games of the NLCS.
Philadelphia Phillies Fire Manager Gabe Kapler
The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking for a new manager next year as the club fired manager Gabe Kapler, per a team announcement.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 10, 2019
Kapler posted a 161-163 record in two seasons with the Phillies and failed to qualify for the postseason in both years.
The Phillies had high expectations coming into the 2019 season after they signed outfielder Bryce Harper to a lucrative multi-year contract last offseason.
The team is expected to hire a new manager with previous managerial experience.
Two individuals to keep an eye on for the Phillies’ next manager are Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker as both have connections to team president Andy MacPhail, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
#Phillies expected to hire a new manager who has prior @MLB managerial experience, based on what I was told earlier this week. Andy MacPhail has connections to both Dusty Baker and Buck Showalter. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 10, 2019
The Phillies are the eighth team seeking a new manager, joining the Angels, Cubs, Pirates, Mets, Royals, Padres, and Giants.
The team also mentioned pitching coach Chris Young wouldn’t return next season, and hitting coach Charlie Manuel will resume his role as a senior advisor to the general manager.
Dave Roberts to Return As Manager for Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020
Dave Roberts will be the manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season, per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times.
The Dodgers had an early exit in the playoffs, and Roberts made some questionable decisions in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Nationals.
The Dodgers won 106 games during the regular season and were expected to return to the World Series for a third straight year.
The elimination is the first postseason since Roberts was hired in 2016 the Dodgers have failed to win a series.
Roberts was heavily criticized for the bullpen management during Game 5.
The first wrong decision was allowing Clayton Kershaw to pitch in the eighth inning as he yielded back-to-back game-tying home runs in that inning.
Kershaw had recorded the final out in the seventh inning and shouldn’t have been on the mound for the eighth.
The next confusing decision was allowing Joe Kelly to pitch in the 10th inning and having him throw to Howie Kendrick, who hit a grand slam against Kelly.
Kelly pitched a scoreless ninth inning, but the Dodgers had other relievers who could’ve started the tenth frame.
The Dodgers keeping Roberts isn’t a surprise as he signed a four-year extension with the team last winter.
The team will be a favorite to win the NL West in 2020, and, hopefully, they have better success next year.
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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