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Blue Jays level series against Mariners

The Toronto Blue Jays finally showed signs of life in Game Three of the American League Championship Series, defeating the Seattle Mariners 13-4. But the job was far from over for the Blue Jays, who trailed 2-1 in the series and had to face Luis Castillo on the mound. Max Scherzer did the same for Toronto.

And it was the latter who conceded first, Josh Naylor sending his offering over the fence in the second inning.

But just as he had done the day before with a runner on second, Andres Gimenez sent Castillo’s shot deep into right for a two-run home run on the very next half-inning. In the same inning, Daulton Varsho drew a bases-loaded walk off Gabe Speier, who had already replaced Castillo, to make it 3-1 in Toronto’s favor. Although there was only one out at the time, the reliever put an end to the threat.

Then, in the fourth inning, the Jays added two more runs, courtesy of a double by George Springer, who also scored on a bad throw by Matt Brash.

There was then no question of Scherzer leaving the game, who sent manager John Schneider back to chew his gum in the dugout in no uncertain terms. Well done MadMax.

The Mariners then pulled to within three on Eugenio Suarez’s timely single in the sixth off Mason Fluharty, but Josh Naylor was pinch-hit at third by Addison Barger, ending the inning.

But Vladimir Guerrero Jr. via long ball and Gimenez with a two-run single ended Seattle’s prospects. Final score: 8-2.

The two teams are now tied at two-all in the series, with the fifth duel taking place tomorrow evening (Friday) in Seattle. For the occasion, Kevin Gausman and Bryce Miller will try to push their opponents to the wall.

If manager Dan Wilson had kept Castillo in the game longer instead of relying on little geniuses who have never set foot on a baseball field, he could certainly have saved a few arms for tomorrow’s third game in three days. We’ll see what impact this has on the rest of the series.

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Video: Max Scherzer yells at John Schneider to leave him alone

The Blue Jays signed Max Scherzer knowing full well that he had a reputation: that of a guy… intense.

And after a few weeks off (which was good for the veteran’s health) recently, Scherzer felt ready to make his playoff debut with the Blue Jays.

The pitcher didn’t want to be distracted by the fact that he became the first pitcher to make a playoff start with six different clubs or stuff like that: he wanted to win his first playoff game since… 2019.

And let’s just say it went well. He gave away a point early in the game, but with a 5-1 lead, his manager let him work.

In the fifth, however, he started to have a little more trouble. His manager came to him after two outs, but without necessarily intending to take him out of the game.

And clearly, MadMax was in and he wanted the ball.

After yelling at his manager, he made a strikeout. So he won his bet and recalled the player he was a few years ago, when he was in his prime.

He even pitched into the sixth inning… and after a walk with two outs behind the tie, Schneider came out to change pitchers. And there, the veteran had nothing to say.

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The Dodgers are one win away from the World Series

The National League Championship Series continued tonight in Los Angeles. The Brewers were trying to win their first game of the series.

And the Dodgers, with Tyler Glasnow, wanted to send the Brewers to the wires.

But in the first, it was the Dodgers who struck first. Shohei Ohtani came out of hibernation by hitting a triple, just before Mookie Betts drove it in.

That made it 1-0.

After just one out in the game for the Brewers pitcher and two players on the paths, Aaron Ashby gave way to Jacob Misiorowski, who we wanted to see in the second inning only for the Brewers.

The youngster shut the door in the first.

That seemed to give his team wings. Caleb Durbin hit a triple (using Shohei Ohtani’s recipe) and took advantage of Jake Bauers driving him in to tie the game.

Well done.

After that, the pitchers took matters into their own hands on both sides. Glasnow pitched five and two-thirds innings, retiring eight Brewers players on strikes in the process. He gave up no runs, other than the one in the second inning.

As for Misio, he ended up pitching for five innings and did well. He got into trouble in the sixth (giving up a run) because before then, he hadn’t really been hit by the Dodgers.

He put nine players in the mitt. Talk about a franchise record for a rookie.

But it was by putting players on the paths that the Dodgers accentuated their lead. A nasty throw to first base opened the door to the third run scored by the home side.

As if things weren’t bad enough, the Brewers saw Jackson Chourio injure the ankle that had given him trouble earlier in the playoffs. It looked like it was going to hurt.

He didn’t finish the game.

The Dodgers put their hands on a third straight win over Milwaukee in a game that finished 3-1, which had won the last eight regular games between the two teams in 2024 and 2025. The playoffs are another matter.

Tomorrow night, the Brewers face elimination. Jose Quintana (if nothing changes) and Shohei Ohtani will be in the lineup. Right now, everything’s working for the Dodgers.

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Anthony Santander will be out of the Blue Jays lineup: it will end his season

Anthony Santander has been struggling with back pain for the past few days. And today, he was not placed in his team’s starting line-up.

Clearly, he’s in more pain than we thought. The power hitter, according to information from Mitch Bannon and Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic), will be out of the lineup for the championship series.

He didn’t have a good first season in Toronto. #Injuries

Being removed from the 26-player roster for the championship series means he won’t be able to play in the next series either. So by then, his series would be over.

It’s going to take Major League Baseball’s approval, and it could happen before tonight’s game, which starts at 8:33pm. The clock is ticking on this, then.

Many people are wondering whether Bo Bichette could take his place in the 26-man roster. However, he’s only just started running again and I don’t see him being ready.

And now the answer has come, via Ben Nicholson-Smith.

The player expected to replace the power hitter on the 26-player roster will be Joey Loperfido. If the roster move is completed by 8:33pm, Loperfido will be eligible to play tonight.

If not, it’ll probably be tomorrow.

Santander and Bichette aren’t the only position players out injured right now. Ty France hasn’t played in the playoffs, having suffered a season-ending injury.

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Phillies: Dave Dombrowski doesn’t know if Bryce Harper can be an elite player again

Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made a big statement about one of the best players on his roster.

Basically, he said he didn’t know if Bryce Harper would ever be an elite player again, or if he’d continue to be a good player at most.

I don’t know what Dombrowski’s intention was in making such a statement about the face of his organization. However, it will undoubtedly be the talk of the town in Philadelphia.

Does he really mean it, does he want to provoke his star player because he expects a better performance, or does he want to get rid of his services to change the culture of his organization? It begs the question!

Good years ahead

Today is Bryce Harper’s birthday. He’s turning 33 – happy birthday, Bryce, if you’re reading this!

At 33, Harper still has some great baseball to offer fans, and especially his teammates. Aaron Judge is older than he is, and his batting stats are mind-boggling. In the same vein, Dombrowski uses the example of Freddie Freeman. At 36, Freeman is no longer an elite player, but he’s still a very good one.

The best thing to know about Freeman is that, in his 33rd birthday year, he finished third in the MVP voting.

I think one aspect that hurts Harper is that he’s been in MLB for a long time (14 years). Seven seasons in Washington and seven already in Philly. He was excellent in his early years, winning Rookie of the Year at 19 and even the first of his two MVP titles at 22. Speaking of his MVP titles, let’s not forget how he carried the club on his shoulders in 2021 to earn his second crown!

On the other hand, his longevity seems to be working against him in popular opinion. People forget just how much he’s still in his prime, and that he can bounce back from a less-than-stellar season to his very high standards.

Injuries that leave their mark

The problem is that, after 2021, injuries began to haunt her. Starting with the 2023 campaign, he began to play on the first cushion rather than as an outfielder, after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Then there’s the nagging right wrist injury that has hampered his work for at least two seasons.

Okay, as Dombrowski mentions, he may no longer be a top-10 player on the Manfred circuit. Can he get back there? Of course he can! I think Harper is far too motivated to win a World Series, and after his team’s more than disappointing elimination this year, he’ll answer his destiny’s call to win the Holy Grail sooner rather than later.

However, all that being said, in my opinion, this will leave indelible marks in the city of brotherly love.

PMLB
  • Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the Blue Jays line-up. Anthony Santander has a bit of a sore back.

  • Bryce Miller will pitch game #5. On the other side, it’ll be Kevin Gausman – with the possibility of Trey Yesavage if the Blue Jays lose tonight.

  • Jason Varitek should be back in the bullpen in 2026.

  • Manny Ramirez wants to be a hitting coach.

  • An upcoming documentary on Alex Rodriguez.

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MLB in brief: Max Scherzer’s 500th career start | Yadier Molina wants a job

max Scherzer’s 500th career start

Will it be his last?

Bo Bichette runs

And he spins.

Yadier Molina wants a job

He said it on Instagram.

Brendan Gallagher supports the Blue Jays

He considers himself a fan of the club.

Aaron Ashby the starter tonight

Jacob Misiorowski should follow him and Jose Quintana should be the starter tomorrow.

The Kyle Tucker case

This is going to be the talk of Chicago.

Red Sox to watch

Can they sign Kyle Schwarber?

Nick Castellanos traded?

Maybe.

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Anthony Volpe and Carlos Rodon will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season

Today, Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone gave their year-end review. So yes, for those who doubted it, the two men will be back in 2026.

What’s in it for us?

1. We suspected that Anthony Volpe had been affected by his shoulder problems. And now, Brian Cashman has confirmed that this is indeed the case… after claiming the opposite during the year.

We know that the shortstop has undergone surgery, but now we learn that his start to the 2026 season will be delayed.

He won’t be able to hit until February and dive on his shoulder until April. He’ll be back in April or May, but will start the season on his team’s injured list.

He is still considered the starter at position #6 by Aaron Boone. But could this prevent Cashman from trying to sign Bo Bichette or Ha-Seong Kim, for example?

2. Carlos Rodon underwent surgery to remove foreign bodies and a bone growth in his left elbow. He will not pitch for eight weeks and is expected to miss the start of the season.

Without Gerrit Cole to start the season in the rotation, it won’t be easy.

3. At least Aaron Judge is getting better. He won’t need surgery to fix his elbow problem, so the club expects him to be fully fit at the next club camp.

Aaron Boone expects him to be the full-time right fielder in 2026.

4. Cody Bellinger is a name to watch this winter. The Yankees GM has called him an impact player, and while it’s unclear how high a priority he is, the Yankees want to see him back in town in 2026.

Remember, he’ll become a free agent when he opts out of his contract.

5. In the Bronx, we expect to see Jasson Dominguez playing regularly in 2026. It could be in left field, but the club is leaving the door open depending on Brian Cashman’s off-season.

We could see the Martian playing in a winter league soon.

6. Brian Cashman says the Yankees’ owner (Hal Steinbrenner) is disappointed and frustrated with the club’s season. The owner wants to win a championship and it didn’t happen this season.

To win, we’ll have to beat teams like the Blue Jays. In the GM’s eyes, the Blue Jays had the Bombardiers’ number this season.

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Bo Bichette: the Phillies would be a logical destination

Right now, when we talk about Bo Bichette, we’re mostly wondering if he’ll be able to play another game this season. After all, his knee is killing him, and the Blue Jays won’t be playing forever in 2025 either.

But at the end of the season, he’ll be a free agent for the first time in his career.

Will some teams be afraid of his injury history? His defensive game? Yes, some teams will be afraid of those elements this winter.

But others won’t be.

Will the Blue Jays bring him back? We don’t know. In recent years, rumors had it that he was on his way out, but we don’t know if Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract and recent success change that.

Nor do we know how well negotiations went with the Blue Jays… if negotiations there were, of course.

But all that to say that one team that could well be interested in Bichette is the Phillies. It seems to me that it would make sense for the club, who wouldn’t have to move him to Florida from the Dunedin/Clearwater area for practice camp.

Jim Bowden raised the theory in a piece on The Athletic.

The Phillies are aging and may want to get younger. They want to keep their championship window open. They have money. They could send Bichette to third base (which would be better for everyone) and have a Trea Turner injury insurance policy.

Because Alec Bohm may be living on borrowed time.

We don’t know if this will really be discussed this winter… and we also suspect that several other teams will be looking to talk to one of the best free agents of his vintage.

But a sure-shot machine like him who comes with his share of points produced will be in demand.

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Mike Shildt file: compromising information emerges

Under Mike Shildt, the San Diego Padres had a 93-win campaign in 2024 and a 90-win campaign in 2025. For most Major League Baseball teams, this would be unhoped-for.

But in San Diego, it was the tree that hid the forest. Indeed, according to reports by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, discontent within the organization was at an all-time high under the manager’s reign.

Among other things, Heyman revealed that the relationship between Shildt and one of his coaches had deteriorated so much that a fight almost broke out between them.

For its part, Acee went into more detail, with several team sources characterizing Shildt as inflexible towards his coaching staff and the team’s support staff. Not to mention the fact that the skipper is said to have a tendency to micromanage and possess a hot temper that is easily triggered by questions or comments.

This would also be why, after a 90-win season in 2021, the St. Louis Cardinals decided to fire Shildt, despite the fact that he had won National League Manager of the Year.

A half-dozen sources, including current and former members of the Cardinals organization and two people who were part of the offices that considered interviewing Shildt within a month of his firing, said that some Cardinals coaches and others threatened to quit if Shildt stayed.

This time, Shildt left of his own accord, without apologizing for anything.

One of the reasons I’m leaving is frustration at the stress and inability to please everyone. I’ve made the decision to go home because of that. I’m tired of dealing with it.

Not very glorious.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wants to recreate a viral sequence with David Ortiz

We all remember Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s recent viral footage, don’t we? We’re talking about the one where he yelled “DAAAAAAAA Yankees lose” with Big Papi, obviously.

Junior was criticized for it, though. And in the first two games of the championship series, he came out flat.

But yesterday, after his excellent match in Duel #3 in Seattle, he came across as more fearful in an interview. I say fearful, but I could also have used the word mature, really.

Asked by Big Papi if he wanted to recreate a viral moment, he said he did, but it wasn’t the time.

Asked by Derek Jeter if he should have tried to stretch his double into a triple – in a game already won by the Blue Jays, by the way – to go for the second carousel in playoff history, he said he listened to his coach.

In short, he did things the right way.

On the field, we saw Vladdy’s true potential in his team’s 13-4 win. A home run, two doubles, a single, never out, one base on balls (intentional): he was the star the Blue Jays needed, offensively.

His .464 average in seven playoff games (including his two poor outings recently in Toronto) is a reminder of just how much he has the potential to change everything for his team.

He clearly led by example, as his team’s offense was incredible yesterday. 18 sure shots, 13 points, endless long balls: yesterday, the Blue Jays were the Blue Jays.

And it all started with the best player.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for the Blue Jays, as Yariel Rodriguez didn’t inspire confidence (besides, why did Shane Bieber only pitch six innings when things were going well and the Blue Jays are on a three-game hitting streak?) on the mound.

But otherwise, momentum may have shifted.

PMLB
  • Four home runs for Vladdy in 2025 series: he ties Jose Bautista (2015) for the franchise record in a playoff run.

  • File to watch.

  • Dave Roberts has confidence in his starters.

  • Anthony Santander didn’t finish the game because he’s not 100% and the score was high.

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