MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays were a juggernaut in the final months of the 2015 season, riding power hitting and power pitching to a 40-18 record after Aug. 1.

But as the Texas Rangers have shown in the American League Division Series, it turns out a pretty reliable way to defeat power is to simply play good, well-rounded baseball.

Behind a brilliant outing from Jacob deGrom, the New York Mets opened their first postseason appearance in nine years with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

It took 14 innings, but the Texas Rangers found a way to come out on top Friday and will head home with a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series.

A day after Rougned Odor hit a game-changing home run, the 21-year-old second baseman made a difference with his legs. He scored twice in the team's 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, including the go-ahead run in the 14th inning off a single by Hanser Alberto.

Kevin Burkhardt of Fox Sports noted the difference Odor made:

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brett Cecil left Friday’s American League Division Series game against the Texas Rangers in the eighth inning with what manager John Gibbons describes as a "pretty significant tear in his calf", per Scott MacArthur of TSN.

Continue for updates.

This young Chicago Cubs fan went above and beyond with a crazy real haircut bearing the image of star pitcher Jake Arrieta this week.

Endless props to that barber.

A night after chucking a complete-game shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game, the 29-year-old caught wind of the ‘do:

One man. One pitch. That is what stands in the way of the New York Mets potentially taking a 1-0 National League Division Series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

FINAL SCORE: Cardinals 4, Cubs 0

An old-fashioned pitching duel between good friends Jon Lester and John Lackey turned into a 4-0 victory for the St. Louis Cardinals as they jumped out to a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Cubs.

Lester wound up the hard-luck loser after leaving the game with one on in the bottom of the eighth, as reliever Pedro Strop immediately served up a two-run bomb to Cardinals rookie outfielder Tommy Pham, who was taking his first career playoff at-bat.

The Seattle Mariners fired manager Lloyd McClendon on Friday after a disappointing 2015 season that saw the team once again fail to reach the postseason.  

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times first reported the news, and Greg Johns of MLB.com passed along confirmation from the team. 

In the wave of personnel changes in Major League Baseball since the season ended, the Philadelphia Phillies have been quiet in their pursuit of a new general manager, until now.

Continue for updates. 

After just two seasons as the manager of the Seattle Mariners, both without a playoff appearance, Lloyd McClendon is without a job.

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times first reported McClendon would be relieved of his duties due largely to a change in the balance of power in Seattle's front office. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal confirmed the firing.