Fan News

The Toronto Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the 2016 American League Division Series with a 10-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday in Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. 

Marco Estrada pitched a gem for the Blue Jays. He stymied the Rangers offense over 8.1 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out six batters.

Former MLB reliever LaTroy Hawkins thought Estrada's changeup was particularly effective:

The Toronto Sun reported on Thursday that Ken Pagan was charged with one count of mischief for throwing a beer can from the crowd at Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim during the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5-2 victory in Tuesday’s American League Wild Card Game.

The Toronto Police issued a news release saying Pagan was arrested and charged.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto finished the second half of the season posting a .408 batting average, becoming the first player with at least 200 plate appearances to hit over .400 after the All-Star break since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004, per MLB Stat of the Day.

On Monday, the Miami Marlins fired hitting coach Barry Bonds, one of the greatest home run hitters in MLB history.

Later in the day an MLB coach told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that Marlins manager Don Mattingly would have resigned if Bonds had remained with the team. 

FINAL SCORE:  Indians 5, Red Sox 4, Cleveland leads the series, 1-0

The Cleveland Indians belted three home runs in the bottom of the third inning against Red Sox starter Rick Porcello, and defeated the Red Sox in the opener of the American League Division Series.

The Red Sox scored a run in the eighth inning on a Brock Holt home run, and had the tying run at third later that inning and on base again in the ninth but they could not push the tying run home.

Cody Allen struck out Dustin Pedroia on a breaking ball to end the game.

This prediction thing isn't so hard, folks. After all, I got the Wild Card Games right, so how hard could it be predicting the rest of the postseason?

OK, OK, it's incredibly hard. I've surely jinxed myself now. But hey, that won't stop me from putting my picks out there. So below, we'll break down the postseason schedule, and I'll make my predictions all the way up to the World Series.

Two thrilling Wild Card Games are in the books, and we're set to begin the division series, with action kicking off on the American League side as the Texas Rangers host the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays advanced to the ALDS with a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game. Edwin Encarnacion delivered the big blow with a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Meanwhile, the Rangers posted the best record in the AL at 95-67 en route to winning the AL West title by nine games over the Seattle Mariners.

The National League is the Chicago Cubs' to lose.

There are no locks in MLB's postseason, especially during the best-of-five division stage. Yet there's no argument over which club is best positioned to reach the World Series.

With the Wild Card Games now complete, the 2016 American League Division Series is set to begin Thursday, with the league's final four teams vying for the AL pennant.

Each contest will have its own spotlight, as the Game 1 slate features an afternoon showdown followed by a nightcap. Regardless, Thursday should yield some spectacular baseball, as both sets of teams appear evenly matched.

Following the AL and NL Wild Card wins by the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, respectively, the MLB playoff bracket is officially set, and both the ALDS and NLDS are about to kick off and begin the road to the World Series.