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[October 12, 2015]  The Sports Xchange

10/12/2015 MLB Note - Houston Astros Gomez, Carlos

CF Carlos Gomez was in the starting lineup Sunday for the first time the AL Division Series and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI single.

Gomez homered in the AL wild-card win over the Yankees but aggravated the left intercostal strain that first sidelined him in mid-September. He appeared as a pinch runner in Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS.

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MLB Note - Houston Astros Keuchel, Dallas

LHP Dallas Keuchel tossed seven innings and allowed just one run, lowering his ERA at home this season to 1.45 over 19 starts. Keuchel is 16-0 at Minute Maid Park in 2015, and he joined RHP Mike Scott as the only pitchers in club history to record a win in each of his first two postseason starts. The last pitcher to win a combined 16 home games between the regular season and postseason was Twins RHP Jack Morris in 1991.

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MLB Note - Houston Astros Rasmus, Colby

LF Colby Rasmus tied the club record for most walks in a postseason game with three, accomplished nine times and most recently by 1B Chris Carter in the American League wild-card game last week. Rasmus added a single in his final plate appearance. He is batting .500 (5-for-10) with three homers and six walks this postseason.

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MLB Note - Houston Astros Carter, Chris

1B Chris Carter hit his first career postseason home run, a leadoff blast off Royals LHP Danny Duffy in the seventh inning. Carter has hit seven homers over his last 16 games and is batting .378 (17-for-45) with a 1.348 OPS during that span. He finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with two runs.

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MLB Note - Kansas City Royals Cain, Lorenzo

CF Lorenzo Cain hit his first career postseason home run, a leadoff shot in the fourth inning against Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel. Cain extended his postseason hitting streak to seven games dating back to Game 4 of the 2014 World Series. He is batting .321 (9-for-28) with two doubles and a homer during that stretch, which is tied for the fifth-longest postseason hitting streak in club history.

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MLB Note - Kansas City Royals Volquez, Edinson

RHP Edinson Volquez pitched decently in his third career postseason start, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks with eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Volquez dropped to 0-3 in the postseason, but he entered Sunday with a 12.15 ERA over his first two career postseason starts while with the Reds and Pirates.

Volquez said, "I thought I pitched pretty good tonight. I was pitching against (Houston LHP Dallas) Keuchel, who is a bulldog. He is a competitor. He can compete against anybody."

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MLB Note - Kansas City Royals Gordon, Alex

LF Alex Gordon blasted his second career postseason home run leading off the ninth inning against Astros RHP Luke Gregerson. Gordon also homered in Game 1 of the 2014 American League Championship Series against the Orioles, a solo shot off Darren O'Day leading off the 10th inning of an 8-6 win. It marked the first RBI for Gordon this postseason but his fifth consecutive postseason game with a hit.

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MLB Note - Kansas City Royals Ventura, Yordano

RHP Yordano Ventura will start Game 4 of the AL Division Series after throwing just 42 pitches in a rain-shortened outing in the series opener. Ventura departed following a 49-minute rain delay, having worked just two innings while allowing three runs on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts. Ventura pitched the Royals to victory in an elimination game last postseason, Game 6 of the 2014 World Series.

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MLB Note - Houston Astros McCullers, Lance

RHP Lance McCullers will start for Houston in Game 4 on Monday afternoon at Minute Maid Park. McCullers, who turned 22 on Oct. 2, is 6-7 with a 3.22 ERA for the Astros this season. While his talent is unquestioned -- McCullers was a first-round selection in the 2012 draft out of Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit High -- his poise has been as much of an asset as his arm. "You can't just go into a game lie tomorrow and just say to yourself, 'Oh, it's like any other game you ever pitched in,' because it's not," McCullers said of his Monday start. "And I'm OK with that. I'm going to attack that head on, understand that the moment's bigger, the stage is bigger."

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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Beltre, Adrian

3B Adrian Beltre missed a second consecutive game Sunday after straining his lower back while sliding into second base in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. Manager Jeff Banister said Beltre was improving, but he still opted to go with rookie Hanser Alberto over the veteran. Beltre spent Sunday afternoon getting treatment for the back at Globe Life Park and did not taking batting practice with his teammates. The team's back specialist, Dr. Drew Dossett, examined Beltre's MRI and confirmed the initial diagnosis of a strain.

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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Martin, Leonys

OF Leonys Martin likely won't be added to the playoff roster for the Rangers if they advance past the AL Division Series. Martin, who was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock in late September, missed a large part of the season after undergoing surgery to fix a broken hamate bone in his right hand. He declined to go to Arizona when the team wanted him to go to stay ready for a later round in the postseason. Martin is not with the team in Arlington.

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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Hamilton, Josh

LF Josh Hamilton snapped an 0-for-31 postseason streak with his one-out single to right in the fifth inning. Hamilton hadn't had a postseason hit since a first-inning double in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series. He ended up collecting two of Texas' five hits Sunday. Despite the slump, the Rangers have kept him in the lineup. Hamilton has started all 37 postseason games the Rangers have played with him on the roster.

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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Fielder, Prince

DH Prince Fielder's postseason struggles continued. Fielder went 0-for-4 Sunday and is now 1-for-11 in the AL Division Series with a single. Fielder is a career .185 hitter in the postseason. Texas manager Jeff Banister hasn't lost any confidence in the veteran. "I'm not going to start on Prince," Banister said. "The man barreled a baseball tonight. This is a guy who's been right in the heart of everything we've done all year long."

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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Price, David

LHP David Price, who was the losing pitcher in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, will be in the bullpen Monday for Game 4. Price is 0-6 with a 5.23 ERA in his six postseason starts. The Blue Jays have no choice because of the must-win situation. "You could have anyone coming out of the bullpen because you have to win," said Toronto manager John Gibbons, who had Price warming in the bullpen Sunday night in Game 3. "We've done it before. (Price) is on board, so we'll see how it plays out."

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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Tulowitzki, Troy

SS Troy Tulowitzki collected his first postseason home run since Game 2 of the 2007 National League Division Series with his sixth-inning shot Sunday. The homer ended a string of 70 postseason at-bats without a homer for Tulowitzki and allowed the Blue Jays to exhale some as it put them up 5-0. "It was definitely huge," Tulowitzki said. "I think in the moment, I was definitely pumped up, got back to the dugout and everybody's obviously excited we're up by five."

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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Dickey, R.A.

RHP R.A. Dickey's career began with the Rangers, and now the 40-year-old veteran will make his first postseason appearance against the team that drafted him Monday in Game 4 of the AL Division Series. "It's special for sure," Dickey said. "That seems like such a cliche word, but it's funny how it's come full circle for me personally, having learned the knuckleball here in 2005, and now potentially with a chance to take the series back to Toronto with a Game 4 start. It's poetic is what it is for me. It's a neat narrative."

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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Estrada, Marco

RHP Marco Estrada earned his first postseason win Sunday and lowered his playoff ERA to 1.65 in five games. Estrada got in a groove early by retiring 13 of the first 14 hitters he faced. That early confidence was huge for him, especially knowing the circumstances of the series. "You just don't think about being down 0-2, you just want to win," he said. "I want to win every single game I'm out there, and that's basically the mentality I took in." He wound up allowing one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings.

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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Donaldson, Josh

3B Josh Donaldson reached base three times Sunday with a single, a double and a walk. Donaldson also scored a run and raised his average to .300 in the series, which is the second-highest in the ALDS among the Toronto regulars (Kevin Pillar, .308).

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MLB Note - Chicago Cubs Teagarden, Taylor

C Taylor Teagarden had his contract purchased by the Cubs on Sunday, making him a part of the 40-man roster. He went 3-for-15 (.200) with two RBIs in eight games for Chicago this year.

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MLB Note - Chicago Cubs Wada, Tsuyoshi

LHP Tsuyoshi Wada was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Sunday. Wada didn't make the postseason roster, and loses his spot on the 40-man roster to Taylor Teagarden. He went 1-1 with a 3.62 ERA in eight games (seven starts) for Chicago this year.

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MLB Note - New York Mets Reynolds, Matt W.

SS Matt Reynolds, who has no major league experience, was added to the Mets' playoff roster Sunday in place of injured SS Ruben Tejada.

Reynolds, 24, hit .267/.319/.402 with six homers, 65 RBIs and 13 steals in 115 games for Triple-A Las Vegas this year.

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MLB Note - New York Mets Tejada, Ruben

SS Ruben Tejada was officially removed from the Mets' roster Sunday, a day after his right leg was broken on a slide by Dodgers PH Chase Utley. Tejada's roster spot was filled by rookie SS Matt Reynolds.

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MLB Note - Los Angeles Dodgers Utley, Chase

2B Chase Utley was suspended two games by MLB on Sunday for his slide Saturday that broke Mets SS Ruben Tejada's leg. Utley appealed.

The appeal is due to be heard Monday before Game 3 of the NL Division Series. If the appeal is denied, Utley would missed Games 3 and 4 of the series. He did not start either of the first two games.

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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies De Fratus, Justin

RHP Justin De Fratus, who went 0-2 with a 5.51 ERA in 61 relief appearances this year, was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Oct. 7. He declined the assignment and chose to become a free agent. De Fratus, 27, is 7-6 with a 4.08 ERA in 191 appearances over the past five seasons for the Phillies.
 

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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies d'Arnaud, Chase

INF Chase d'Arnaud, who hit .176 with no RBIs in 11 games for Philadelphia this year, was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Oct. 7. He declined the assignment and chose to become a free agent. He spent most of the season with Lehigh Valley, where he hit .268/.317/.354 with five homers and 35 RBIs in 120 games.

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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Kratz, Erik

C Erik Kratz, who hit .227 with two RBIs in 12 games for the Phillies this year, was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Oct. 7. He declined the assignment and chose to become a free agent. The 35-year-old veteran went 0-for-4 in four games for Kansas City earlier this season.

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MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Lavarnway, Ryan

C Ryan Lavarnway was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Oct. 9, taking him off the Braves' 40-man roster. Lavarnway hit a combined .191/.283/.319 with two homers and six RBIs in 37 games for Baltimore and Atlanta this year.

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MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Kelly, Ryan

RHP Ryan Kelly was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Oct. 9, taking him off the Braves' 40-man roster. He had no decisions and a 7.02 ERA in 17 relief appearances for Atlanta this year. He went a combined 4-2 with 23 saves and a 0.77 ERA in 41 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.

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MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Marimon, Sugar Ray

RHP Sugar Ray Marimon was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Oct. 9, taking him off the Braves' 40-man roster. He went 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA in 16 relief outings for Atlanta this year.

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MLB Note - Los Angeles Angels Reyes, Jo-Jo

LHP Jo-Jo Reyes, who got the win Oct. 3 in his first major league appearance since 2011, was designated for assignment by the Angels on Oct. 9. He recorded one out against Texas in his Angels debut. Reyes split most of the season between the Mexican League and Triple-A Salt Lake, going a combined 6-10 with one save and a 4.32 ERA in 28 games (24 starts).

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MLB Note - Los Angeles Angels Cunningham, Todd

OF Todd Cunningham was claimed off waivers by the Angels from the Braves on Oct. 9. Cunningham, 26, hit .221/.280/.267 with no homers and four RBIs in 39 games for Atlanta this year.

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