4:21 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” HOUSTON — The scariest thing about Gerrit Cole is not his fastball, which is saying something, seeing as the video ribbon at Minute Maid Park spent the eighth inning in Game 2

4:44 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The Washington Nationals bullpen spent the regular season defying belief. During the MLB postseason, they’re defying convention. In Tuesday’s wild-card win over the Brewers, Stephen Strasburg pitched three dominant innings in relief of ace Max Scherzer to pick up the win. On Friday, in Washington’s 4-2 victory over the

10:33 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” HOUSTON — First basemen across the American League couldn’t believe what they were hearing this summer as the Houston Astros cruised toward the MLB playoffs. Jose Altuve, one of the great hitters

7:50 AM ET HOUSTON — Imagine it from Kevin Cash’s perspective. You spend the entirety of the Tampa Bay Rays‘ quick turnaround from Wednesday’s wild-card win at the Oakland Athletics preparing for a 36-year-old ace who somehow seems to keep getting better. The Rays have beaten Justin Verlander before, but not on this stage —

6:00 PM ET Can the Los Angeles Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988? Will the Houston Astros or the New York Yankees come out of the American League. Or will a team like the Minnesota Twins or the Atlanta Braves surprise in October? The complete schedule, with game times and broadcast networks, is

12:49 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. remains in Atlanta’s lineup, hitting leadoff and playing center field, for Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Acuna drew criticism from manager Brian Snitker and his teammates for his lack of hustle on a long fly ball in the

8:00 AM ET It’s a four-playoff-game Friday! These days come around only once, maybe twice, a year — and this one is leading into the weekend. So let’s consider it a national holiday for the national pastime. What’s on tap Friday’s schedule 2:05 p.m. ET: Rays-Astros, ALDS Game 1 4:37 p.m. ET: Cardinals-Braves, NLDS Game

2:56 AM ET LOS ANGELES — “My name is Walker Buehler,” he said, “and my average fastball last year was 97.1 mph.” That’s how Buehler introduced himself to his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in spring training a couple of years ago. It’s how Ross Stripling remembers it, at least. Stripling relayed that story — an

6:56 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw doesn’t spend much time outside of the immediate moment. He is well aware of the narrative that surrounds him, of an elite regular-season pitcher who has struggled in the playoffs, but doesn’t give it much thought. Kershaw is instead consumed by a stringent routine, his focus never

1:48 AM ET OAKLAND — Pressure? You think a 92 mph fastball on the outside corner with a huge and vocal crowd bearing down on you in a playoff game is pressure? Try riding a raft to freedom from your native Cuba, after being caught once before, or playing winter league baseball in Venezuela, where