MLB-LCS
It’s “Must Win Wednesday”
UNDATED (AP) β If the Blue Jays and Cubs don’t win today their seasons are over. It is that simple. In the opening game of the day the Royals are looking to finish off the Blue Jays with a win in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Royals took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series yesterday with a 14-2 blowout. A win today for KC would put the AL Central Champs back in the World Series for the second year in a row. They lost to the Giants in seven games in last year’s Fall Classic.
The pitching today has 13-game winner Marco Estrada trying to keep the Jays alive while the Royals counter with 13-game winner Edinson Volquez. He won the opening game of the ALCS by allowing just two hits over six innings while Estrada was the Game 1 loser.
If the Jays are going to win they’ll need the bats of Jose Bautista (boh-TEE’-stah) and Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WIHT’-skee) to come alive. Combined they are a combined 6-35 in the series.
The Cubs enter tonight’s fourth game of the National League Championship Series down three games to none to the Mets. Basic math tells us that if Chicago loses tonight the Cubs will be headed to the offseason while a win would send the Mets to the world Series for the first time since 2000.
The chore of keeping his team alive goes to Chicago’s Jason Hammel. He lasted only three innings against the Cardinals in the fourth game of the Divisional playoff series with St. Louis. The Mets are sending Stephen Matz to the mound. In taking a 3-0 lead in the series New York pitching has allowed only 11 hits while striking out 25 in 20 and one-third innings. For the Cubs to win they’ll need the bats of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to come alive as they are a combined 4-for-21 with one extra-base hit in the series.
Should the Jays win their game the series will shift back to Kansas City for Game 6 Friday night with a fifth-game set for tomorrow night in Chicago if the Cubs can win this evening.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Light NHL card
UNDATED (AP) β There are just four games on ice this evening in the NHL. In Boston the Bruins are facing the Flyers. Boston defenseman Joe Morrow was back at practice Tuesday for the first time since coming down with a bad case of the flu Oct. 12. He had it so bad he was hospitalized three days and lost 10 pounds. The Bruins swept three games from the Flyers last season.
A year ago Toronto and Buffalo split their four games. Tonight they square off for the first time this season in Buffalo.
The Red Wings start a three-game road trip to western Canada tonight with a game in Edmonton. The Oilers are coming off back-to-back wins.
And in Denver the Avalanche are facing the Hurricanes. Carolina is in the midst of a seven-game road trip.
