Baseball Update

While the Yankees forced their 9th decisive 5th game, in this their 21st division series (10th in 22 if you count strike marred 1981) with a game 4 win vs the Tampa Bay Rays, the other 3 “div” series concluded.

Both the Dodgers (now 2 to 1, person to person NLCS “faves” vs Atlanta) and the Atlanta Braves completed sweeps while the Astros advanced to their 4th straight LCS, something only the Braves, who yesterday ended a “div” series loss streak at 8, with double that (8) (“Hockey Bob would say “8, get it 8”) and the Oakland A’s, the team Houston just (3-1’d), have topped.

The A’s won 3 titles and five straight one fourth A.L. West crowns (’71-’75) to make those 5 straight ALCS appearances.

The Yankees of (1998-2001) made 4 and won all 4 ALCS and 3 subsequent World Series.

Atlanta swept the Florida Marlins, a first ever post-season series loss for them and only the second time (2012 ALCS vs the Detroit Tigers) that a Marlins “exec” and once Yankees star, Derek Jeter team was swept in a post-season series.

The Dodgers, the top betting choice to title by a fairly significant margin, swept the San Diego Padres to advance to their third NLCS in 4 seasons and 7th in 13 seasons, bidding for a 7th title and first since 1988.