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Exactly two weeks ago, the Kansas City Royals were two outs away from being eliminated from the playoffs. Now, just one game from clinching a spot in the World Series, that number is up to 108.

The Royals remained undefeated in the postseason Tuesday night, topping the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1, and capturing a commanding 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

While the first two wins of the series were gained with the bats—14 runs, four home runs—the Royals got back to basics in front of a raucous crowd at Kauffman Stadium: pitching, fielding and timely hitting.

Jeremy Guthrie, making his postseason debut in his 11th major league season, went five innings and allowed just three hits, two walks and one earned run. While he didn’t receive the win, he was far more effective than ace James Shields and fire-baller Yordano Ventura, as The Kansas City Star‘s Andy McCullough noted:

He only ran into trouble in the second inning, when Steve Pearce and J.J. Hardy hit back-to-back doubles to plate the Orioles’ only run off the starter. No one reached as far as second base in the following three frames.

Mike Moustakas, whose legend seems to grow with every new playoff game, was there to help Guthrie (and reliever Jason Frasor). With home runs in four of his previous five games, Moose opted to make an impact at the hot corner this time around.

He snared a line drive from Pearce in the fourth, and two innings later, he made a diving catch over the railing, tumbling head-first into the crowd—a defining effort you’re likely to see replayed for years to come.

MLB’s Twitter feed provided a look, while ESPN Stats & Info noted the rarity of the plays:

As is fitting for the movie script that this season is seemingly becoming, the Royals followed up each play by grinding out a single run.

Alex Gordon tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth with a bases-loaded RBI groundout, and Billy Butler’s sacrifice fly in the sixth scored pinch runner Jarrod Dyson to make it 2-1. ESPN Stats & Info and the Toronto Star‘s Richard Griffin noted some appropriate numbers for the balanced squad:

The bullpen would take care of the rest, going four perfect innings to secure the win. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan noted the clinical performance:

Baltimore will attempt to fight off elimination in Game 4 on Wednesday with starter Miguel Gonzalez, while the home club, Kansas City, counters with Jason Vargas.

The Royals need just one win in the next four games to advance to the World Series, but judging by the past seven, they won’t need nearly that many tries.

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For the fourth consecutive season, the St. Louis Cardinals are going to the National League Championship Series.

The Cards once again got to stud Clayton Kershaw late in the game on Tuesday, this time with a three-run bomb from Matt Adams to secure the 3-2 victory and 3-1 series win.

MLB.com provided a look at the final out and ensuing on-field celebration:

Not seen in that video is catcher Yadier Molina’s instant-classic reaction. Fortunately, MLB’s Twitter feed caught that moment in all of its glory:

Of course, it wasn’t all just reckless pig-piling and mauling of teammates. Before he participated in the celebration, skipper Mike Matheny offered a tip of the cap to the Dodgers dugout:

Adams, who hadn’t hit a home run against a left-handed pitcher since July, stepped to the plate in the seventh with two on and the Cards trailing by two. Following in the footsteps of Matt Carpenter, who had hit three out of the park in the first three games of the series, Adams came through with the big blast in a surprising moment.

Even more out of the ordinary, he did it against the normally devastating curveball from Kershaw. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan noted the rarity of the situation:

Afterwards, Matheny suggested the appropriate way for the 26-year-old first baseman to celebrate, via Fox Sports:

It’s unknown if there was skipping involved, but Adams—like the rest of the team—partook in the dumping and spraying of alcoholic beverages in the locker room. The team’s official Twitter feed has the proof:

If anyone knows how to really commemorate an NLDS win, it’s probably the Cardinals, who have gotten in a bunch of practice over the past several years. And it appears the back-to-back-to-back-to-back NLDS wins have given them a chance to get a little innovative with their celebrations. With Budweiser rations aplenty, they opted to commence one of the more sticky water-gun fights:

Carlos Martinez also got into the act. Well, he tried, at least:

With Game 1 of the NLCS not until Saturday, the Cardinals will likely be memorializing this victory well into the night.

Once the hangovers—both of joy and alcohol—wear off, it will be time to readjust focus toward Washington or San Francisco, who can both present a difficult challenge next round. After beating Kershaw, the best pitcher in the league, for the fourth time in two postseasons, though, the Cardinals have earned the right to have a little fun and relax.

Again.

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Although the St. Louis Cardinals don’t expect Adam Wainwright to miss his spot in the rotation as he deals with soreness, the team is covering all its bases just in case.   

Whether the next game is a decisive Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers or Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, “Wainwright is (the Cardinals’) starter,” general manager John Mozeliak told reporters, via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Derrick Goold.

However, as head coach Mike Matheny explained, the idea of the 20-game winner not being able to go is in the back of the club’s mind:

Just making sure that Waino feels right. We’ve got two guys on regular rest; it wouldn’t be a stretch to have either one of them go.

There’s no question that Waino has been fighting it. I haven’t made that a secret, and neither has he. It’s all going to come down to how he feels. The likelihood of him saying, ‘I can’t go’ is very slim. But it is a possibility that something might not feel right.

Matheny said that if Wainwright can’t take the bump, Lance Lynn, who gave up two runs in 6.0 innings during a Game 2 loss Saturday, is on schedule to make the start.

Wainwright won 20 games, finished with a career-best 2.38 ERA, was lights out in September and would be a legitimate Cy Young candidate if Clayton Kershaw didn’t exist, but he was blasted for 11 hits and six earned runs in Game 1. His fastball was noticeably lacking, as ESPN’s Buster Olney pointed out:

That has led to concerns about his arm. Irritation in his elbow forced him to miss a start in June, and he had complaints of a “dead arm” in August, according to MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch.

There is very little chance Wainwright lets anyone take his spot, especially if it’s in a do-or-die situation, but this is at least something worth paying attention to if the Dodgers force a Game 5 on Tuesday.

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If the Oakland Athletics are able to beat the Kansas City Royals and advance to the American League Division Series, they may have to proceed without catcher Geovany Soto.

The 31-year-old veteran, who was acquired by the A’s in August, was forced from Tuesday night’s Wild Card Game with a thumb injury, per Fox Sports’ MLB Twitter feed:

Soto entered the night with a rock-solid .357 on-base percentage in 49 plate appearances with Oakland, but as ESPN Stats & Info noted, his worth goes beyond the batter’s box:

Hardball Talk’s Matthew Pouliot also noted Soto’s importance with John Jaso sidelined via concussion:

Derek Norris is hitting .270/.361/.403 on the season. He has crushed lefties (.863) but hasn’t been nearly as effective against right-handers (.699 OPS). If Soto is out for an extended period (and Oakland advances), though, Norris will have to step in behind the plate extensively.

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On Tuesday night, the Baltimore Orioles are going to be partying like it’s 1997.

With an 8-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Buck Showalter‘s squad captured its ninth victory in 10 games and moved 13.5 games in front of Toronto in the AL East, effectively locking up the division.

The team’s Twitter feed celebrated:

Here’s a look at the final out and ensuing moments of ecstasy in Baltimore:

As ESPN Stats & Info noted, this is the first time the O’s have won the East since the days of Cal Ripken Jr., Roberto Alomar, Brady Anderson and Mike Mussina, nearly two decades ago:

According to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, Orioles Executive VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette went a little further back:

Both the O’s players and the Baltimore faithful have reason to celebrate, and it appears they plan on doing just that.

Comcast SportsNet’s Daniel Martin provided a glimpse of the scene from Camden Yards, while CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora noted the fireworks weren’t just limited to the ballpark:

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley noticed a nice touch from Showalter, who won previous division titles with both the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks:

The Baltimore Sun‘s Dan Connolly caught a picture of Nick Markakis, who didn’t seem to mind that there was pie in his face:

Unsurprisingly, the champagne was on ice and ready to flow once the players returned to the locker room.

The team’s Twitter feed and Connolly offered a look at some of the partying in the locker room as well as back on the field, where the team returned to celebrate with the fans: 

Of course, while Tuesday night—and Wednesday morning—will be a time for celebration, the O’s still have a much bigger goal: making a deep run in October.

Though they haven’t been in such a position in a while—their 2012 wild-card berth marked their only postseason appearance since ’97—they are certainly built for such a run.

Despite losing Matt Wieters and Manny Machado to injury and watching Chris Davis struggle with a serious regression, they are fifth in the majors in OPS. Although they don’t have any superstars on the pitching staff, they are also seventh in ERA. 

Don’t let the lack of recent success fool you. This team is a legitimate contender to win the World Series.

Statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

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With the postseason out of reach, one of the main reasons to watch the New York Mets over the final few weeks will be the team’s exciting young players. 

Unfortunately, that list may have been shortened by one on Tuesday, as center fielder Juan Lagares was forced from the game with a hyperextended elbow, per the team’s official Twitter feed:

As Rotoworld’s D.J. Short noted, the 25-year-old has been one of the positives for the 72-79 Mets in 2014:

In his second season, Lagares has improved his offensive numbers across the board, entering Tuesday’s contest with a .283/.322/.384 line. Of course, his real value is in center field, where he makes spectacular plays look simple on a near nightly basis. 

Lagares‘ SABR Defensive Index, a metric that factors into Gold Glove voting, is best among NL center fielders at 17.9, according to Newsday‘s Marc Carig. That’s well ahead of of Billy Hamilton, Carlos Gomez and Andrew McCutchen, and many believe he’s the front-runner for the award. 

“A lot of people say I might win,” Lagares said, via Carig. “But I really don’t want to think about that. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. If I win it, that’s great. For anybody, that would be great.”

With nothing left to play for in the standings, expect the Mets to play it extra cautious with their burgeoning center fielder. 

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Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig were caught on camera bickering at each other during Monday night’s game, a clear sign that skipper Don Mattingly is losing the clubhouse and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers are primed for a September implosion.

Am I doing this hot-sports-takes thing right? 

For reference, here’s a look at the incident in question:

The Dodgers ultimately fell to the Rockies 11-3, and the sports world has gotten into quite a frenzy about that mini argument.

To be fair, it’s not difficult to see why it has received such attention. Puig is one of the most scrutinized players in the league. If he gets upset at his dog for going No. 2 inside the house or if he decides to put Sriracha on his eggs, you’re probably going to hear about it. Kemp, a one-time MVP candidate who hasn’t produced up to standards in the past two seasons, is another target of criticism. 

Take two closely dissected stars like that from a major city, put them in a shouting match, and you have the recipe for a national story. 

But that’s all it is—an interesting 41-second video to watch or maybe a talking point with co-workers or friends. However, it’s not a sign of things to come. It’s not an indication of how the clubhouse is being run or how Kemp and Puig feel about each other. And it’s certainly not an issue that anyone should be making a big deal out of. 

Whether it’s first-grade T-ball, the Show or any other team sport, teammates will undoubtedly get upset with each other. It’s part of knowing each other’s potential and wanting to get the most out of those closest to you. Better to push them—and yes, that includes yelling angrily at them sometimes—than coddle them when you’re losing. 

As ESPN’s Buster Olney and Fox Sports’ Jimmy Spencer argued, this is just natural in this kind of setting: 

Kemp was similarly nonchalant about the incident after the game, via the Orange County Register‘s Bill Plunkett:

“Oh, just talking in the dugout, same old things,” Mattingly added, via ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Mark Saxon. “We’re like the [Oakland] A’s, the ’72 A’s.”

Those 1972 Oakland Athletics were famous for fights between teammates, but no one seemed to mind when they won the World Series in ’72. And ’73. And ’74. 

Who knows if the Dodgers will follow in those footsteps, but at 86-64, four games clear of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West and just 0.5 behind Washington for the NL’s best record, they are certainly set up for a dangerous run in October. 

No matter who’s yelling at who inside the dugout. 

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Not much has gone wrong for the Los Angeles Angels lately, but injuries have a nasty way of changing that. 

For the Halos, the concern is over rookie starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker, who helped the Angels clinch a playoff spot Monday night with a dominant effort against the Seattle Mariners but left after 96 pitches with a minor injury to his oblique.    

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez provided an update following an MRI Tuesday:

Manager Mike Scioscia, via USA Today‘s Jorge L. Ortiz, talked about the injury after Monday’s win:

We’re concerned when something like that happens to a pitcher. Sometimes it’s a cramp or a little stitch and these guys bounce right back, and sometimes there’s issues with an oblique that keep guys down for a long time. We don’t know what the range is right now.

Fortunately for the Angels, Shoemaker doesn’t sound concerned, via Gonzalez:

Still, it’s enough to keep him out of his next start, according to Scioscia, via the Los Angeles Times‘ Mike DiGiovanna:

The 27-year-old rookie has been tremendous this season, going 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 136.0 innings. More importantly, since the start of August—right around the time the Angels began pulling away in the West—he has been nearly untouchable, sporting a 1.66 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 10 appearances (h/t Baseball-Reference.com).

Scioscia, via MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer, and Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi noted Shoemaker’s importance to the Angels’ success:

With the Halos on the brink of wrapping up a division title, they should feel comfortable skipping his turn in the rotation as many times as necessary to ensure he’s completely healthy for a postseason run. 

L.A. has one of the deepest pitching staffs in the majors, but with Garrett Richards already sidelined, a healthy Shoemaker will be crucial for a deep October run. 

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A little less than two months ago, the Los Angeles Angels were six games out in the AL West. Now, with two weeks to go still in the regular season, they have a 10.5-game lead and are the first team in the majors to clinch a spot in the postseason. 

Following the team’s 8-1 drubbing of the Seattle Mariners on Monday, the MLB‘s official Twitter feed celebrated the news with a fancy Mike Trout gif: 

As ESPN Stats & Info noted, it ends a four-year drought for the Halos:

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez provided a look at the team’s new hats:

The Angels are absolutely sizzling right now. They are 26-7 since Aug. 12 and have now won 11 of their last 12 games. Of course, manager Mike Scioscia, via Gonzalez, still isn’t satisfied: 

That’s really just a formality, though. With the Oakland Athletics’ recent meltdown—11-20 since Aug. 12—the Angels have been able to run away with things out West. With a 10.5-game lead and just 12 games left to play, there’s a very good chance they’ll be clinching the division at home, where they play their next six games. 

Home-field advantage isn’t nearly as secure, as the Baltimore Orioles are currently just four games behind the Angels for the best record in the American League. 

Still, whether or not the Angels finish atop the AL, they are very clearly a legitimate World Series contender. The offense, led by superstars Trout and Albert Pujols, has been rocking since Howie Kendrick moved to the cleanup spot, while the pitching staff, even without Garrett Richards, continues to roll along as one of the best in the majors. 

No one will want to see the Angels come October. 

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Ryan Zimmerman is nearing recovery from his hamstring injury just in time for the Washington Nationals‘ foray into October baseball. 

The Washington Post‘s Adam Kilgore provided an encouraging update on the 29-year-old third baseman’s rehab:

As Comcast SportsNet’s Mark Zuckerman added, he was looking good during batting practice, as well:

The Nationals provided a picture of Zimmerman in the cage: 

Zimmerman, who has been sidelined since late July with the injury, is hitting .282/.345/.456 in 53 games this season. His OPS (.802) is the second-lowest it has been in the last six seasons, but as you may remember, after missing a chunk of April and all of May with a broken thumb, he was beginning to rake in July, hitting .362/.418/.569. 

If he is able to get healthy and back into that kind of rhythm in time for the postseason, it will be a major boost to the Nats, who have the best record in the National League at 81-61 and have been playing .639 baseball (23-13) since the start of August.

Manager Matt Williams recently talked about Zimmerman’s potential role upon his return, via Kilgore:

He’s certainly got the ability to play three positions for us. He can play third. He can play left. He can play first, depending on where the need is. That being said, I want to make sure we’re not throwing him in there every day, to make sure that he’s good to go. I would imagine he’ll play all three of those, on any given day. There’s no real set plan where he’s going to play third every day or he’s going to play left every day, or he’s going to play first every day. He’s probably going to play all of them.

Washington is seventh in the majors in slugging percentage over the second half of the season, and if Williams can slot Zimmerman back into the middle of the lineup, it’ll be a scary thought for the rest of the NL. 

Clearly already a World Series contender without him, the Nationals’ postseason outlook continues to get brighter as Zimmerman’s hammy improves. 

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