TB 7, CLE 3; Devil Rays move on

...Yes, "Devil Rays" -- let's embrace it, why not. 

A very entertaining series overall, and hat tip to a Guardians team I thought might get swept without much pushback. And to Freddy Peralta; I guess I'm supposed to be bitter about his success in Tampa, but sometimes you know a Met is going to be better off literally anywhere else, and this was one of those times. Now, of course, I'm obliged to root for his old old team in the Classic, but we can get back to that conversation on Friday.

For now, the last points for Cleveland...and the last points for anyone until the weekend:

Mr. DeLauter 3
Kwan 1

Caminero 5
Diaz 4

The italicized picks depart from the updates, as you know; no slates knocked out here, since Cleveland was was lightly picked. 

MVP of this series for the pool is close, but has to go to Diaz, who takes the pool's TB lead over from Rice and Contreras as of tonight. Honorable mention to Mr. DeLauter. Aranda in the running as a Victorino candidate.

LVP is Kwan, I guess. I'm always intrigued by the choice to pick him; he'll rack those couple points at a time as long as he's in, but if he doesn't stay in for the duration? ...Then again, fully a third of Caminero's points came tonight. These things can break a lot of ways, many of them bad.

Here's the money as we prepare emotionally for a baseball-free rest of the week:

69 Bauer
60 SDB
58 LoPorto 2

Realistically, it's down to the complete slates now -- and I'm not excluding JArbour here, since that slate has a "solo," Yelich. You really can't tell until it's said and done, but unless Contreras falls down a literal manhole...

Just off the pace,

57 MArbour and Wonsetler Head
55 Green
54 Reid Smart
53 O'Reilly

And everyone else after the jump:

TB 3, CLE 1

Surprised this wasn't more lopsided a score than it was, although sometimes that's how it goes in the postseason -- a regular-season game would allow for a meltdown where an LCS game wouldn't.

A compelling one (albeit not as compelling as the booth sometimes seemed to think), and some points for everyone...

Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 2

Caminero 1
Diaz 4

Also compelling is a different look for the money:

60 Bauer
57 MArbour
54 LoPorto 2

53 O'Reilly
52 Wonsetler Head
51 SDB
50 Green

A quick-and-dirty on everyone else after the jump!

TB 7, CLE 3

A fun one to watch in company (I think? I was just off a tasting tour so my memory of the game is pretty much vibes, heh). But did it make up for lost time in points? Let's have a look:

Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1

Caminero 2
Diaz 6

Boom goes the etc.! That finishes off the zombie slates from our last update, and here's the money going into Game 5:

57 MArbour
55 Bauer
53 O'Reilly

Just off the pace, it's

51 Wonsetler Head
50 LoPorto 2

Everyone else -- including the Framptons that have come alive in the last week -- after the jump!

TB @ CLE postponed

As you've no doubt seen, ALCS Game 4 got punted to tomorrow night same time, 8 ET. That's going to mean a 5 PM ET Game 5 on Sunday so that theoretical Game 6 can still happen Monday night, with no off day.

One thing at a time; we'll be back here tomorrow night for updates. Good luck!

MIL 6, LAD 4; Brewers move on

I am weirdly relieved for Ohtani that he got to do A Thing for the Dodgers tonight. I am also relieved, sort of, that the Dodgers are out and we don't have to keep watching...whatever they were in the '26 post. Regular L.A. commentators/fans will have more informed takes here that you may feel free to post in the comments, but my sense generally is that this team was built with dynastic intent, but some age-30s seasons didn't go as hoped. ("Relatable." - Mets fans)

And also that this Brewers team is the shit, so take a big whiff. I hope Ueck is enjoying this from his front-row seat beyond the veil. 

This is the baseball fan speaking. The pool-chief take is that this is not good for us...but not as catastrophically not-good as it would have been in years previous, if only because the Dodger picks were not performing the way they were in years previous. 

"Your ambassadorship is approved; get to the point(s)." Fair enough; let's do that.

No shortage of them tonight, either. 

Betts 0
Freeman 0
Hernandez, K 0
Hernandez, T 1
Muncy 1
Ohtani 4
Pages 3
Smith 2
Tucker 3

Italics = they're out, I'm sorry to say.

NLCS MVP Jack Bauer 2
Chourio 0
Contreras 2
Mitchell 4
Turang 0
Yelich 0

Our MVP here is not Bauers, but Contreras, strictly speaking -- Bauers and several others notched 8 TB; Contreras had 9. The LVP, to my shock, is Kiké, although he had competition (Freddie; Bax Buncy) and Captain Yeli did not exactly distinguish himself.

But that's a lot of points to wrap up the series...and to hold a bunch of slates for a week. The ones that didn't get busted, that is, and there were a bunch.

The money/standings as of tonight: 

57 MArbour 2
53 O'Reilly
51 Bauer 2

50 Yuhan 2

A reminder: italicized slates also are out. If you're in the money, you'll be in the updates going forward; if you're not, your slate will fall out. 

49 Wonsetler Head
47 Bauer 2 and Green

Everyone else after the jump...

CLE 3, TB 2

I followed what little I could of the game via overheated MLB-app updates. You'd think, based on the sweaty all-capsing of those, that we'd have more points in play...but it's a quiet update on the AL side:

Mr. DeLauter 0
Kwan 0

Caminero 0
Diaz 2

The money remains unchanged...

51 O'Reilly and MArbour 2
50 Yuhan 2
47 Bauer 2 and Wonsetler Head

...but a few slates near the podium inched upwards.

43 Reid Dumb and Bauer 1
42 Stempelson and LoPorto 2
41 Green

39 JArbour
36 Izzo 1, Fell 1, and SDB David

I'll leave it there for now, since the night game is bound to change things -- possibly drastically! Good luck, all.

MIL 6, LAD 2

At the local earlier, a guy down the bar is all "so wait Ohtani is in the game?" Me: "Yeah, they're batting him sixth tonight, shrug emoji." Guy: "Wh...at difference does that make?"

Exactly, but at the same time, what would make a difference here? My previous wool-gathering notwithstanding, if it's not going to worsen any injuries to play him, I don't think it matters either way. Shohei looks bad; that's not the central issue. The issue is that the Brewers are better than the Dodgers.

A fair number of points on offer on both sides tonight, however -- and Ohtani did something.

Betts 1
Ohtani 1
Smith 2
Tucker 1
all other Dodgers 0

Bauers 4
Chourio 4
Contreras 1
Mitchell! 4
Turang 1
Yelich 0

Still crowded at the top, but in a different way! Here's the money:

51 O'Reilly and MArbour 2
50 Yuhan 2
47 Bauer 2 and Wonsetler Head

43 Reid Dumb
42 Stempelson
41 Green and Bauer 1
40 LoPorto 2

Everyone else after the jump...