LAD 3, ATL 1

Does this series seem joyless to anyone else? Not just because it's the Barves trying to take down a three-peat money juggernaut, either. It's just over-it vibes on the field from almost everyone. Even Ohtani looks kinda cranky.

But of course Freddie's powering through it, and Kiké, everyone's favorite longshot Victorino-block pick.

Tonight's points so far:

Baldwin 0
Harris II 1
Olson 1

Betts 2
Freeman 4
Hernandez, K 4
Teo Max Shohei LLC 0
Pages 2
Smith 1
Tucker 1

Pages and Smith notching their first postseason TB this evening, so that's something, and Freeman makes it interesting at the top:

44 Yuhan 2
39 Bauer 2
31 Reid Dumb

30 Izzo 1, Fell 2, LoPorto 1

And the rest of the usual suspects in the mid-20s. 

Turang could really help a lot of people out -- starting with himself! -- by doing literally anything tonight, but we'll see how things look after the late game; look for that update tomorrow morning. 

(Math not mathing? LMK!)

TB 5, NYY 2

From a non-pool standpoint, I don't super-care how far the Yankees get this year, but as the man sang, I got friends that do. The box score has four errors for the Bombers, which is probably generous -- fine with it; we're not getting points for biffs over here -- but it was painful to watch, and painful to watch Yankee fans watch. They have an expectation of baseline competence that Flushing faithful like myself don't; they have a belief in the fundamental legibility of player performance to civilians that Met fans have long since discarded.

I think the previously afore-insulted off days in the DS schedule aren't helping this Yankee team, but I...also think the team is not great this year. Not bad, mind you, but a little...provisional, I guess is the word.

We know what that's like too, Lord knows, but it's getting late on this side of the bracket, eh?

All of that said: holy crap, Ben Rice!

The points:

Bellinger 1
Chisholm 0
Garcia 0
Rice 8

Caminero 3
Diaz 1

Our most popular pick this year is finally on the board; let's see how the standings look now.

40 Yuhan 2
38 Bauer 2
30 Izzo 1

29 Fell 2, LoPorto 1

Everyone else after the jump!

CWS 4, CLE 3

Not the pitching changes I'd have made as the Guards' manager, but that's why I do this and they do that, I suppose. Cleveland just seems...stuck, grinding uphill; I don't know.

Got some points, though, finally...

Meidroth 2
Montgomery, C 0
Murakami 1
Vargas 1

DeLauter 2
Kwan 1

The money looks the same --

32 Yuhan 2
29 Bauer 2, Fell 2
26 O'Reilly

-- but it's interesting near the podium --

25 Crase
24 Winklepleck

-- and thanks to Mr. DeLauter*, the last point-less slate is on the board, so no Gol-Dunn Sombrero this year, huzzah!

*I had a history teacher with a nearly identical last name back in the day; can't bring myself not to use the "Mr."

Thanks to this asinine stagger sked for the ALDSes, these teams don't go again until Wednesday night. Stand by for the Rays/Met-- er, Yankee score in a few minutes!

ATL 3, LAD 2

With a couple of exceptions, the Dodgers look flat. I hate the Barves and don't think they have a World Series run in them regardless, but I don't know if this Dodger team is the one to get rid of them.

In any event, what's wanted BPP-wise is a long series with a lot of points. What'd we get tonight?

Baldwin 0
Harris II 6
Olson 1

Betts 0
Freeman 5
Hernandezes 0
Muncy 4
Ohtani 1
Pages 0
Smith 0
Tucker 1

Money looks a little different after all, thanks to Harris II taking over the top TB slot from Ben Rice...

32 Yuhan 2
29 Bauer 2, Fell 2
25 O'Reilly

24 Winklepleck

Everyone else after the jump!

MIL 4, SD 3

That's the kind of game you love this time of year -- always tense; life-giving/back-breaking result. And the Padres head home down 0-2.

The points, which were a bit sparse:

Bauers 0
Chourio 1
Contreras 0
Mitchell 1
Turang 0
Yelich 2

Bogaerts 0
Cronenworth 0
France 2
Merrill 1
Tatis 0

Turang really dragging down a bunch of slates here.

The money, with a couple of small shifts:

28 Bauer 2
27 Yuhan 2
24 Winklepleck

23 Fell 2
21 Crase
19 Izzo, Stempelson, O'Reilly, Wonsetler Heart

Doesn't seem like the night game's going to move the needle much, but I'll see you shortly with that result and tomorrow's schedule.

MIL 3, SD 2

A somewhat unpleasant game to look at, strictly visually -- the combination of the odd lighting at the Brewers' park and those "iconic" Pads unis just felt nightmarish; trying to backseat-drive that home run that wasn't, forget it -- but a fun one in terms of gameplay. The folks who get paid to write about this stuff think this series is the closest contest on paper so we may get a full five of close games like this one.

No shortage of points, either...

Bauers 2
Chourio 4
Contreras the Younger 4
Mitchell 1
Turang 0
Yeli 1

Bogaerts 1
Cronenworth 0
France 1
Merrill 0
Tatis 1

...but the less said about Machado hogging all of them, the better, probably. ("No, say more." - Aaron)

Every slate is now nominally on the board. No huge changes to the leaderboard since last night, but here's the money currently:

28 Bauer 2
25 Yuhan 2
22 Fell 2 and Winklepleck

21 Crase
19 Izzo 1, Stempelson, O'Reilly
18 Wonsetler Heart

Everyone else after the jump...

TB 1, NYY 0

Nice moment for Rasmussen, we all love a regular-season pitchers' duel...but a low-scoring game is annoying for the BPP, lbr. 

Yankee picks: 0

Caminero: 0
Diaz, Y: 1

No substantive change to, well, much of anything, except a couple more slates got on the board -- but we should see some significant shuffling once SD/MIL goes final. I'll have that update and complete standings tomorrow morning.