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...

TB 3, CLE 1

The Guardians have to be pretty pleased going into the AL off day; they split on the road. The Rays also have to be pretty pleased with refurbished Met Freddy Peralta giving them six innings and keeping it frosty despite some traffic, something he couldn't seem to do in Flushing.

I feel a little bad for the ALCSers -- MLB coverage seemed way more interested in Ohtani than in this series, and I'm not exempting myself -- but hopefully that storyline does what it's going to do and lets everyone enjoy the Guards/Rays series for its own sake.

I think some BPP entrants are enjoying it pretty well...

Mr. DeLauter 2
Kwan 2

Caminero 2
Diaz 0

Diaz looks to be pressing a little. Maybe he sees how crowded the money's getting?

50 Yuhan 2 and O'Reilly
46 Bauer 2 and Wonsetler Head
42 Reid Dumb

41 Stempelson and MArbour 2

"Dang, you weren't kidding." ikr? Of course, it'll all have resettled itself in a different pattern 24 hours from now. Everyone else after the jump!

CLE 7, TB 3

An unexpected barrage from the Guardian line-up led to this unexpected (to me anyway) Game 1 outcome. The Rays didn't seem to expect it either, although the booth making a big whoop of the fact that Tampa Bay hadn't been behind in the box score "the entire postseason" was maaaaybe not the insight they thought. Tampa's "postseason" prior to last night was three games, so this -- like the "one triple short of the cycle" foolishness -- is meaningless as commentary.

"...Yeah, speaking of which." I hear you. Points!

Mr. DeLauter! 7!
Kwan 1

Caminero 1
Diaz 3

Caminero was involved in an almost collision that looked pretty scary for both dudes; here's hoping that isn't a developing story later today. For now, the money:

50 Yuhan 2, O'Reilly
46 Bauer 2
44 Wonsetler Head

42 Reid Dumb
41 Stempelson and MArbour 2

Top of the pool standings is not so much a developing story, since the majority of the remaining picks come out of the NL. Decent amount of activity in the middle of the pack, though; have a look after the jump.

MIL 7, LAD 4

Not everyone feels this way -- many people feel resolutely the opposite -- but in the "my team's out of it, who cares" sense, I enjoy the Dodgers. (On the field. The visit to the White House...don't get me started.) It's always a good story and it's always a different story...usually. 

This year, it feels off. Ohtani, whom I usually love watching because he's...him, looks not just hurt but ill. Some of their "not so fast" vibe is the same, but they mostly feel like they're trying to get the band back together and they don't know that you can't. 

Not to get philosophical about a pretty straightforward situation -- aging juggernaut faces faster, hungrier team -- and you never know. But: you maybe know, this year.

Okay: points.

Betts 1
Tucker 2
all other Dodgers 0

Bauers 1
Chourio 0
Contreras 6
Mitchell 0
Turang 3
Yelich 2

Ugly night for a lot of slates...but gorgeous shuffling action for a lot of others, and here's the money after the first game:

50 Yuhan 2 and O'Reilly
46 Bauer 2
43 Wonsetler Head

42 Reid Dumb
41 Stempelson and MArbour 2

Fair number of points in the ALCS opener already in progress, so I'll save full standings for that update. Hold onto your butts!

MIL 2, LAD 1

A surprising number of points for a low-scoring game. I was sort of right about the Miz but didn't expect the Brewers to do much authoritative against Skubal; shows what I know.

Betts 1
Freeman 1
Kiké 0
Teo 2
Bax Buncy 1
Ohtani 1
Pages 1
Smith 1
Tucker 0

Bauers 1
Chourio 2
Contreras 0
Mitchell 0
Turang 4 (!)
Yeli 0

Weirdly, because there's now a tie for second, a zombie slate is now back in the standings...

50 Yuhan 2
44 O'Reilly and Bauer 2
39 Fell 2 and Reid Dumb

38 Stempelson
37 Wonsetler Head

Everyone else after the jump!

CLE 2, CHW 0; Guardians move on

I had a feeling this would be the result, not just because the "line" had Cleveland winning but because starting in like Game 4, the Sox seemed to have gotten out over the canyon, looked down, and plummeted a la Wile E. Coyote. I watched a mostly hapless Met team all season; I know that look. It's a bad one. 

No points for Sox pickers on their way out...

Meidroth 0
Montgomery 0
Murakami 0
Vargas 0

Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1

Nobody but JoRam looked like much on the Guardian side either, to be fair, so I guess he's our best Victorino candidate. MVP was Meidroth; Kwan is chipping away, a base a night, but is still the LVP for this round.

And the italicized picks drop out. A Chicago win was better for the pool, broadly, but neither AL Central team was heavily picked, and only one slate is out. It wasn't a bad plan, Crase! See you next year (and/or in the comments), I hope.

With the LDSes finally all in the books, your full standings:

49 Yuhan 2
44 O'Reilly
42 Bauer 2

37 Wonsetler Head, Crase

34 Reid Dumb and Stempelson
33 Izzo 1
32 LoPorto 1
30 Green

Everyone else after the jump...

CLE 9, CWS 5

What a way to make etc. etc. ...It's been sort of amusing, albeit only sort of, to hear the booth trying to edit The Narrative on the fly as the Guardian bats get in gear. "This is what they've done all year when their backs are at the wall" this, "everyone knew Chicago didn't have the pitching for" that.

Not that any of that's incorrect, but what's also not incorrect is that that entire division was a mediocrity "all year"; "everyone" also "knew" the AL overall was an unpredictable mess from jump -- one or two very good teams, a couple streaky teams, whatever odds-proof foolishness was happening in the AL West on a given night, and...this.

Specific to this series, hey: it's more baseball, which is always good. I don't envy Ronnie and the gang having to "Ramirez, amirite" it for three hours a night because exactly no people thought the Sox wouldn't sweep; ya gotta say something. It's just...you know, sort of amusing.

"You know what else is amusing?" On it! Sorry!

Meidroth 2
Montgomery, C 2
Murakami 1
Vargas 4

Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1

Not a ton of points, but a little something for every pick.

New look for the money:

49 Yuhan 2
44 O'Reilly
42 Bauer 2

37 Wonsetler Head and Crase
34 Reid Dumb and Stempelson
33 Izzo 1
32 LoPorto 1
30 Samantha Green

High to mid-20s: LoPorto 1, MArbour 2, and Brady

Low 20s: Reid Smart, Bauer 1, Quinn 2, AK 2, Cameron 1, Wonsetler Heart

Teens: almost everyone else
Tweens: Bingham 2, Drake's Dis Track, and Yuhan 1
Singles: Shotwell 1 and Bingham 1

Guards/Vargas pickers on the move, to an extent, though many of those slates' early-out picks or underperformers may have put them in too deep a hole to climb out of.

Something to contemplate with a night off; Game 5 of this ALDS is at 8 PM ET tomorrow on TBS, and then it's straight into the NLCS on Sunday at 8 PM on FOX. Questions/corrections, LMK, and good luck!