Cards Host Win Or Go Home Game vs Pittsburgh; Cubs Holding Out Hope For Girardi

Oct 9, 2013 7:44 AM

>>Red Sox Advance To ALCS, Eliminate Rays

(St. Petersburg, FL) -- The Boston Red Sox are moving on to the American League Championship Series after a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Four of the AL Division Series. Shane Victorino singled in Jacoby Ellsbury in a two-run seventh inning and Dustin Pedroia added a sac-fly for insurance in the ninth as Boston won the best-of-five series three-games-to-one. Jake Peavy allowed one run over five-and-two-thirds innings in the start while Craig Breslow recorded the win in relief. Koji Uehara [[ KOE-jee OO-ee-HAR-uh ]] notched a four-out save for Boston, which will host Game One of the ALCS on Saturday. The Sox will face either the Oakland Athletics or Detroit Tigers, who play a deciding Game Five of their ALDS on Thursday. Jake McGee took the loss for Tampa Bay, which sent nine pitchers to the mound to set a nine-inning postseason record. David DeJesus knocked in the lone run for the Rays in defeat.

>>Tigers Force Game Five With A's

(Detroit, MI) -- Omar Infante's [[ in-FAHN-tay ]] two-run double in the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the Tigers edged the Athletics 8-6 at Comerica Park to force a decisive Game Five in their American League Division Series. Victor Martinez hit a game-tying solo homer in the seventh and Austin Jackson's RBI-single later in the inning gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead. Detroit tacked on three more in the eighth before Yoenis Cespedes [[ yo-ENN-ess SESS-peh-dess ]] hit a two-run single in the ninth to pull the A's within one. Jhonny Peralta added a three-run homer for the Tigers, who evened the best-of-five series at two games apiece. Game One winner Max Scherzer [[ SURE-zer ]]tossed two scoreless innings in relief to pick up the victory, and worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth. Jed Lowrie hit a two-run blast for the A's, who had won the previous two games in the series. Sean Doolittle suffered the loss. Game Five will be Thursday in Oakland.

>>Cardinals' Decisive Game Five Tonight

(St. Louis, MO) -- The Cardinals' season comes down to this evening. A decisive Game Five of the National League Division Series between Pittsburgh and St. Louis will take place at Busch Stadium at 7:07 p.m. The Pirates are expected to start Game Two winning pitcher Gerrit Cole and the Cards will counter with Game One winner Adam Wainwright.

>>Dodgers' Kemp To Have Shoulder Surgery

(Los Angeles, CA) -- Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was scheduled to have left shoulder surgery on Tuesday. Recovery time is expected to be six-to-eight weeks. Kemp had surgery to repair a torn labrum in the shoulder a year ago. The 29-year-old also likely needs a minor procedure on his ankle, which caused him to miss the postseason. Kemp was limited to just 73 games this year and he batted .270 with six homers and 33 RBI.

>>Yankees Want Girardi Decision

(Bronx, NY) -- The New York Yankees say they want an answer from manager Joe Girardi. Yanks owner Hal Steinbrenner spoke on "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN New York 98.7 FM on Tuesday and says he wants to resolve the issue of Girardi's contract "sooner rather than later." He also hinted that Girardi could end up managing elsewhere in 2014. Steinbrenner avoided answering a question of whether he would grant Girardi permission to speak to other clubs before his contract expires on October 31st.. The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are reportedly interested in Girardi.