A look at what's happening around the majors on Friday:
GETTING TIGHTER
Ji-Man Choi and the Rays will try for the third day in a row to reach the World Series. A pair of losses to Houston has narrowed Tampa Bay’s lead in the AL Championship Series to 3-2 at Petco Park in San Diego.
Game 6 will be a rematch of the opener when Blake Snell pitched the Rays past Framber Valdéz and the Astros 2-1.
GUSTY GAME
Braves slugger Freddie Freeman and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw seemed to having trouble seeing in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series because of windy conditions in a stadium with a retractable roof.
Major League Baseball said it wanted to keep the roof open at Globe Life Field — barring rain — when the agreement was reached for the new home of the Texas Rangers to host three rounds of the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened season.
Freeman reached for his eyes after striking out swinging in the first inning Thursday, and Fox reported he said, “I can’t see,” when he got back to the dugout. The MVP candidate with two homers in the NLCS briefly tried glasses while in the field and was also shown getting eyedrops.
The reported wind speed at the start of the game was 6 to 15 mph. It was a blustery day in North Texas after a cold front came through. The roof has been open for all seven postseason games at Globe Life Field.
AROZAMAZING
Rays rookie Randy Arozarena is putting up a postseason performance for the ages, hitting six home runs in 12 games so far. The 25-year-old Cuban connected again Thursday in a 4-3 loss to Houston. He tied the big league record for homers by a rookie in a single postseason set by Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria in 2008, the only time the team reached the World Series.
Arozarena is 20 for 48 (.417) with 10 extra-base hits in three rounds of the AL playoffs this year.
The outfielder made his major league debut last year and played briefly for St. Louis, then went hitless in four postseason at-bats. The Cardinals traded him and DH José Martínez to Tampa Bay for two minor leaguers in a January deal that also involved draft picks.
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A look at what's happening around baseball Saturday:
CABRERA REIGNS
Miguel Cabrera should get to swing for his 3,000th career hit after his pursuit was delayed a day by a rainout.
The Tigers are set for a day-night doubleheader against Colorado at Comerica Park. The teams were washed out Friday.
Cabrera got to 2,999 hits on Wednesday night, then struck out in his final at-bat of the game. The 39-year-old went 0 for 3 with an intentional walk on Thursday.
Antonio Senzatela (0-1, 2.16 ERA) is ready to pitch the first game of the twinbill for Colorado. The Rockies right-hander and Cabrera are both from Venezuela.
“He’s going to go down as one of the best hitters of all time,” Hall of Famer and former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell said Friday.
“He realizes that it’s getting toward the end, but he still has something left in the tank. When it’s all said and done this year, I think he’s going to have a heck of a year,” he said.
JAPANESE PERFECTION
The baseball world will be watching this weekend to see whether Roki Sasaki can do it again.
The 20-year-old Japanese pitcher with the 100 mph fastball and devastating splitter has thrown 17 straight perfect innings. He’ll start Sunday for the Chiba Lotte Marines against the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka.
Sasaki pitched a perfect game against Orix on April 10, the first in Japan in 28 years. He followed up with eight more perfect innings on April 17 before he was pulled by manager Tadahito Iguchi after 102 pitches. Sasaki struck out a combined 33 in those games.
Sasaki grew up in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Iwate. His father was killed in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent meltdown on three nuclear reactors that devastated that part of the country.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is appealing his second suspension this season after Major League Baseball banned him for one game Friday after he gave fans the middle finger two days earlier.
Anderson had three errors in the first two innings of Chicago’s 11-1 loss Wednesday in the opener of a doubleheader. The frustrated 28-year-old made the gesture toward a fan while out in the field. Anderson will remain with the White Sox until his appeal is heard.
Anderson also missed the firt two games of the season serving a two-game suspension for making contact with umpire Tim Timmons during the ninth inning of a game on Sept. 27. Anderson successfully appealed that suspension down from three games.
GIANT PAIN
San Francisco's injured list is getting crowded after right-hander Anthony DeSclafani and outfielder Steven Duggar hit the shelf Friday.
DeSclafani went on the 10-day IL with right ankle inflammation a day after allowing five runs in five innings during a loss to the Mets. Manager Gabe Kapler says DeSclafani will get an MRI on Monday.
Duggar was added to the 60-day IL with a left oblique strain. He was pulled from Thursday's loss in the second inning.
The pair joins starter Alex Cobb and hitters Evan Longoria, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Tommy La Stella on the IL.
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