CHICAGO (AP) — The Atlanta Braves say it's next man up when it comes to their rash of injuries so far this season.
They might need a few men to step up if Ronald Acuña Jr. has to go on the injured list.
Acuña's abdominal strain cast a shadow over Atlanta's 13-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night, even after the Braves bashed four homers in the first inning against Kyle Hendricks.
A capsule look at the best-of-seven NL Championship Series between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers in Arlington, Texas, beginning Monday night:
After playing for three teams in 2019, Travis d'Arnaud felt sure he'd found a home when he signed with the Atlanta Braves last offseason.
Turns out, the fit was just right for d'Arnaud to deliver a postseason to remember.
After homering in each of the first two games of the NL Division Series, d'Arnaud hit a two-run double in Atlanta's four-run third inning on Thursday that helped give the Braves a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins and a three-game sweep of the series.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays couldn't get much going offensively in eight of their nine innings. When they got their only serious scoring opportunity, Travis d'Arnaud seized it.
To manager Kevin Cash, that's what separates playoff teams from the pack — and the Rays sure look like they're a cut above the rest.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Ji-Man Choi raised his arms into the air as he saw his game-winning hit clear the infield.
There was good reason to celebrate after the Tampa Bay Rays kept themselves in the AL's second wild-card spot and avoided a series loss to the woeful Detroit Tigers.
Choi's two-run single in the bottom of the ninth completed a rally from a late three-run deficit and gave the Rays a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Blake Snell and Travis d'Arnaud are making good things happen for the Tampa Bay Rays when they're on the field together.
Snell struck out 10 in six scoreless innings, d'Arnaud hit his first grand slam and the Rays stopped their longest losing streak of the year at five games by beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Sunday.
"Got us back in the win column," Snell said. "All in all, it was good."
NEW YORK (AP) — For all the talk of an imminent turnaround, James Paxton has not been much of an improvement over Sonny Gray for the New York Yankees.
Paxton allowed a leadoff home run for the second straight outing when Charlie Blackmon shook out of a slump with the first of his four hits , starting the Colorado Rockies to an 8-4 win on Sunday that halted a six-game skid and New York's five-game winning streak.
NEW YORK (AP) — Travis d'Arnaud was down to his last strike. And so were the Tampa Bay Rays, trailing by two runs with two on and two outs in the ninth inning against All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman.
D'Arnaud hacked at the next pitch, fouling off a 100 mph heater. Then another. After two tempting balls in the dirt, he faced a full count.
Chapman came back with a slider high and away — and d'Arnaud sent it high and away.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — With one big swing, Travis d'Arnaud made sure the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees didn't go into extra innings for the third consecutive day.
D'Arnaud hit a two-out homer off Chad Green in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Rays past the Yankees 4-3 on Saturday.
"I'm still on cloud nine right now," d'Arnaud said. "We definitely needed that."