Baseball

If you wanted drama in the MLB playoffs, you got it.

Wednesday will feature two winner-take-all battles with both American League Division Series going to Game 5. The four teams all took different paths to get to this point, but now they know any pitch could be the difference between going to the American League Championship Series and going home.

The do-or-die, win-or-go-home sporting event is the pinnacle of athletic drama.

It creates undeniable excitement before kickoff, tipoff, the puck drop and first pitch. Pins, needles, sweaty palms and butterflies are all in play when one game defines an entire season.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball gives us two such contests.

It's too soon to know a lot about what's coming in the MLB offseason, but at least this much is certain: David Price is going to make the big bucks.

A year removed from winning an AL West title, the Los Angeles Angels are making changes to their coaching staff. 

According to the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin, the team announced late Tuesday night it has fired pitching coach Mike Butcher and hitting coach Don Baylor. 

NEW YORK — Clayton Kershaw got through the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers got through the fourth game.

And all it means is that this National League Division Series is headed where it was always supposed to end up.

Once you've won a League Championship Series MVP and a World Series MVP, as Cole Hamels did in 2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies, that pretty much seals your postseason legacy. On Wednesday in Toronto, however, the Texas Rangers southpaw will have a chance to gild his October lily.

CHICAGO — Every traditional sports rivalry has similar components—geography, divisional ties and decades of history. The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry can be similarly characterized but with one very unique attribute attached: envy. 

The Chicago Cubs notched their first playoff victory since 2003 during this year's MLB postseason but are evidently not satisfied with such modest exploits.

FINAL SCORE: Dodgers 3, Mets 1

Trailing 2-1 in the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers answered the call to force a final game with a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets in Game 4 at Citi Field on Tuesday night.

The Dodgers took an early lead by scoring three runs in the third inning off Steven Matz. Adrian Gonzalez hit a bloop single that scored Enrique Hernandez from third, and Justin Turner later followed with a double down the left field line that scored Howie Kendrick and Gonzalez.

The Chicago Cubs look to take care of business and eliminate the rival St. Louis Cardinals from the postseason behind starter Jason Hammel in front of the home crowd at Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the National League Division Series at 4:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.