Baseball

Another year, another dispiriting finish for the Washington Nationals.

Yes, the Nats pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to the maximum five games in the National League Division Series despite key injuries in the lineup and starting rotation.

Clayton Kershaw, closer.

Hey, why not? After a division series round where bullpens mattered more than ever, why not end it all with the best pitcher of our generation coming out of the bullpen to get the final two outs?

Kershaw did it, finishing off the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Their matchup was the only division series to last the full five games.

Not that any of these series were easy.

It was truly all hands on deck for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5. 

Clayton Kershaw got the save on one day of rest after starting Game 4, following 2.1 strong innings from Kenley Jansen out of the bullpen. Six different pitchers took the mound for the Dodgers on Thursday as they secured a 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals in a winner-take-all battle.

The Chicago Cubs have been waiting for nearly a full year to get back to the National League Championship Series.

Last year, that exercise did not go well for Joe Maddon's team, as they were swept in four games by the Mets and denied the opportunity to go to their first World Series since 1945.

Terry Collins won't commit to the New York Mets beyond the 2017 season.

The 67-year-old manager said Thursday the upcoming season could be his last, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. 

"I just need to re-evaluate at the end of this coming year what's going on, where I am, how I'm feeling," Collins said. "I've always said a lot of it will be dictated by how I'm feeling. This was a tough year."

Madison Bumgarner has a team-friendly contract that features two team options for 2018 and 2019, but that's not stopping the San Francisco Giants from getting an early start on extension talks with their ace.

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Giants Want to Talk Extension

Thursday, Oct. 13

The Division Series clash between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers is the only one from either league to go the distance. That's not much of a surprise given how evenly matched the clubs were coming into the postseason.

Following the Boston Red Sox's elimination from the postseason, second baseman Dustin Pedroia has undergone surgery on his left knee.

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Latest on Pedroia's Timeline for Return

Thursday, Oct. 13

No matter who wins the upcoming American League Championship Series, the Toronto Blue Jays or Cleveland Indians will inject the World Series with fresh blood.

After winning the title in 1993, the Blue Jays went 21 seasons without a playoff berth until last year. After falling short against the Kansas City Royals in 2015, they have another chance to advance beyond the ALCS.

Cleveland, meanwhile, hasn't made it this far since 2007, when it squandered a 3-1 lead against the Boston Red Sox.

The majority of the postseason drama in the division series came from the National League this year, but the American League has two teams that are a combined 7-0 in the playoffs set on a collision course with a spot in the World Series hanging in the balance.