Playoff Gameday Thread, #4: Four by four

9:45am, MLB Network. Game 2: Texas leads 1-0

Cole Hamels RHP, 13-8, 3.65

Marcus Stroman RHP, 4-0, 1.67

Delino DeShields Jr. - CF	Ben Revere - LF
Shin-Soo Choo - RF	Josh Donaldson - 3B
Prince Fielder - DH	Jose Bautista - RF
Mitch Moreland - 1B	Edwin Encarnacion - DH
Elvis Andrus - SS	Troy Tulowitzki - SS
Josh Hamilton - LF	Chris Colabello - 1B
Rougned Odor - 2B	Russell Martin - C
Chris Gimenez - C	Kevin Pillar - CF
Hanser Alberto - 3B	Ryan Goins - 2B

After losing their first play-off game in more than two decades, the Blue Jays seek to get back on track, kicking off this full day of baseball (for those who don't have regular employment, or have very relaxed employers, at least). In the curtain-jerker, we see a pair of first-round draft picks facing off, with veteran Hamels taking on relative n00b Stroman - although the latter had just turned eleven when Hamels was drafted by the Phillies in 2002, and was still a decade from his own selection! Due to an ACL issue, Stroman made only four starts this season, but went 4-0, so Toronto will be hoping he can bring that form into the post-season.

12:45pm, Fox Sports 1. Game 2: Houston leads 1-0

Scott Kazmir LHP, 7-11, 3.10

Johnnie Cueto RHP, 11-13, 3.44

Jose Altuve - 2B	Alcides Escobar - SS
George Springer - RF	Ben Zobrist - 2B
Carlos Correa - SS	Lorenzo Cain - CF
Colby Rasmus - LF	Eric Hosmer - 1B
Evan Gattis - DH	Kendrys Morales - DH
Luis Valbuena - 3B	Mike Moustakas - 3B
Chris Carter - 1B	Salvador Perez - C
Jason Castro - C	Alex Gordon - LF
Jake Marisnick - CF	Alex Rios - RF

The Royals will seek to level their series up before hitting the road. It's a battle of trade deadline acquisitions, with both Kazmir and Cueto having been acquired mid-season, in order to help their team's go deep into October. Interesting for them to be facing off this afternoon in Kansas City, especially as neither were exactly the expected studs: Cueto had a 4.76 ERA for the Royals, and Kazmir 4.16 for the Astros, each over 13 starts for their new teams. This may be as close to a "must win" for Kansas City as any Game 2 ever. If they don't win this one, they need to go to Houston and beat Dallas Keuchel, who is 15-0 there this year...

3:45pm, TBS. Game 1: Series tied 0-0

Jon Lester LHP, 11-12, 3.34

John Lackey RHP, 13-10, 2.77

Dexter Fowler - CF	Matt Carpenter - 3B
Kyle Schwarber - RF	Stephen Piscotty - 1B
Kris Bryant - 3B	Matt Holliday - LF
Anthony Rizzo - 1B	Jason Heyward - CF
Starlin Castro - 2B	Jhonny Peralta - SS
Chris Coghlan - LF	Randal Grichuk - RF
Addison Russell - SS	Yadier Molina - C
David Ross - C	Kolten Wong - 2B
Jon Lester - LHP	John Lackey - RHP

The National League Division Series gets under way in St. Louis with the Cubs, having taken down the Pirates in the wild-card game, facing another member of the Tower of Power which was the National League Central this season. The Cardinals will be buoyed by the presence of Molina, even though he will be playing with a split on the thumb of his catching hand. Speaking of catchers, no Miggy for the Cubs, even though there's a right-handed starter on the mound, because Ross is Jon Lester's "personal catcher". And, going by his behavior in the wild-card game, team enforcer as well, when he choked Sean Rodriguez. Do not mess with Ross.

6:45pm, TBS. Game 1: Series tied 0-0

Jacob deGrom RHP, 14-8, 2.54

Clayton Kershaw LHP, 16-7, 2.13

Curtis Granderson - RF	Carl Crawford - LF
David Wright - 3B	Howie Kendrick - 2B
Yoenis Cespedes - CF	Corey Seager - SS
Daniel Murphy - 2B	Adrian Gonzalez - 1B
Travis d'Arnaud - C	Justin Turner - 3B
Lucas Duda - 1B	Andre Ethier - RF
Michael Cuddyer - LF	A.J. Ellis - C
Ruben Tejada - SS	Joc Pederson - CF
Jacob deGrom - RHP	Clayton Kershaw - LHP

I trust I need not say any more for this one than: Let's Go, Mets!