Playoff Gameday Thread #9: Win or go home for Indians

1:08 pm: Washington Nationals @ Chicago Cubs (Cubs 2-1)

Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52) vs. Jake Arrieta (14-10, 3.53). It was originally going to be Tanner Roark who started this elimination game for the Nationals. Manager Dusty Baker set social media into a tizzy with his explanation. "A lot of my team is under the weather with the change of weather, and the air conditioning in the hotel, and the air conditioning here. It's just this time of the year for mold around Chicago -- I think it's mold. I mean, I have it, too." Vast amounts of mockery followed - not entirely justified, given the fungal illness known as valley fever basically ended Conor Jackson’s career. But it now appears Strasburg has “got better”. Was that maybe the plan all along?

5:08 pm: New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians (2-2)

CC Sabathia (14-5, 3.69) vs. Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25). The Klubot malfunctioned in his first post-season appearance, allowing six runs in just 2.2 innings earlier this series. The Yankees were able to handle Kluber better than any team in the regular season: the Game Score of 23 was his worst of 2017. Cleveland can ill afford a repeat of that, if their historic regular campaign, including a monumental 22-game winning streak (the longest for more than a century) is not to spin out at the first post-season corner. Given they probably represent the best hope of the American League beating the Dodgers, should the World Series come to it, I’ll be cheering them on.