Snake Bytes 10/19: Red Alert

ALCS

[Over The Monster] Red Sox 12, Astros 3: The offense stays hot in return to Fenway - The Astros are lucky they are not down 3-0 in this series. Boston had a winnable game to open the series and dropped it, and in the next two they’ve left very little doubt. After smacking two grand slams in Game Two, they settled for only the one on Monday, but added to it a pair of two-run homers as well as a solo shot for 12 total runs. In addition, they also knocked yet another Astros pitcher out early as they continue to grab hold of this series. In addition to the offense, they got a big start from Eduardo Rodriguez, who went six strong and helped save this bullpen for the rest of this series. It’s only a 2-1 series lead and things can change in the blink of an eye, but things are going about as well as you could imagine thus far.

[CBS Sports] Red Sox manager Alex Cora explains why he was upset with Eduardo Rodriguez for mocking Astros’ Carlos Correa - Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez turned in a solid start against the Houston Astros on Monday night in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series (BOS 12, HOU 3). One of the most intriguing parts of his start, however, was what happened as he left the field following the top of the sixth inning. After coercing Astros shortstop Carlos Correa into a frame-inning ground out, Rodriguez decided to give Correa a taste of his own taunting medicine by tapping at an imaginary wristwatch, the way Correa did following his dramatic Game 1 home run. What made the moment stand out is how Red Sox manager Alex Cora responded to Rodriguez’s bit of gamesmanship: by screaming at Rodriguez to cut it out.

NLCS

[MLB.com] October experience key for Morton in G3 - When the Braves send Charlie Morton to the mound to start Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will attempt to block any memories of the last time Morton pitched at Dodger Stadium during the postseason. “I try to forget it, but I remember,” Roberts said of the four dominant innings Morton delivered to complete the Astros’ 2017 World Series win over Los Angeles. Morton certainly remembers that night, when the Astros won a world championship and the baseball world began recognizing him as a big game pitcher. He’ll spend Tuesday night attempting to help the Braves earn a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series against the Dodgers.

[ESPN] MLB playoffs 2021: Can the Los Angeles Dodgers come back from an 0-2 NLCS hole? - Let me save you a click. They can’t. They won’t. FTD.

Around the League

[Yahoo Sports] Yankees bringing back manager Aaron Boone for 3 more years - Two weeks after the New York Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs, they ended speculation about the status of their manager, Aaron Boone. According to Jack Curry of YES Network, the Yankees are bringing Boone back. In fact, they’re doing more than just bringing him back. They’re reportedly committing to Boone for at least three more seasons.

[MLB Trade Rumors] Billy Beane Withdraws Name From Consideration For Mets’ Job - Athletics executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Mets’ vacant president of baseball operations role, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted earlier in the day that the Mets were quite pessimistic about their chances of luring Beane, and the Mets have also reportedly been denied permission to interview Brewers president David Stearns for what would be a lateral move. It’s the second straight year the Brewers have denied the Mets permission to interview Stearns.

[Axios] Minor leaguers’ major win - Starting next season, MLB teams will be required to provide housing for minor league players. “This is a historic victory,” Harry Marino, director of the nonprofit Advocates for Minor Leaguers, told ESPN. It’s also just the beginning of a fight for improved quality of life. Minor leaguers are expected to train year round while being paid roughly $15,000 per year on average — and that’s after a recent salary increase. Most players work offseason side gigs, cram into apartments and subsist on food unfit for professional athletes. The fear and anxiety caused by this lifestyle has contributed to MiLB’s mental health crisis. Companies like Big League Advance have emerged against this backdrop, offering players money upfront in exchange for a cut of future earnings — a practice some critics view as predatory.

[Sportico] MLB and Sinclair ‘Need One Another’ Despite Tough Talk on Rights - Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred made headlines last week when he suggested the league intends to own and control any business built on the backs of its direct-to-consumer digital broadcast rights. His comments, which took place at the CAA World Congress of Sports, came in response to a LevFin Insights report that claimed Sinclair Broadcast Group subsidiary Diamond Sports sought permission from MLB to stream games on a new DTC RSN service (as part of a renegotiation with creditors) and that the league responded by requesting an equity stake in the venture. But while the two sides posture and negotiate their digital futures, Progress Partners senior managing director Sam Thompson said, “The reality is that both need one another.” MLB and the RSNs need to find a viable, direct-to-consumer business model as the media landscape shifts, and yet neither can afford to walk away from the economics of the established system. This is true for all RSNs, not just those owned by Sinclair.