Daily Briefing: Welcome to Joctober

The FanGraphs Newsletter, October 11, 2021 [READ IN BROWSER]( By Jeffrey Bellone - October 11, 2021 JOCTOBER: Former Los Angeles Dodgers postseason hero Joc Pederson showed Atlanta fans what "Joctober" is all about by smashing a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the fifth inning of the Braves' 3–0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. Atlanta took a 2–1 series lead and will look to advance to the NLCS for the second consecutive season on Tuesday. []( POSTPONED: Game 4 of the American League Division Series between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox was postponed until Tuesday due to rain. White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he will stick with his originally-scheduled starter Carlos Rodon, while Astros manager Dusty Baker will take advantage of the extra day to pitch Lance McCullers Jr. []( RULES ARE RULES: In a play that had even the most diehard baseball fan checking the rulebook, a ball that would have scored the go-ahead run in the 13th inning of yesterday’s Red Sox/Rays game was correctly ruled a ground-rule double after a Kevin Kiermaier fly ball bounced off the right field wall, deflected off Red Sox right fielder Hunter Renfroe and landed over the fence. []( BLOCKED: It was an evening of drama for the American League Division Series. Shortly after the Boston Red Sox benefited from a bouncing ball in the 13th inning of their game on Sunday, the Chicago White Sox stole a run in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros when first baseman Yuri Gurriel's throw to home plate ricocheted off baserunner Yasmani Grandal, allowing Luis Robert to score. The play allowed the White Sox to build an 8–6 lead in a game they once trailed 5–1, but eventually won 12–6. []( ON FIRE: Boston Red Sox utility man Kiké Hernández became the first player to collect eight hits over a two-game span in a single postseason (Derek Jeter did it over two postseasons in 2005 and 2006) by following up his 5-for-6 performance in Game 2 with a 3-for-6 line in Game 3 on Sunday. During that stretch, he collected a hit in seven consecutive at-bats. []( UP NEXT: Two more games are on the slate for tonight, with the Boston Red Sox looking to close out the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 at Fenway Park starting at 7:00 pm ET, and the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Francisco Giants in a pivotal Game 3 with the series tied at 1–1, beginning at 9:37 pm ET. This newsletter is made possible due to the generous support of our members. If you are reading this email or use FanGraphs in your daily baseball routine, please consider supporting us. [BECOME A FANGRAPHS MEMBER]( AJ POLLOCK: When [AJ Pollock]( went down with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain in early September, it wasn’t entirely clear that he would be available to the Dodgers for the postseason, let alone remain as productive as he’d been. Fortunately for Los Angeles, the 33-year-old left fielder made a quick return, hit reassuringly well over the season’s final days — .300/.389/.867 (2014 wRC+) in 36 plate appearances post-injury — and is well-positioned to help pick up the slack for the injured [Max Muncy]( who dislocated his left elbow on the final day of the regular season. In Game 2 of the Division Series against the Giants on Saturday night, the Dodgers’ left fielder played a key role in all three of their rallies. 👉 [The Dodgers' AJ Pollock Is Picking up the Slack, by Jay Jaffe]( AROZARENA'S STEAL: In what might be the most-thrilling play we’ll see all October, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder [Randy Arozarena]( successfully executed a straight steal of home in Game One of the ALDS [...] Had Red Sox reliever [Josh Taylor]( simply remained on the rubber and thrown a pitch that landed in strike zone, the batter would have been out and the inning would have been over. Instead, he made the mistake of stepping off, thereby making himself a fielder and not a pitcher. His hurried heave toward home plate wasn’t nearly in time. 👉 [Arozarena's Steal Would Have Been Nullified by a Strike, by David Laurila]( 📚 RECENTLY PUBLISHED [Buoyed By a Break, Red Sox Win ALDS Game 3 With Walk-off Blast]( by David Laurila [Grandal and García Help White Sox Deny Astros ALDS Sweep, Force Game 4]( by Eric Longenhagen [On Ghosts and Pickpockets: How the Dodgers Swiped NLDS Game 2]( by Meg Rowley [Poll 2021: Which Group of Pitchers Performs Better? A Review]( by Mike Podhorzer 🎧 [Effectively Wild Episode 1757: Farewell to Rhubarb]( ⚾️ ROSTER REPORT For the latest roster information, please visit our [RosterResource]( pages. [Inside the weird, wild and controversial 13th inning of Rays-Red Sox ALDS Game 3]( via ESPN [Women In Baseball: Bailee Brown Blazes A Trail]( by Alexis Brudnicki, Baseball Prospectus ($) [The day Deion tried to play two]( by Michael Clair, MLB.com [This is not ‘The Last Dance’ for the Dodgers, but it is the end of something]( by Andy McCullough, The Athletic ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2021 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 1200 N Hartford St. Apt 312Arlington, Va 22201 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](