Michael Saunders is your Pool D MVP

By Bill BaerMar 10, 2013, 9:32 PM EDT
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Canada outfielder Michael Saunders hit .727 playing against Pool D opponents United States, Mexico, and Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Of his eight hits, three were doubles and one was a home run in a deciding game against the U.S. earlier today. Overall, he drove in seven runs with his hot bat.

U.S. third baseman David Wright was considered a top candidate for the award as well, as he hit a crucial grand slam against Italy last night. Overall, he had five hits in 11 at-bats with three walks and five runs batted in as well.

Saunders hit 19 home runs playing right field for the Seattle Mariners last year in his first full season in the Majors.

Yasmani Grandal played himself out of NLCS Game 4

Harry How/Getty Images
By Bill BaerOct 15, 2018, 11:48 PM EDT
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Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal has not had a good postseason. Entering Monday night’s NLCS Game 3, he was batting .111/.238/.278 in 21 trips to the plate across the NLDS and the first two games of the NLCS.

Defense has also been an issue for Grandal. In Game 1 of the NLCS, Grandal was on the hook for two passed balls. In the sixth inning of Game 3 Monday night, he couldn’t corral a curve in the dirt, which allowed Travis Shaw to score the Brewers’ second run of the night. Starter Walker Buehler was charged with a wild pitch. In the eighth, with Ryan Braun on first base and Shaw at the plate, Grandal again couldn’t corral a pitch in the dirt, allowing Braun to move to second base. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Alex Wood was able to escape the inning with no damage.

Manager Dave Roberts said that Austin Barnes, not Grandal, will start behind the plate for Game 4 on Tuesday night, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports. That comes as no surprise at all. When Grandal struck out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Dodger fans regaled him with boos.

Barnes will be an upgrade defensively, but he’s lacking with the bat. He had an 0-for-3 performance in Game 2, though with an RBI, bringing his career slash line in the playoffs to .200/.281/.300 across 57 plate appearances. During the regular season, his career 100 adjusted OPS is a fair bit behind Grandal’s 115. Roberts is trading offense for defense in Game 4. Rich Hill will get the start opposite the Brewers’ Gio González.