All four Division Series could be decided on Monday - MLB

Monday is going to be a big day for baseball, not only because there will be close to 12 hours of nonstop playoff action, but because all four Division Series could be decided on the same day. As Christopher Kamka of NBC Sports Chicago notes, the only time all four Division Series were decided on the same day was October 5, 1996.

Here’s what’s on the schedule:

1:05 PM ET – Astros @ Rays, ALDS Game 3 (MLB Network)

Astros lead 2-0

The Astros convincingly won both games of the series thus far. Justin Verlander tossed seven shutout innings in Game 1 while Gerrit Cole was even better in his Game 2 start, fanning 15 Rays over 7 2/3 scoreless innings. The Rays will have to stave off elimination by besting Zack Greinke. Between the Diamondbacks and Astros, Greinke posted an aggregate 2.93 ERA during the regular season. The Rays will have their best starter on the mound in Charlie Morton, who tossed five solid innings in the AL Wild Card game against the Athletics.

3:07 PM ET – Braves @ Cardinals, NLDS Game 4 (TBS)

Braves lead 2-1

After a ninth-inning rally to come from behind and win 3-1 in Game 3, the Braves will try to defeat the Cardinals again on Monday to advance into the NLCS for the first time since 2001. Not including this year, the Braves have been in the playoffs eight times since 2002, getting booted out of the NLDS seven times and out of the NL Wild Card game once. The Cardinals will send Dakota Hudson to the mound for his postseason debut. The Braves haven’t announced their starter yet. It will be either Julio Teheran or NLDS Game 1 starter Dallas Keuchel. Teheran was added to the postseason roster after Chris Martin suffered an oblique injury. Keuchel limited the Cardinals to one run over 4 2/3 innings on Thursday.

6:40 PM ET – Dodgers @ Nationals, NLDS Game 4 (TBS)

Dodgers lead 2-1

The Dodgers’ offense went white hot exploding for 10 total runs — nine against the Nationals’ bullpen — in their Game 3 win. They’re looking to advance to the NLCS for a fourth consecutive year while the Nationals are hoping they can advance out of the NLDS for the first time since moving to the nation’s capital and becoming the Nationals. Their last NLCS appearance in franchise history came in 1981 when the Expos lost in five games to… the Dodgers. The Nationals’ playoff hopes rest in the right arm of Max Scherzer, who will start opposite lefty Rich Hill.

8:40 PM ET – Yankees @ Twins, ALDS Game 3 (FS1)

Yankees lead 2-0

The Yankees continue to serve as the Twins’ immortal playoff demon. Here’s a brief history:

2003 ALDS: Yankees win 3 games to 1
2004 ALDS: Yankees win 3 games to 1
2009 ALDS: Yankees win 3 games to 0
2010 ALDS: Yankees win 3 games to 0
2017 AL Wild Card game: Yankees win 8-4
2019 ALDS: Yankees lead 2 games to 0

This series hasn’t been particularly close, either. The Yankees won Game 1 by a 10-4 margin and Game 2 by an 8-2 score. The Twins’ starting pitching has been terrible and the bullpen has been just as bad. The two starters, José Berríos and Randy Dobnak, combined to allow seven runs over six innings. The bullpen has yielded 11 runs over 10 innings of work. The Twins will hope Jake Odorizzi can keep their playoff hopes alive, but he’ll have to overcome Yankees starter Luis Severino to do so. Severino returned in late September after missing almost the whole season due to shoulder and lat injuries. He’ll be making his 2019 playoff debut.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.