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Tuesday could feature the clinching game for both American League Division Series, but the trailing squads will not go away too easily.

The Tampa Bay Rays stayed alive in Game 3 with a walk-off home run by Jose Lobaton. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers have as much talent as anyone in the majors and are always capable of coming through with a big game.

These clubs will look to stay alive against two teams—the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics, respectively—hoping to avoid a Game 5.

No matter what happens, you can be certain there will be plenty of excitement in the coming days as each team tries the make the most of their opportunity.

Here is a look at what to expect in the remaining games of each series.

Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers

In case you did not know before, the Athletics can hit home runs. They ranked third in the majors with 186 long balls while generating power from many different sources.

This was on full display in Game 3 as three different A’s took Anibal Sanchez deep in the 6-3 win.

It will be up to Detroit’s Doug Fister to do a better job of keeping the ball in the park in Game 4. While he does not have as good of pure stuff as Sanchez, he will at least avoid walks to keep runners off the bases. 

This will limit the damage if one of the hitters connects with a big home run. 

Still, the bigger question for the Athletics is whether they can trust Dan Straily in this big situation. The young pitcher posted a 3.96 ERA this season, but he also allowed five or more runs in seven of his 27 starts this year.

A poor showing in Game 4 can wake up the bats for the Tigers and allow them to have a big performance at home in Game 5.

Oakland certainly does not want to go back on the road for the final game of the series. This would require counting on Bartolo Colon to outduel Max Scherzer, which is quite a difficult feat. It is even harder considering Colon allowed 10 hits in six innings in Game 1.

Finally, the Athletics’ recent history could come back and haunt them. Since 2000, the team has reached the playoffs six times. In five of those seasons, the squad lost in Game 5 of the ALDS.

History tends to repeat itself, and Oakland could be in serious trouble if they fail to clinch in Game 4.

Prediction: Tigers win in 5

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Alex Cobb was the Rays’ best pitcher this season, and he was the first starter who could at least quiet the bats for the Red Sox. Of course, he was only able to last five innings while allowing three runs (two earned).

Meanwhile, David Price and Matt Moore were shelled in the first two games, and Jeremy Hellickson could be looking at a similar fate in Game 4. The young pitcher had the second-worst ERA in the American League among qualified players this season.

Jake Peavy has not been great for the Red Sox, but he has at least been serviceable since coming over from the Chicago White Sox.

If he can give Boston a quality start, the highest-scoring offense in baseball should be able to do the rest to win in Game 4.

Of course, if Tampa Bay is somehow able to escape with a win to send the series back to Boston, the squad would have some serious momentum in their favor after winning two in a row. This could be enough to fuel a road victory to clinch the series.

The Rays have already proven twice in this postseason that they are capable of coming through in a winner-take-all game on the road. 

Then again, the Red Sox should still have a lot of confidence in Jon Lester putting together a strong effort when needed. On the other side, Tampa Bay would send Matt Moore to the mound after he allowed seven earned runs in Game 1.

Tampa Bay has the energy to keep things exciting, but Boston simply has too much talent to beat.

Prediction: Red Sox win in 4

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With a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals clinched their first National League Central division title since 2009.

The Cardinals provided the news via Twitter:

St. Louis rode starting pitcher Lance Lynn’s nine-strikeout performance to the win on Friday. Lynn received help from Matt Holliday and David Freese via the long ball, but it was his pitching performance that made the difference.

This is the third year in a row that the club will reach the postseason, which includes their run to a World Series title in 2011. Winning the division allows the squad to skip the one-game playoff between wild-card teams.

The NL Central has been one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, as the Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds were locked in a battle for the top spot all season. It’s the only division in the majors with three teams with at least 90 wins.

However, St. Louis was able to withstand its rivals thanks mostly to one of the best lineups in baseball. Veterans like Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran paired with less-experienced players like Matt Adams and Matt Carpenter make this a tough offense to stop.

These players helped the Cardinals lead the National League in runs scored while also ranking among the top five in the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and doubles.

Although this is not a group that hits a lot of home runs, they make it work with great hitting in key situations.

Meanwhile, the starting rotation is nothing to scoff at with Cy Young contender Adam Wainwright leading a group that includes Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha, two of the best young pitchers in the game.

Although the bullpen has been shaky at times, Edward Mujica has been solid in his first full year as a closer.

St. Louis has been battle-tested this season in an incredibly tough division, and the players have as much playoff experience as anyone else in the majors. The organization has not missed a beat since Mike Matheny took over for Tony LaRussa as manager before last season, and they appear set for another deep run in the playoffs. 

After clinching the NL Central, the group has to be one of the favorites to not only reach the World Series, but to also win a title for the second time in three years.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their National League West title by jumping in the pool at Chase Field. Unsurprisingly, this upset the Arizona Diamondbacks and many of their fans. 

ESPN’s Mark Saxon quoted a couple of key figures on the matter:

Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement to the Arizona Republic, “I could call it disrespectful and classless, but they don’t have a beautiful pool at their old park and must have really wanted to see what one was like.”

[…]

“I think it’s tired and disrespectful,” (Diamondbacks utility player Willie) Bloomquist said. “It’s surprising, because they have a lot of veteran guys on that team that I thought were classier than that.”

Even the non-sports community was getting into the discussion. Arizona Senator John McCain also was not fond of the act:

Dodgers relief pitcher Brian Wilson responded to McCain’s criticism with a jab of his own:

ESPN’s Skip Bayless also had to insert his opinion in the matter:

Of course, there weren’t any pools located in the outfield of major league ballparks when Sandy Koufax was playing. 

On the other hand, not everyone took issue with the act. The always entertaining Arizona starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy did not see a problem with it, despite being on the losing end. He tweeted this encouraging statement for the future:

The controversial celebration followed a 7-6 road win by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. This mathematically eliminated the Diamondbacks from the division race, and secured the Dodgers their first National League West title since 2009.

After a relatively awful start to the season for The Boys in Blue, the turnaround into division champs was impressive.

However, Saxon reports that the team had been asked by the Diamondbacks to not celebrate on the field. The players responded by jumping into the pool, which was captured by Fox Sports:

Arash Markazi of ESPN also provided this picture on his Instagram account:

However, not everyone thought it was funny. 

This type of celebration started in 2011 when the Diamondbacks clinched the NL West and celebrated in front of their home fans. Still, it’s clear that the squad doesn’t feel that the pool is open for just anyone to use.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

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A disappointing season for the Toronto Blue Jays has just soured even more with the news that Edwin Encarnacion will be out with a wrist injury.

According to Shi Davidi of SportsNet, the first baseman will undergo surgery on his left wrist:

Surgery on left wrist for Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Cecil to DL with elbow discomfort.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) September 17, 2013

EE says he’s had pain on every swing the past two weeks. Calls surgery a cleanup.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) September 17, 2013

Encarnacion missed four games in the middle of September with the injury, but returned for a weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles, exclusively playing as a designated hitter.

Now it appears that his season is likely over given the extent of the injury and the fact that the 68-81 Blue Jays will not be competing in the playoffs.  

The veteran hitter currently ranks third in the majors with 36 home runs and third in the American League with 104 RBI, trailing only Chris Davis and Miguel Cabrera in both categories. 

Adam Lind has been playing first base for Toronto in Encarnacion’s absence and should remain there for the foreseeable future.

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The Boston Red Sox received a huge boost to their rotation when they reportedly acquired Jake Peavy in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the news of the deal:

 According to WEEI’s Rob Bradford and Alex Speier, the trade involves three teams:

According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox are in advanced talks about a three-way deal with the White Sox and Tigers that would bring right-hander Jake Peavy to Boston.

Gordon Edes of ESPN.com reports more details on the trade: 

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reveals another player who may be involved in the deal:

Heyman provides more trade details:

Comcast Sports Net New England’s Sean McAdam reveals has info on the  Red Sox prospects involved in the deal:

The 32-year-old Peavy is 8-4 this season with 4.28 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 80 innings. Although he missed over a month this season with a fractured rib, he has made two starts since returning and has tallied the win in each outing.

Injuries have been a bit of an issue for Peavy throughout his four-year career with Chicago. After being considered one of the top pitchers in the game while with the San Diego Padres, he has made more than 20 starts only once in since joining the White Sox.

However, he was rejuvenated last year. Peavy threw 219 innings and posted a 3.37 ERA while making the All-Star Game for the third time in his career. That earned him a two-year extension running through 2014, with a $15 million option for 2015. 

Despite that success, Peavy was made expendable due to the team’s struggles. The White Sox are currently in last place in the AL Central with a 40-64 record. Only the Houston Astros have a worse record in the American League. 

As a result, the pitcher was sought after by many contending squads around baseball. According to Bruce Levine of ESPN.com, Peavy entered Sunday’s game with his bags already packed in the locker room in case a trade went through. He did not know where he was going, but he did say “this is probably my last day in here.”

Although he remained with the club for a few more days, he was still eventually moved and will spend the rest of the season with the Red Sox. His new squad needed help in the rotation, and they add an experienced pitcher who will be depended on down the stretch.

Boston now hopes that this will be enough to get them into the postseason and contend for a World Series title.

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Carlos Marmol has finally worn out his welcome with the Chicago Cubs. The organization announced on Twitter that the relief pitcher has been designated for assignment: 

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 25, at 5:21 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

MLB.com reporter Carrie Muskat offers some insight from Cubs GM Jed Hoyer:

—End of update—

At the time of the transaction, he had a 2-4 record with a 5.86 ERA and a career-high WHIP of 1.7.

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, “The move means the Cubs have 10 days to trade, release or waive him. He’s expected to clear waivers, a 3-day process.”

The 30-year-old veteran is in the final year of his three-year extension that was signed prior to the 2011 season. Therefore, a club might take a chance on a half-season rental, though the Cubs should not expect much in return. 

Marmol has been on the major league roster since 2006. He came up as a starter, but quickly turned himself into one of the more dominant set-up men in all of baseball.

By 2010, he was the squad’s full-time closer with an impressive 38 saves and a 2.55 ERA. 

Unfortunately, he has not been able to replicate that success in recent years and has been one of the bigger disappointments on a struggling team. In 2011, he led the majors with 10 blown saves, and he has generally had problems closing out games over the past few years.

This season, Marmol lost his closing job in early April after allowing runs in each of his first three appearances.

Things didn’t get much better with the pressure off.

In June, the reliever built up an ERA of 12.15 thanks mostly to two terrible performances in the month. He allowed four runs in only one-third of an inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 1, then did the same thing against the New York Mets on June 16.

While he did manage to get a scoreless inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, it was too little, too late for the pitcher, and the Cubs decided to remove him from the major league roster.

In a corresponding move, Chicago will bring up outfielder Brian Bogusevic. The 29-year-old player batted .207 last season in 146 games with the Houston Astros. However, he can play all three outfield positions and should be able to provide the squad with some depth. 

It is unclear what the future holds for Marmol, but he certainly must improve before he is able to help any team.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have received a huge boost in excitement from Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig. Unfortunately, this will not lead to much more team success.

Puig has played eight outstanding games for the Dodgers. To this point, he has more three-hit games (three) than games with one or fewer hits (two). Overall, he is batting .500 (16-of-32) with four home runs and 10 RBI.

Additionally, his defense is also outstanding with one of the strongest arms you will see from an outfielder in a long time. Arash Markazi of ESPN explained that the veterans covering the game were surprised:

He also showed in the minor leagues that he is capable of stealing bases, although he has not gotten to that point in the majors yet.

The phenom is bringing a ridiculous amount of energy and excitement to the fanbase and supporters of the team from all over.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell discussed how much an autograph from the young player would be worth:

According to Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaiken of the Los Angeles Times, the team sold 3,000 units of merchandise related to the outfielder in the first four days they were on sale, which is a new franchise record.

It is obvious that the Dodgers are raking it in as an organization and should be extremely happy that Puig is part of the team. Unfortunately, none of this guarantees wins on the field.

Los Angeles had high hopes entering the season with one of the biggest payrolls in baseball. Unfortunately, almost everyone on the team is either hurt or playing extremely poorly.

The team has already gone through nine starting pitchers this season. Outside of Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the squad has not found any reliability in the rotation. However, the lineup has been even worse.

With the exception of Adrian Gonzalez, the hitters on the roster have been very disappointing. Matt Kemp and Andre Eithier have each won a Silver Slugger in their career but have combined for only six home runs this season. Kemp is barely topping a .250 batting average, which is miles better than Either at .229.

All of this—combined with a major league high of 15 losses from relievers—has led to a terrible start from the Dodgers. The squad is 27-36 to sit in last place in the National League West.

While the first thought is that Puig and is great play will turn the squad around, that has not been the case. The team has lost the last three games despite the outfielder going 8-for-13 in that stretch.

One player is not enough to win games in baseball. Last season, Mike Trout put together one of the best rookie years in history and almost won MVP. However, the Los Angeles Angels were still unable to reach the playoffs.

The Dodgers have been terrible so far this season and the majority of the roster has not improved since Puig‘s debut. It takes an entire squad to turn things around, and it does not appear that this team is capable of doing it.

According to ESPN.com, Los Angeles only has a 2.7 percent chance of making the playoffs. Although this does not completely eliminate the squad, it will need a lot more than just the amazing play of Puig to get back into the postseason picture.

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The 2013 MLB season is just getting started, but the trade rumors are already in full swing.

Most teams would like to wait until deeper into the year before making major changes to the roster. It seems only fair to evaluate the talent you have before attempting to acquire new players.

However, injuries and ineffectiveness cause an increased amount of urgency. As a result, there are a bunch of players who could be on the move in a hurry.

Here is the latest trade buzz from around the league on a few of them.

Aaron Harang, Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies acquired Aaron Harang from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, but he will not be with the organization for long.  

Immediately after the trade, the Rockies designated the pitcher for assignment as they attempt to move him to yet another team.

Fortunately for Colorado, there is plenty of interest, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

The most interesting name on this list is the Boston Red Sox, who might need to replace John Lackey’s spot in the rotation if his biceps injury keeps him out for an extended period of time.

Either way, the Rockies are almost certain to move Harang quickly after finding the best available deal.

Bud Norris, Houston Astros

In the first regular-season game of the year, Bud Norris had an impressive showing against a very good Texas Rangers lineup to get the win.

Of course, the next week went more to expectations for the Astros. There will be a lot of losses this year, and the team will eventually want to move its best players for young prospects.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Norris is likely to be one of the players after a strong showing:

Norris’s stock rose higher after he beat the Rangers in the opener last Sunday. He should bring the Astros a good haul between now and the trade deadline. One veteran NL adviser indicated the Rangers might be his landing point.

Rookie Nick Tepesch will get a chance to show what he can do at the end of the rotation, but if he struggles, Norris would be a good replacement.

Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers

If you have not heard the name Jurickson Profar yet, just wait, because you will eventually. Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranks the shortstop as the No. 1 prospect in baseball entering the season.

Unfortunately, Texas has little use for a middle infielder with Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler playing well for the big league club.

After the team signed Andrus to an eight-year extension, the front office fielded calls for a trade including Profar, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

While the Rangers maintain that they are not interested in trading away their best minor league player, things could change later in the year if they want to make a big move to help contend this season.

Profar would help bring in an impact player at any position, which could help the squad balance out the roster as the season progresses.

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John Lackey was taken out of the game in his first start of the season for the Boston Red Sox after an apparent arm injury. 

UPDATE: Saturday, April 6, 3:35 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland

According to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, Lackey is only suffering from a simple bicep strain, rather than the more serious injury many had feared:

The righty figures to miss some time with the injury, but the prognosis probably isn’t too bleak for the veteran given the type of injury. No timetable has been announced. 

—End of Update—

According to Sean McAdam of Comcast Sports Net, the injury appeared to be related to his bicep instead of his elbow:

John Lackey missed the entire 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Prior to that, he had the worst year of his career in 2011 with a 6.41 ERA in 160 innings for the Red Sox.

The team is hoping that the long recovery from the surgery will help him regain the form that made him an ace for the Los Angeles Angels for many years. He totaled 102 wins with a 3.81 ERA over his eight-year career with his former team. 

Considering the veteran is in the middle of a five-year, $82.5-million contract, Boston will give him plenty of chances to prove that he can live up to those expectations. 

He was pitching well before being removed from Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He threw 4.1 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. The only runs he gave up were on a two-run home run by J.P. Arencibia.

It is unknown at this point how serious the injury is, but the Red Sox should hope that it has nothing to do with his previous surgery. 

Boston is already light on starting pitching, and the club would likely be in some serious trouble if Lackey is out for an extended amount of time.

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There are several great additions to MLB 13 The Show other than the new Postseason Mode.

This game is the latest installment in one of the most successful sports video game franchises around today. The 2012 iteration was quite impressive with its graphics and overall gameplay. It upped the ante, raising the standard for future video game in the genre.

For the most part, that does become an issue. There is not a huge leap in the animation, the realism was already top-notch and most modes remain the same.

Those who already own MLB 12: The Show will be looking for a reason to buy the latest version besides just updated rosters. Fortunately, the postseason mode provides just that.

As good as these games have been, though, it is tough to play a baseball franchise. While the Madden series replicates football with 16 games a year plus the playoffs, the major leagues feature 162 games.

Unless you literally have nothing else to do with your life, you are most likely not going through an entire season while playing every game. In all likelihood, you are simulating most games and hoping you are a good enough general manager to get your team into the playoffs.

Even the Road to the Show mode is often too drawn out for an average person to keep interest.

However, the Postseason brings the shortened time frame to those who love baseball.

With this feature, you can customize the 10 teams that will be involved in the playoffs. This means even a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates can feel what it is like to play in October.

FranchisePlay’s Brian Mazique provides a look into the presentation of the Postseason Mode in this video:

Gamers can now spend their time playing fewer games with a heightened intensity. While many of the features from franchise mode do not carry over, it still has the feel of your own team competing for a World Series.

Additionally, the mode features a different presentation from the regular season. The crowd is louder, the broadcast is more intense and even the announcers seem to be involved in the action.

It truly captures the essence of October baseball and puts it into a video game.

Sports video games often have to find a perfect mixture of fun gameplay and a realistic experience. The overall game does a decent job of this, but the postseason mode completely nails it.

If you were on the fence about whether to buy the new game, this added feature should help make your choice a bit easier.

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