MLB Hoosiers (Sept. 27): Giants' Alex Dickerson, Caleb Baragar Fall Short in Playoff Chase
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season, the San Francisco Giants continued winning anyway. And when it came down to the final weekend of the season, in turned out that all they needed was just one more win to make the playoffs.
And they couldn't do it.
The Giants lost all three games to the red-hot San Diego Padres over the weekend, and finished with a 29-31 record when, as it turned out, just one short of making the eighth and final playoff spot in the National League. That means that former Indiana baseball stars Alex Dickerson and Caleb Baragar are done for the year, with it ending much too quickly.
The two Hoosiers had a lot to do with the Giants making this run.
Dickerson went 30-for-74 since Aug. 29, a stellar .405 average in that stretch. He went into Sunday with a .300 average for the year, but had a flyout in the third inning and was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, finishing at .298.
Baragar, a rookie who made the team in something of a surprise, had a great rookie year. He finished with 16 straight scoreless outings.
Other 'Hoosiers in the Pros' on Saturday
- Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs: Schwarber was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the Cubs's 10-8 win over the Chicago White Sox. The Cubs won the NL Central and will be the No. 3 seed in the NL playoffs, hosting the Miami Marlins.
- Aaron Slegers, Tampa Bay Rays: Slegers did not pitch in the Rays' 5-0 win over the Phillies. Tampa Bay finished No. 1 in the American League with a 40-20 record.
- Jonathan Stiever, Chicago White Sox: Stiever did not pitch in the 10-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The White Sox lost seven of their last eight games, and went from the No. 1 seed to the No. 7 seed in a week.
- * Kyle Hart, Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox placed Hart on the 45-day injury list on Tuesday, so his season is done with Boston. He struggled in his major-league debut, appearing in four games — three starts — but allowing 19 runs and 24 hits in just 11 innings.
- * Josh Phegley, Chicago Cubs: Phegley was designated for assignment by the Cubs and was sent to their alternate site on Sept. 3.
Playoff pairings
The regular season is done, so here are the pairings for the 2020 playoffs, which start Tuesday. The higher seed hosts every game in the first round, which is a best-of-three series.
Here are the pairings, with the game time for Game 1 in each series
American League
- No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays vs. No. 8 Toronto Blue Jays, 5 p.m. ET Tuesday
- No. 4 Cleveland Indians vs. No. 5 New York Yankees, 7 p.m. ET Tuesday
- No. 3 Minnesota Twins vs. No. 6 Houston Astros, 2 p.m. ET Tuesday
- No. 2 Oakland A's vs. No. 7 Chicago White Sox, 3 p.m. ET Tuesday
National League
- No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. No. 8 Milwaukee Brewers, 10 p.m. ET Wednesday
- No. 4 San Diego Padres vs. No. 5 St. Louis Cardinals, 5 p.m. ET Wednesday
- No. 3 Chicago Cubs vs. No. 6 Miami Marlins, 2 p.m. ET Wednesday
- No. 2 Atlanta Braves vs. No. 7 Cincinnati Reds, Noon ET Wednesday