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How will MLB playoffs play out?

It took an extra day, but the 10 postseason teams are in order, as the Tampa Bay Rays -- 5-2 winners over the Texas Rangers in Monday's play-in game -- earned a spot in the American League wild-card game. There's not much waiting for things to get going; the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday in the National League wild-card matchup. How will the postseason play out?

  • Which team will win the NL wild-card game at Pittsburgh?

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      75%
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      25%

    Discuss (Total votes: 143,046)

  • Which team will win the AL wild-card game at Cleveland?

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      59%
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      41%

    Discuss (Total votes: 28,603)

  • Which team will win the Tigers-Athletics series?

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      55%
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      45%

    Discuss (Total votes: 20,408)

  • Which team will win the Dodgers-Braves series?

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      56%
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      44%

    Discuss (Total votes: 19,468)

  • Which team will win the series between the Cardinals and Pirates/Reds?

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      52%
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      40%
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      8%

    Discuss (Total votes: 18,909)

  • Which team will win the series between the Red Sox and the Indians/Rays?

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      65%
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      23%
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      12%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,517)

  • Which already-set series are you more looking forward to?

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      44%
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      56%

    Discuss (Total votes: 18,050)

  • Which NLDS series do you want more to see?

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      79%
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      21%

    Discuss (Total votes: 41,676)

  • Which ALDS series do you want more to see?

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      64%
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      36%

    Discuss (Total votes: 6,815)

  • Which team will win the American League pennant?

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      17%
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      41%
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      25%
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      17%

    Discuss (Total votes: 36,990)

  • Which team will win the National League pennant?

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      20%
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      24%
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      32%
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      19%
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      5%

    Discuss (Total votes: 37,384)

  • Which team will win the World Series?

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      14%
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      13%
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      19%
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      22%
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      32%

    Discuss (Total votes: 124,343)

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Dodgers win division; NL next?

In June, they were in last place. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to clinch first, sealing the NL West with a 7-6 win over the onetime division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. That's quite a turnaround for a team once thought of as a high-dollar failure. But the Dodgers still have things left to do.

  • How will the Dodgers fare in the playoffs?

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      21%
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      38%
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      19%
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      22%

    Discuss (Total votes: 109,892)

  • Which team will win the National League pennant?

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      24%
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      21%
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      31%
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      17%
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      7%

    Discuss (Total votes: 92,334)

  • Who is the Dodgers' MVP?

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      10%
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      46%
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      30%
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      14%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,555)

  • Which team's rise has been more surprising?

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      48%
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      52%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,536)

  • Which is currently L.A.'s best franchise?

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      15%
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      51%
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      13%
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      21%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,305)

  • Which of these big-market franchises will fare best over the next five years?

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      46%
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      41%
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      13%

    Discuss (Total votes: 14,987)

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Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Yasiel Puig's future

Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has authored one of the most remarkable rookie seasons in recent memory since exploding onto the scene in June. He hit some rough spots along the way, thanks to his all-or-nothing style of play and some run-ins over breaking team rules. But he also helped the Dodgers shake off a disappointing start and surge to the NL West lead. What does the future hold for one of baseball's most compelling stories of 2013?

  • Which of these do you expect will best summarize Yasiel Puig's MLB career?

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      13%
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      28%
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      27%
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      18%
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      14%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,688)

  • Should Yasiel Puig tone down the passion he brings to the game?

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      8%
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      46%
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      46%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,435)

  • Does Yasiel Puig need to play a key role for the Dodgers to succeed in the playoffs?

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      87%
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      13%

    Discuss (Total votes: 7,237)

  • Will Yasiel Puig have a sophomore slump in 2014?

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      56%
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      44%

    Discuss (Total votes: 17,886)

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Baseball races reach the stretch run

With three weeks in the regular season, Major League Baseball's playoff picture is coming into focus, though some big questions remain. The Cardinals, Pirates and Reds are in a tight race for the National League Central, while Oakland or Texas are battling it out for the American League West title. But the most drama is in the race for the second AL wild card, where five teams are vying for one playoff berth. Do the Indians, Orioles, Yankees or Royals have enough left in the tank to challenge the Rays?

  • Which team wins the second AL wild card?

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      32%
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      20%
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      21%
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      17%
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      10%

    Discuss (Total votes: 29,524)

  • Which manager would you rather have in the race for the AL's second wild card?

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      31%
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      17%
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      29%
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      18%
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      5%

    Discuss (Total votes: 10,349)

  • Which team will win the AL West?

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      76%
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      24%

    Discuss (Total votes: 19,577)

  • Which team will win the NL Central?

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      51%
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      41%
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      8%

    Discuss (Total votes: 53,719)

  • Which team will represent the NL in the World Series?

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      24%
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      20%
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      35%
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      14%
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      7%

    Discuss (Total votes: 10,110)

  • Which team will represent the AL in the World Series?

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      16%
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      7%
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      41%
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      36%

    Discuss (Total votes: 9,935)

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Yasiel Puig pulled by Dodgers

The issues surrounding Yasiel Puig continued Wednesday night, as Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly pulled the rookie sensation in the fifth inning of their team's 4-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. Mattingly declined to say why, simply stating that Puig's replacement, Skip Schumaker, gave L.A. "the best chance to win." Meanwhile, Puig said through an interpreter that "I wasn't preparing well for each pitch," and "it was a good decision." Now, this normally wouldn't be the biggest deal, but Puig was benched by Mattingly just one week ago ...

Yasiel Puig was benched for the second time in a little more than a week on Wednesday. What do you make of manager Don Mattingly's treatment of Puig?

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    15%
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    73%
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    12%

Discuss (Total votes: 33,929)

  • How worried should Dodgers fans be about Yasiel Puig's behavior?

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      32%
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      51%
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      17%

    Discuss (Total votes: 6,780)

  • Will Yasiel Puig's attitude/approach prevent him from reaching his potential?

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      65%
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      35%

    Discuss (Total votes: 40,973)

  • What will Yasiel Puig be next year?

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      54%
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      39%
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      7%

    Discuss (Total votes: 6,501)

  • Which of these outfielders would you rather have for the next five years?

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      69%
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      31%

    Discuss (Total votes: 31,783)

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Red Sox take on Dodgers in L.A.

Could this weekend's Red Sox-Dodgers series be a preview of the World Series? If you asked us this question before this season started, we might have laughed at you -- the Red Sox were coming off their worst season in years and the Dodgers were full of question marks. That was before the Red Sox fixed their pitching staff, however, and long before the emergence of Yasiel Puig sent the Dodgers on a near-unprecedented run of dominance.

How will this weekend's three-game Red Sox-Dodgers series in Los Angeles play out?

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    27%
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    50%
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    17%

Discuss (Total votes: 29,609)

  • Which team has a better chance of winning the World Series this season?

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      29%
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      71%

    Discuss (Total votes: 68,734)

  • Which team got the better of last year's blockbuster trade?

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      27%
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      37%
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      36%

    Discuss (Total votes: 15,889)

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A year ago, the Montreal Canadiens reigned over all in the Uni Watch Power Rankings. This time around? The St. Louis Cardinals are on top. Do you agree? Click on the logos below to set your top 25!

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video

You could forgive Matt Kemp for being a little bitter over Ryan Braun -- the man did beat out Kemp for the 2011 NL MVP award while allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs -- but stripping Braun's MVP award? That's what Kemp thinks should happen to the recently suspended Braun when asked about it on Tuesday. Braun topped Kemp with 388 points and 20 first-place votes to Kemp's 332 and 10, a relatively narrow margin that could have easily gone the other way if Braun hadn't allegedly been using performance-enhancing drugs.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Comment »

A backlash against Yasiel Puig?

Yasiel Puig is exceptionally good at baseball. This much is not in dispute -- the man is hitting .394 and keeps doing the kind of things that would have inspired whispered legends before the days of Internet video. Anyone who's this good this fast is bound to experience a pushback, however, and it appears to have already started for Puig. Miguel Montero (appropos of nothing, currently hitting .219) criticized him for being aloof and said he was creating a bad reputation around the league. Is it all just sour grapes?

  • Miguel Montero said that Yasiel Puig is ''creating a bad reputation'' around the league. Do you agree?

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      37%
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      63%

    Discuss (Total votes: 43,984)

  • What is your opinion of Yasiel Puig?

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      44%
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      39%
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      17%

    Discuss (Total votes: 16,309)

  • Freddie Freeman was elected to the final spot on the NL All-Star team. Who should have been elected?

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      52%
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      39%
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      9%

    Discuss (Total votes: 14,844)

  • The Dodgers are at 45-45 and are 1.5 games behind the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead. Will they make the playoffs?

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      71%
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      29%

    Discuss (Total votes: 36,191)

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Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

MLB bans eight for brawl

Major League Baseball has come to a decision -- handing out eight suspensions and 12 fines to players and coaches involved in the Diamondbacks-Dodgers brawl this week. Ian Kennedy, who caused the bench-clearing scuffle by hitting two batters, was given the harshest punishment of a 10-game suspension. Managers Don Mattingly (Dodgers) and Kirk Gibson (Diamondbacks) will each sit out one game. Were the suspensions fair?

  • What do you make of Ian Kennedy's 10-game suspension for his role in the Diamondbacks-Dodgers bawl?

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      20%
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      44%
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      36%

    Discuss (Total votes: 29,371)

  • What do you make of Eric Hinske's five-game suspension for his role in the Diamondbacks-Dodgers bawl?

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      35%
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      49%
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      16%

    Discuss (Total votes: 11,521)

  • Should managers Don Mattingly and Kirk Gibson have been given more than a one-game suspension?

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      41%
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      11%
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      10%
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      38%

    Discuss (Total votes: 11,069)

  • Should Zack Greinke have been punished?

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      49%
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      51%

    Discuss (Total votes: 11,435)

  • Which team was more at fault in the Dodgers-Diamondbacks brawl?

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      31%
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      69%

    Discuss (Total votes: 12,711)

  • Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario said the feud between his team and the Diamondbacks isn't over. Will the teams fight again at any point in their remaining 10 games this season?

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      81%
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      19%

    Discuss (Total votes: 35,595)

Comment »