News » Milwaukee in their sweep

The trade deadline has been a vital time in baseball for years http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-jack-morris-jersey , and it appears to be gaining in importance in recent years.Two years ago, the Chicago Cubs acquired closer Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees prior to the trade deadline, and the Cubs went on to over come a 108-year dry spell by defeating the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.The Houston Astros followed in a similar route last year as they traded for starting pitcher Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers, and the Astros won their first World Series in team history.If that trend is going to continue, it will be difficult for any team to acquire a bigger star than the Los Angeles Dodgers did when they picked up shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles July 18, the day after the All-Star Game.Machado is a dominating player who is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the 2018 season. Instead of playing shortstop with the Dodgers, he has moved to third base because of the groin injury suffered by Justin Turner. While the former Oriole is quite insistent about playing the rest of his career at shortstop, he has told manager Dave Roberts he is willing to play third base to help the team.Machado is one of the top impact players in MLB, and the Dodgers clearly can use his services. Los Angeles made it all the way to the seventh game of the World Series last year before losing to the Astros, and Machado can help the Dodgers gets back to the championship and potentially win it.Machado is a four-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner, and he has a .314/.390/.564 slash line with 25 home runs and 68 RBI.Machado is clearly the top acquisition in trade deadline moves Michael Fulmer Jersey , but the Dodgers are not the only team to help themselves.Here'sa linkto all trades that have been made through July 29.The New York Yankees have added starter J.A. Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays and reliever Zach Britton from the Orioles. Happ pitched and won in his first start for the Yankees Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, while Britton makes a powerful bullpen even better.While Britton is basically insurance for the Yankees in case Chapman is not at his best, the Bronx Bombers may have to cash in on that policy. Chapman has had several erratic outings in recent weeks, and his knee problems have been causing quite a bit of concern.The Milwaukee Brewers are attempting to engage the Chicago Cubs this summer and take the NL Central title from them. The Brewers added to their lineup by acquiring third baseman Mike Moustakas from the Kansas City Royals.Moustakas will give the Brewers an additional power threat who has been quite successful when the Royals won the AL pennant in 2014 and the World Series the following year. His acquisition means Travis Shaw moves from third base to second base, and that's an unusual position switch for a corner infielder.Brett Phillips showed off his athletic ability with this catch at Yankee Stadium.Frank Franklin II/Associated PressThe Royals got outfielder Brett Phillips and pitcher Jorge Lopez in return, and Phillips showed off his athletic ability Sunday with a home run-robbing catch in New York against the Yankees.The Cubs have made a move to upgrade their starting pitching by acquiring veteran lefthander Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers. The Cubs have struggled with their starters as Yu Darvish remains on the disabled list and Tyler Chatwood has struggled with an inability to thrown strikes, so the acquisition of Hamels makes sense. However, Hamels has an earned-run average of 10.23 in his last five outings.The Rangers acquired a pair of minor leaguers in right-handed pitchers Eddie Butler and Rollie Lacy as well as a player to be named later. Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesThe Milwaukee Brewers forced a deciding game in the 2018 NLCS with a 7-2victory Friday night over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 at Miller Park in Milwaukee.Jesus Aguilar, Mike Moustakas and Erik Kratz delivered run-scoring hits as part of the Brewers' four-run first inning after David Freese had crushed a leadoff home run for the Dodgers.L.A. threatened a comeback in the fifth when it brought the tying run to the plate, but Corey Knebel came out of the bullpen to secure two key outs and preserve the lead, which Milwaukee never relinquished.Brewers' Depth Will Continue To Prove VitalAlthough much attention was given to the dominance of Brew Crew outfielder Christian Yelich during the second half of the season鈥攁nd rightfully so鈥攖he team's ability to get contributions from anywhere in the order was also crucial to edging the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.It's a theme that's carried into the club's postseason run and was on full display Friday Leonys Martin Jersey , as the Brewers got key hits from Aguilar, Moustakas and Kratz. Their hits in the first inning immediately changed the outlook of the game after Los Angeles had grabbed the early lead.MLB MLBFive hits, FOUR runs.The Crew come out SWINGING. #NLCS WrKiDNh7GgIf playoff trends hold, the Dodgers aren't going to give Yelich or Ryan Braun much to hit in Game 7. They have combined for seven walks in the series, as L.A. has been content to force them to chase outside the zone or accept the base on balls to make Milwaukee's other hitters drive in runs.The same could be said on the pitching side. Knebel was one of six Brewers relievers to appear in at least 49 games during the regular season, and only one of them had an ERA above 4.00 (Taylor Williams). Having so many reliable options out of the bullpen takes away a lot of pressure, especially in a Game 7."Our depth is what's been valuable," managerCraig Counselltold reportersbefore the playoffs. "And we feel like it's helped us and allowed us [to win games], and there's been nights where that doesn't happen."Another strong showing from that unheralded group of secondary contributors Saturday night would likely push Milwaukee into the World Series. Dodgers Must End Power OutageFreese's homer to open Game 6 was just the Dodgers' third of the NLCS. The lack of long balls for an offense with so much pop is a main reason the series is going the distance.Los Angeles ranked second in the majors and first in the National League with 235 home runs during the regular season. The club added eight more during its NLDS destruction of the Atlanta Braves, with six different players going yard in the four-game series.If the Dodgers are going to turn the tide back in their favor for Game 7, it's probably going to take a sudden return to form in the power department.While the onus is mostly on Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger to put their game-changing power on display http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-alex-wilson-jersey , the Dodgers featured 10 different players with at least 13 homers during the regular season. So there's enough pop throughout the lineup to make serious noise.Milwaukee's Home-Field Advantage Makes It Game 7 FavoriteThe Brewers have benefited from playing at Miller Park all year.Their 51 home wins during the regular season were tied with the Cubs' for the most in the National League. They went 2-0 in Milwaukee in their sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the Division Series and are now 2-1 in their friendly confines against the Dodgers in the NLCS.Milwaukee Brewers BrewersHome field advantage is real and its spectacular. #OurCrewOurOctober pTQ6nCdyupTypically, home-field advantage isn't a major deal in baseball. Teams playing in their own park win 54 percent of the games in both the regular season and the playoffs, the lowest figures in the four major North American sports, per theAction Network.In a series that's so tightly contested, however, either side will be looking for every small edge it can get. For the Brewers, playing at home has provided a legitimate edge all year.They'll hope that remains true in Game 7 to punch their World Series ticket. What's Next?Game 7 is set for Saturday night at Miller Park with first pitch scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET. The pivotal clash will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.