News » the 2004 ALCS en route to

A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday:MOVING ONThe Red Sox are set for a postseason rematch with the World Series champion Astros. Boston eliminated the Yankees with a dramatic 4-3 victory Tuesday night in Game 4 of their AL Division Series http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-hader-jersey , and now rookie manager Alex Cora and his club will wait until Saturday night to open the AL Championship Series against Houston at Fenway Park. Ace lefty Chris Sale figures to get the ball after making an impressive turn in a setup role for the eighth inning Tuesday. It’ll also mark a reunion for Cora and the Astros — he was the bench coach during their championship run last season.“I’ve been talking about them the whole season, so now we go,” Cora said. “Best of seven. They know me. I know them. It should be fun.”The Yankees, meanwhile, begin an offseason that’s sure to bring a few changes. CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner, David Robertson and J.A. Happ can become free agents, and New York could be major a player in an anticipated free agent market that will likely include Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel and possibly even Clayton Kershaw. The Yankees have lost four straight postseason home games to the Red Sox, and now they’ll watch on TV as Boston chases a fourth World Series title in 15 years — New York has just one pennant and championship during that span (2009).STAY OR GO?Braves manager Brian Snitker expects to find out this week whether general manager Alex Anthopolous will bring him back. Snitker is not yet under contract for 2019, though there’s nothing to indicate he won’t return for his third full year at the helm — especially after a season that makes him one of the leading candidates for NL manager of the year. Still, Anthopolous met with Snitker and the coaching staff Tuesday and didn’t make any promises.“Until something gets done … I understand that you’re never guaranteed tomorrow,” said Snitker Max Kepler Jersey , who turns 63 next week. “I don’t know. I know I’d like to (return). I enjoyed it. I love that group in there. I like being around ’em. That group in there is awesome. I’ve got a few more years in me.”NOT A HITSan Diego is hunting for a new hitting coach a day after firing Matt Stairs. The rebuilding Padres continued to rank at or near the bottom of the majors in key offensive stats in their first year under Stairs. His replacement will be the Padres’ 10th hitting coach since Petco Park opened in 2004. While saying he felt Stairs did a good job with mostly younger players, general manager A.J. Preller said he and manager Andy Green decided that the team needed a different approach. The team is expected to promote someone from within the organization. BOSTON (AP) — Andrew Benintendi’s hit bounced a handful of times before finding its way into center field for the winning run and a big four-game sweep over the rival Yankees.The Red Sox now find themselves in firm control of the AL East.Benintendi’s RBI single with two outs in the 10th capped Boston’s rally from three runs down in the ninth against New York closer Aroldis Chapman, and the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep with a 5-4 victory Sunday night.“Any 10 hopper that goes through for a hit feels pretty good,” the usually quiet Benintendi said, breaking into a grin. “Everybody knew how big the series was. We came in and did what we wanted to do. We kind of stole this one.”Boston opened a 9 1/2-game lead atop the division over the Yankees, who lost their season-high fifth straight.“It feels like another great win, obviously it was against our rivals,” Boston’s J.D. Martinez said.Mookie Betts hit his 26th homer for Boston (79-34), which has won eight of nine games and owns the majors’ best record.The Yankees hadn’t been swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox when they entered a series 30 or more games over .500 since Hall of Famer Ted Williams’ rookie season in 1939, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.“A tough way to obviously end a tough weekend, but we can’t let this define what’s been a great season,” manager Aaron Boone said.Sandy Leon looped a two-out single off Jonathan Holder (1-3) in the 10th and advanced on a wild pitch. Tony Renda pinch-ran before Benintendi’s single up the middle to the right of the second-base bag into center field.Matt Barnes (4-3) worked a perfect inning in the top of the 10th.For the Yankees, it was a stunning reversal of the Boston Massacre in 1978 when the Yankees came to town and swept the Red Sox en route to erasing a large lead and capturing the AL East.“We lost these four games here, but what I can tell you is that we’re gonna keep battling. We’re gonna keep playing ball,” Chapman said through a translator. “There’s no looking back.”It snapped his streak of converting 22 straight opportunities since his last blown save on May 4.With New York leading 4-1 in the ninth http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-zach-duke-jersey , Chapman loaded the bases on walks before Martinez’s two-out, two-run single pulled Boston within one. Third baseman Miguel Andujar then bounced a throw to first on Xander Bogaerts‘ grounder, with pinch-runner Jackie Bradley Jr. racing home with the tying run.Red Sox starter David Price took a shutout into the seventh, giving up two runs and four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.Playing on a beautiful mid-summer night with a sellout crowd amped from the opening pitch, Price and Masahiro Tanaka were locked in a scoreless duel before Betts hit a hanging cutter completely out of Fenway Park over the Green Monster in the fifth.Price, tagged for 12 runs over 4 1/3 innings in his other two starts against the Yankees this season, left to a rousing ovation with two on and nobody out in the seventh.Heath Hembree walked Shane Robinson before Bogaerts booted what looked like a sure double-play grounder, allowing two runs. Stanton followed with an RBI single and Gleyber Torres had a sacrifice fly.Tanaka gave up one run and six hits, striking out nine and walking one in 4 2/3 innings.NOT FOR SALERed Sox ace Chris Sale, on the 10-day disabled list with mild left shoulder inflammation, will miss his second straight start.Manager Alex Cora had been saying the hope was for him to start Wednesday in Toronto. However, when the team listed its probable starters for the next series, it was RHP Rick Porcello.A-ROD SPEAKSWorking the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecast for his first time in Fenway, color analyst and former Yankee Alex Rodriguez discussed his fight with former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek in 2004 during the broadcast, saying the current Yankees need a spark.“The fans here Michael Pineda Jersey , they took that as a pivotal moment on winning a championship,” he said. “And I’m not saying the Yankees need to start a fight by any means, but I’d love to see more fight, more action, more Paul O’Neill attitude and sometimes you want a guy in the room to stand up and not necessarily throw a chair, but get in somebody’s face and show some emotion, some passion.”Boston rallied from a 0-3 series deficit in the 2004 ALCS en route to winning its first World Series since 1918.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: OF Aaron Judge (fractured right wrist) played catch, but still hasn’t swung a bat. Boone said: “They hope it’s a pain-free situation. There is a chip in there, a broken wrist, you’ve got to get it right.” … Boone also said he hopes C Gary Sanchez (strained right groin) will be running at full speed by the end of the week and LHP J.A. Happ (hand, foot and mouth disease) could start Thursday.Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (sprained right ankle) threw a bullpen that Cora called “impressive.” … 3B Rafael Devers (strained left hamstring) is slated to play for Single-A Lowell in a rehab assignment Monday.UP NEXTYankees: RHP Lance Lynn (7-8, 4.89 ERA) is in line to make his first start for the Yankees on Monday against the White Sox. He was acquired from Minnesota on July 30.Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-5, 6.56) is slated to start the opener of a nine-game road trip Tuesday in Toronto.