The Phillies defeated the Dodgers in Game 4 yesterday to win the NLDS Eric Hartline/USA TODAY NETWORK
Three of the four teams playing in this year's MLB League Division Series that had byes in the first round have been knocked out of the playoffs, but that was not enough for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to be deterred by the team's current 12-team playoff format. Manfred "dismissed the idea" that the playoff format "produces too long a layoff for the top teams." Manfred: "It's only year two. I'm sort of of the view [that] you need to give something a chance to work out. And I know some of the higher-seeded teams didn't win. I think if you think about where some of those teams were, there are other explanations than a five-day layoff." He added that the league would "evaluate that question in the offseason," and "could discuss it with the players’ union, although no such conversations have yet taken place" (SI, 10/12).
The AP's Paul Newberry asks "is it time to say goodbye to the bye?" Braves CF Michael Harris II said, "We came out slow. We had a good amount of off days. I guess it took some time to get the rust off." Orioles manager Brandon Hyde added, "The format is unusual where you win a division and have this much time off. I don’t know if it’s a disadvantage, but it puts you in a different routine than you are during regular season and what you’re used to." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also noted, "I don’t think that five days is ideal, but that’s the playoff structure. The world’s not perfect. A couple-day break would have been nice. But five’s a little …" (AP, 10/12).
