The outcome, though, was just as Cubs fans hoped it would be, a Chicago victory. MORE: Top NLDS photos | MLB postseason schedule Ace Jake Arrieta gave up four runs and failed to make it out of the sixth inning — his worst start since mid-June, but his teammates more than made up for his sub-par outing. Cubs hitters blasted a half-dozen home runs, setting a major league postseason single-game record, and the home team beat the Cardinals 8-6 in Game 3 of the NLDS to grab a 2-1 series lead....

The division rivals came into the game having never faced each other in the postseason, and the Cardinals ultimately proved experience matters against a young Cubs lineup. MORE: Ten greatest Cardinals players of all time | MLB postseason schedule John Lackey stole the show in a tight pitching duel with former teammate Jon Lester. Lackey tossed 7 1/3 innings of shutout baseball after carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning....

They’d lost four of their previous five games — they scored a total of 10 runs in those four losses — and they were just barely holding onto the second AL Wild Card spot. The Tigers were a half-game back and the Mariners were a full game back. They woke up on Monday morning one step from the World Series. It’s a big step, sure, but the 2016 Blue Jays, who barely snuck into the playoffs via the wild card, are better prepared, better equipped and more capable of getting to the World Series than the 2015 Blue Jays, a team that won the AL East by six full games and had the second-best record in the AL....

The move would be another attempt to speed up the pace of play, following the elimination of the four-pitch intentional walk that goes into effect this season. Commissioner Rob Manfred and others see the pace issue as key to helping the sport attract new fans and keeping existing fans entertained. The change to replay review would reportedly give managers 30 seconds to decide whether to challenge a call on the field, the USA Today report says, citing unnamed sources....

Oakland will receive cash considerations in return. MORE: Watch ‘ChangeUp,’ a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN The deal is a bit reactionary for Toronto as it lost Clay Buchholz to the injured list this week, but it’s also one which carries historic significance. Jackson tied the MLB record last year by pitching for his 13th MLB team in the Athletics. He and former reliever Octavio Dotel are now the only two players in history to pitch for that many teams....

Grade the trade: Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler | Robinson Cano market Here are some of the latest bits of chatter around the majors, with thoughts on how much sense they make … New York Mets With Chris Young on board, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Mets might not be done overhauling their outfield, with Nelson Cruz a possibility. With Young and Juan Lagares, the Mets have two true center fielders, which would help mitigate Cruz's defensive limitations — an important consideration given Citi Field's rather spacious dimensions....

Marlins President Michael Hill held a conference call Thursday to dispel rumors Miami is trying to trade the two players. TOP FREE AGENTS: 25 best | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP “Not sure where all of that came from,” Hill said, via MLB.com. “(Fernandez) sits at the front of our rotation. We are not shopping Jose Fernandez. I don’t know what more I can say....

Any chip-and-a-chair hopes the Orioles harbored of contending for a wild-card spot this season disappeared with an 8-20 record at the end of April. The only drama left in the 2018 season for Orioles fans — well, aside from trying to avoid a franchise record for losses (111, for the 1939 St. Louis Browns) — is waiting to see who gets traded and where. MORE: Five teams with decisions to make before the trade deadline...

THE RUMOR: Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich says it’s “highly, highly unlikely” either Troy Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez will be dealt before opening day. REPORTED BY: Fox Sports THE DETAILS: The Rockies’ front office reiterated last month that Tulowitzki will not be traded despite being due $114 million through 2020, a lofty price tag considering four-time All-Star has missed 222 games over the past three seasons. On the other hand, Gonzalez’s future with the Rockies was more of a mystery....

REPORTED BY: MLB Network THE DETAILS: Quintana is due an affordable $6 million next season and is under team control through 2020. The southpaw has hurled 200 innings or more innings in four consecutive seasons, none with an ERA over 3.55. THIS PAST SEASON: Quintana was 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 181 strikeouts across 208 innings en route to his first All-Star honors. OUR TAKE: Having dealt Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, a full-scale rebuild is looming for the White Sox....

Tampa Bay was close to pitching the first combined perfect game in MLB history. The Rays used an opener against the Orioles, which was first made popular by the team. It would have been the first time multiple pitchers pulled off the feat as all 23 previous perfect games have been thrown by a single pitcher. Ryne Stanek started the game for the Rays and pitched two innings. Ryan Yarbrough took over and threw the next six innings without allowing a baserunner....

The expansion franchise set an MLS record by averaging 48,200 fans per game this season, with matches played at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium before the club debuted at the newly opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium last month. United also broke the league’s attendance record for a standalone match Sunday, drawing 71,874 for a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC. MLS commissioner Don Garber made the announcement Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium alongside Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and United owner Arthur Blank....

Among the players taken early were ones that won’t be counting against a club’s salary budget in 2022 after signing special generation adidas contracts. There was also a run by teams at eight defenders and two goalkeepers in the opening 14 picks of the draft. FC Dallas made six draft picks to lead the draft, while Vancouver Whitecaps came away with five players. LAFC didn’t have a pick and the Philadelphia Union passed on its only selection....

If you think Giovinco is the best player in MLS and perhaps the face of the North American league, you’re not alone. Goal surveyed general managers, technical directors and sporting directors from 16 MLS clubs, and the Toronto FC star was the overwhelming favorite to be named the 2017 MVP and the one current MLS player they’d choose to build a franchise around. Power Rankings: Dallas takes top spot...

The Houston Dynamo are back in action at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, the first match at home since Hurricane Harvey flooded the city of Houston. Proceeds from the Dynamo’s match with the Colorado Rapids will go towards storm relief on what promises to be an emotional night, with the Dynamo trying to focus on a win they need to help their playoff position in a tightly contested Western Conference....

The “staged” reopening strategy was issued earlier last week by local officials in Mordoc County, which houses roughly 9,000 people and has not reported any cases of the new coronavirus. Two additional California counties will begin to reopen on Monday. Modoc County’s plan launched on May 1, the same day California Governor Gavin Newsom outlined enforced closures of Orange County beaches and confirmed his administration’s statewide stay-at-home order would remain in effect until further notice....

In the post, user Ok_Corner754 explains: “I have 2 kids, 2f, 4f. I f****** hate how everyone thinks of me as being just a mommy now. I don’t get to be my own person. I’m just mommy.” The post has over 26,000 upvotes and the OP has been voted ’not the a******'. Losing Your Identity After Having Children After approximately nine months of a complete upheaval to normal life, socially, physically and emotionally, it can be easy to feel far from yourself....

In a post shared on Mumsnet’s Am I Being Unreasonable (AIBU) subforum under the username twinklestarin, the mom, who shares a three-year-old son and five-month-old with her partner, said she earns around £550 ($674) per month, while her partner works full time and earns around £200 to £250 ($245-$306) per day. “Considering that my partner earns considerably more than I do, would it be fair if I asked him to cover all the bills, and with the money I earn I can use that to cover all expenses related to the kids and myself,” the user asked....

In a post on discussion site Mumsnet the user areweungrateful shared the situation which has received over 120 replies. “My husband and I have one child who is three months old,” she wrote. “We have an issue with one set of grandparents buying inappropriate and unwanted gifts. This isn’t just for our child, but for us as well.” Many people ask for and exchange gift lists around the festive season, helping friends and family members ensure they gift something that the recipient really wants....