Eddie Rosario is unlikely hero as Atlanta thumps LA, moves one step from World Series

On July 30, Cleveland acquired third baseman Pablo Sandoval and cash from the Atlanta Braves, and a few hours later cut Sandoval.

For Cleveland, the trade was less about adding Sandoval to the roster than getting rid of the player they sent to Atlanta: outfielder Eddie Rosario.

Cleveland was dumping salary as it knew the White Sox would win the division. Little did Atlanta know it would be getting a player who would turn into Mr. October.

Rosario went 4 for 5 with two home runs and a triple on Wednesday night as Atlanta crushed the Dodgers 9-2 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series in Los Angeles.

“As soon as I hit that first home run, I thought, ‘Wow, I feel amazing right now,’” Rosario told MLB.com.

Atlanta is one win from advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1999 and Rosario is a big reason for the team’s postseason success.

Rosario is batting .588 (10 for 17) in the NLCS with a 1.059 slugging percentage. Stats by Stats noted Rosario is the first Major League Baseball player to have two four-hit games in a three-game span in a single postseason.

Eddie Rosario of the @Braves is the first player in MLB postseason history to have two 4-hit games in a 3-game span in a single postseason.

— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) October 21, 2021

Not bad for a guy who any team could have had.

“Eddie has been in the moment here,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com. “He’s liked that postseason play for sure. He’s had really just great at-bats. I looked up and told [bench coach Walt Weiss], ‘He’s a double shy of the cycle again’ and then he hit a homer.”

Chanticleers no longer unbeaten

Chandler Staton kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired as Appalachian State beat No. 14 Coastal Carolina 30-27 on Wednesday night.

APP STATE TAKES DOWN NO. 14 COASTAL CAROLINA ️ pic.twitter.com/1JwOIl6dQH

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 21, 2021

It was Coastal Carolina’s first loss of the season as the Chanticleers fell to 6-1.

This was Appalachian State’s first win over a ranked team since beating No. 5 Michigan in the 2007 season opener in Ann Arbor.

Working (double) overtime

A buzzer beater from the Celtics’ Marcus Smart forced overtime in a NBA season opener against the Knicks, but New York won 139-134 in double overtime.

MARCUS SMART TIES IT AT THE BUZZER

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/MBLaK1OGZU

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 21, 2021

Smart’s three-pointer capped a furious comeback by Boston, which trailed by 11 with 3:40 left in regulation. Evan Fournier made a three-pointer with 56 seconds left in the second overtime to give the Knicks the lead for good.

The game had 11 lead changes and 10 ties.

Chris Beard’s sacrifice

Texas basketball coach Chris Beard is asking his Longhorns to give up one thing as a “team sacrifice,” CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported.

Beard is joining in the cause and told Rothstein that during the 2021-22 season he will refrain from ... having a beer.

Chris Beard tells me that he's giving up beer for the entire 21-22 season. Each member of Texas' program was asked to give up one thing of significance as part of "team sacrifice".

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 21, 2021