TEst 4

After days of controversy, the Astros fired Brandon Taubman for his comments toward female reporters last week. But the issues that led to Taubman's outburst run far deeper in Houston's front-office culture.

Tim Kurkjian has been covering baseball for a while. But he went to Walter Johnson High School. Wrote for a student newspaper called The Pitch. And that's just the beginning of his connections to a World Series that comes to Washington.

On the Nats phenom's birthday, fans in the nation's capital hope the celebrations continue with their team up 2-0 on Houston.

From the lock (Justin Verlander) to the young studs (Juan Soto and Yordan Alvarez), we assess which Astros and Nats could make it to Cooperstown.

The Halos have considerable issues on and off the field, but think they have the right guy to navigate it all.

Chaim Bloom, the Rays' senior vice president of baseball operations, is the favorite to become the Red Sox's next general manager, a source told ESPN.

Longtime major league umpire Rob Drake, in a statement to ESPN's Jeff Passan, apologized for sending a threatening tweet that included a reference to a rifle. Drake said he'll learn from the incident.

Joe Maddon said one of his goals with the Los Angeles Angels will be striking a balance between data and art, saying a manager can't lead a team by relying solely on analytics or their heart.

That Astros fired Brandon Taubman on Thursday, admitting in a statement that his outburst about the acquisition of Roberto Osuna was directed at a group of female reporters.

If the Nationals don't sweep the Astros, President Donald Trump said he'll attend Game 5 of the World Series at Nationals Park on Sunday.

The Phillies are hiring former Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Statistician Bill James, who earned four World Series rings since joining the Red Sox in 2002, is leaving the organization, but will continue to work on individual baseball projects.

The employment of Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman is under evaluation, sources told ESPN.

Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks will have Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow next week and is expected to miss 8 to 10 months.

The Phillies are hiring former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The Padres have hired Jayce Tingler of the Rangers as their next manager, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Cubs have named David Ross, who helped them win the 2016 World Series, as their manager. He will be officially introduced at a news conference Monday.

The Philadelphia Phillies are hiring former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, according to multiple reports.

Houston has plenty of confidence, plus Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. But the Nationals are already up 2-0 heading home, and they're on fire.

A lack of timely hitting is the biggest reason Houston seems like a different team.