DH Matt Holliday made his first appearance of the postseason, finishing 0-for-3 while batting eighth. Holliday, who did not appear in the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians, continued a miserable stretch for Yankees designated hitters, who are now 0-for-20 with nine strikeouts against just three walks this postseason.

LHP Dallas Keuchel became the first pitcher since Lew Burdette in the 1957 World Series to record consecutive scoreless starts against the Yankees. Keuchel is just the fourth pitcher with at least seven innings pitched and 10 strikeouts against the Yankees in the postseason, joining RHP Pedro Martinez (1999 ALCS), LHP Randy Johnson (2001 World Series), and LHP Cliff Lee (2010 ALCS). Keuchel has at least seven strikeouts in each of his first four postseason starts, joining Hall of Famer Bob Gibson as the only pitcher to accomplish that feat.

2B Jose Altuve became the first Houston batter with three hits in an LCS game since C Brad Ausmus in Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Altuve, who finished 3-for-4, now has four three-hit games in the postseason, a club record.

LF Marwin Gonzalez recorded his second assist of the postseason when he erased Yankees 1B Greg Bird at the plate to close the fifth inning. Gonzalez also threw out Red Sox 1B Mitch Moreland in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox. He is the second left fielder to record two outfield assists in the same postseason, joining Lance Berkman in 2005.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager did not participate in the team's workout at Dodger Stadium on Thursday after tweaking his back on a slide Monday night during Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.Seager is day-to-day and receiving treatment, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Thursday that he expects Seager to be available for Game 1 of the NL Championship Series on Saturday.Seager, the two-time All Star and reigning NL Rookie of the Year, has also been nursing a right elbow injury he sustained in late August."We just felt it was better to keep him inside and getting treatment, and he can also rest his elbow," Roberts said.MLB.com reports Seager's elbow injury could require offseason surgery.The 23-year-old Seager went 3-for-11 with a triple, four walks, two RBIs and three runs scored during the Dodgers' three-game NLDS sweep of the Diamondbacks.Seager hit .295 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs during the regular season.Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal also did not participate in Thursday's workout after flying home to Arizona to be with his pregnant wife. Grandal is expected to return to Los Angeles for the team's workout Friday.Los Angeles will face the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the NLCS.

RHP Wade Davis came on and got the last seven outs in the Game 5 win in Washington. That came a day after the closer gave up a grand slam to Michael A. Taylor. "I thought six not seven out of Wade, but like I said, what's the difference between six and seven," manager Joe Maddon said.Davis allowed one run in the eighth and escaped a two-on threat that inning when C Willson Contreras picked a runner off first base to end the inning.

RHP Kyle Hendricks, the Thursday starter in Game 5 of the NL Division Series against the Nationals, gave up four runs in four innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. He did not figure in the decision as the Cubs won 9-8 to advance to the NL Championship Series. He also started in Game 7 of the World Series last year against the Cleveland Indians, and he started and won Game 1 at Washington on Oct. 6.

1B Anthony Rizzo was 0-for-5 in Game 5 of the NL Division Series on Thursday, but somehow the Cubs managed a 9-8 win over the Nationals. Rizzo hit .200 during the series.

RHP John Lackey is a candidate to start Game 1 of the NL Championship Series on Saturday in Los Angeles, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after Chicago beat Washington in Game 5 of the NL Division Series. Lackey was not part of the rotation in the five-game series against the Nationals but has extensive postseason experience. "He's definitely in the mix, no question," Maddon said.

LHP Gio Gonzalez was given a 4-1 lead in the second inning Thursday in Game 5 of the NL Division Series against the Cubs, but he allowed two runs in the third. He was pulled after giving up three runs in three innings, and the Nationals eventually lost 9-8. Gonzalez was the starting pitcher in Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS, also at Nationals Park, as the Nationals blew a 6-0 lead and lost 9-7 to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the choice Thursday instead of RHP Tanner Roark, who was the No. 4 starter this year for Washington but did not pitch in the series.

LF Jayson Werth, in likely his last game with the Nationals, started and hit No. 2 in Game 5 of the NL Division Series against the Cubs. He went 2-for-4 with two walks and also lined out. However, he lost a ball in the outfield that led to a run as the Cubs won 9-8 to end the Nationals' season. Werth was on the last year of a seven-year deal, and the young depth of the Washington outfield makes him expendable.

SS Addison Russell had three run-producing at-bats in Game 5 against Washington. He had a two-run double during a four-run inning against RHP Max Scherzer in the fifth inning Thursday, and he wound up with four RBIs. "I would say that this is the most fun I've had playing in a baseball game, and it ranks right up there with winning the World Series," he said.

RHP Tanner Roark was not used in the NL Division Series against the Cubs. He was a candidate to start Game 5, but the call went to LHP Gio Gonzalez. Roark was supposed to start Game 4 when RHP Stephen Strasburg got sick, but then Strasburg felt well enough to pitch Wednesday.

RHP Max Scherzer had an awful inning out of the bullpen Thursday in Game 5 of the NL Division Series. After starting Game 3 on Monday, he came in with a 4-3 lead and gave up three hits and four runs (two earned) and was tagged with the loss as the Cubs advanced to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. "I've never seen anything like that from Max," manager Dusty Baker said. "He had two quick outs followed by an infield hit and a blooper. That's when (Addison) Russell hit the ball down the line, and that was a big turning point in the game."

SS Corey Seager (back/elbow) did not participate in Thursday's workout, but is expected to play in Game 1 of the NLCS. Seager is day-to-day and receiving treatment, but manager Dave Roberts told reporters Thursday that he wanted to give Seager a spell after he tweaked his back during a slide Monday in Game 3 of the NLDS versus the Diamondbacks. The 23-year-old is also nursing a right elbow injury. "We just felt it was better to keep him inside and getting treatment, and he can also rest his elbow," Roberts said.

C Yasmani Grandal did not attend Thursday's workout after flying home to Arizona to be with his pregnant wife. Grandal is expected to return to Los Angeles for the team's workout on Friday.

RHP Masahiro Tanaka will start Friday's opener of the American League Championship Series against the host Houston Astros. Tanaka pitched a stellar outing in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Indians when the Yankees were facing elimination. He allowed three hits and struck out seven in seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory. Tanaka was 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA in 30 regular-season starts.

LHP Gio Gonzalez was selected as the starter for the Washington Nationals for Thursday's winner-take-all Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the visiting Chicago Cubs. Gonzalez, who was given the nod over right-hander Tanner Roark, will be opposed by Cubs righty Kyle Hendricks. The 32-year-old Gonzalez allowed three runs on as many hits in five innings of a no-decision in Game 2 on Saturday. He struck out six and walked two.

RHP Corey Kluber, who is thought to be the favorite to win his second Cy Young Award in the last four years, led the major leagues with a 2.25 ERA in the regular season. But Kluber had a forgettable postseason. In his two playoff starts against the Yankees, he had a 12.79 ERA, having allowed nine runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings. In Game 5 on Wednesday, Kluber gave up three runs, including two home runs by SS Didi Gregorius, in 3 2/3 innings. "He just didn't have the normal, crisp movement on his pitches. A lot of his pitches were flat," manager Terry Francona said.

LHP Andrew Miller relieved RHP Corey Kluber in the fourth inning and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits with five strikeouts and no walks. It's the third time in his postseason career that Miller has had five strikeouts in a relief appearance of no more than two innings. No other pitcher in major league history has more than one such outing.