LEADING OFF: Stanton's HR streak, Kershaw at home, Acuña hit

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday:

STANTON'S STREAK

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has homered in all four of the team's postseason games this year. He connected two straight days at Cleveland as New York swept the wild-card series, and has homered in each of the first two games against Tampa Bay at neutral site Petco Park in San Diego.

The oft-injured Stanton hit four homers in 23 games of the regular season. He hit three home runs in 18 games last year.

The two-time NL home run champion is from the Los Angeles area and says “that SoCal air" is helping the ball fly. He hit a grand slam in the opener against the Rays, then connected in his first two at-bats in Game 2 of the AL Division Series.

HOME ON THE RANGE

Clayton Kershaw finally gets to pitch in an MLB game near his Texas home after 13 big league seasons and three NL Cy Young Awards with the Los Angeles Dodgers, except there won’t be a full flock of family and fans in the stands, and the stadium isn’t the same one he used to go to as a kid.

Kershaw starts Game 2 of the NL Division Series for the Dodgers against the San Diego Padres in the Texas Rangers’ new stadium, which is less than 25 miles from where he grew up, went to high school and still lives.

“It’s definitely different to be in Dallas and have to stay in a hotel,” Kershaw said.

The Dodgers have played four regular season series in Arlington since Kershaw’s big league debut in 2008. None those 10 games matched up with Kershaw’s turn in the rotation, including in late August this season.

Kershaw said he used to get to go to a handful of games each year with some friends who had tickets on the second level right above the third base visitors’ dugout at the old ballpark. While he never got to pitch there, he...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Stanton-s-HR-streak-Kershaw-at-15626695.php