sacked a career-high seven times. This one was big. At the

It all started with a dubious decision that drew heavy criticism: Baltimore manager Buck Showalter left stud closer Zach Britton in the bullpen and lost the AL wild-card game at Toronto.The next night, Giants ace Madison Bumgarner authored another October masterpiece to knock out the Mets -- and the 2016 playoffs were off and running.Seems so long ago, but it was only a month on the calendar.One captivating month.Baseballs storybook postseason offered almost everything: unlikely stars, 4-hour games, even a rain delay in extra innings during the dramatic World Series finale.And when it was over, the Chicago Cubs -- yes, finally, the Cubs -- had their first championship since 1908 after outlasting Cleveland 8-7 early Thursday in a Game 7 that took 10 innings.Here are some other highlights, themes and takeaways from an October/November to remember:---RELIEF ROLES REDEFINEDSome wonder whether we just saw the beginning of a baseball revolution. Lights-out relievers like Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen werent necessarily saved for the eighth or ninth inning of critical games. Miller entered as early as the fifth, Chapman in the seventh, as managers summoned their best bullpen arms for longer outings and asked them to face top hitters or pitch out of potential jams earlier than usual.Almost as if nobody wanted to make the same mistake Showalter did.Its a strategy long supported by the sabermetrics crowd, but would it work during the regular season when there arent as many days off to rest and recover?Of course, its possible. You just have to have the right guy. I mean, its not as easy as it looks, what theyve been doing, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said during the World Series. The point of diminishing returns, I think, would set in if you try to push it from Day One.So right now, its really being glamorized a bit, he added. This isnt Fantasy Baseball. These guys are human. They only have so many abilities to throw a baseball within the year.KEEP ON CHASINGWhile the Cubs at last ended baseballs longest championship drought, several other teams are still trying to get over the hump.The Nationals are 0 for 3 in playoff series since moving to Washington, and Texas has never won the World Series despite five postseason appearances in seven years. The big-budget Dodgers havent even reached the Series since Orel Hershiser, Kirk Gibson & Co. won in 1988. Toronto came up short again, losing the AL Championship Series for the second consecutive year. And the Indians, of course, came oh-so close to their first title since 1948.BREAKOUT TALENTSSome of the most exciting performances came from players in their early 20s. Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor, Cubs second baseman Javier Baez (NLCS co-MVP) and Washington rookie Trea Turner were among those who turned heads. The future looks bright for all three.UNSUNG STARSBig names such as Kris Bryant, Jose Bautista and Adrian Gonzalez had their moments. But the postseason also belonged to near-unknowns like Ezequiel Carrera (Toronto), Conor Gillaspie (San Francisco) and Ryan Merritt (Cleveland).THE ARTFUL DODGEROnce again, Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw entered October looking to put a history of playoff failures behind him. The three-time Cy Young Award winner pitched on short rest whenever needed and went 2-1 with a huge save, but was far from overwhelming. He lost 5-0 in Game 6 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field, eliminating the Dodgers, and is 4-7 with a 4.55 ERA in the postseason. Hardly numbers befitting the best pitcher in baseball.FAREWELL, FELLASRather than a World Series coronation, David Ortiz got an early exit. His illustrious career came to a sudden conclusion when Boston was swept by Cleveland in their AL Division Series. Planning to retire, Big Papi walked back out to the mound, waved his cap and soaked up a standing ovation from the Fenway Park faithful.Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully took a curtain call at Dodger Stadium during the NLCS. The 88-year-old announcer, weeks after ending his 67-year career behind the microphone, attended as a spectator and proclaimed, Its time for Dodger baseball! from an upstairs suite.And 39-year-old catcher David Ross homered in his big league finale to help Chicago win Game 7 of the World Series. In a rare and heartwarming scene, the wildly popular Grandpa Rossy was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates.What a way to say goodbye. Austin Bryant Womens Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Kerryon Johnson Lions Jersey . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. http://www.authenticnfllionslockroom.com/Youth-Calvin-Johnson-Elite-Jersey/ . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. T.J. Hockenson Jersey . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Austin Bryant Lions Jersey . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets kept getting close to the end zone.Most of the time, though, Cincinnati kept them out -- and it was the difference in the Bengals 23-22 victory in the season opener Sunday.Weve got to score touchdowns, Fitzpatrick said. We got down there plenty. Credit the Bengals. Theyve got a good red-zone defense.The Jets, who were the third-best team in the red zone last season, made five trips inside the Bengals 20 and they got off to a good start with Fitzpatrick connecting with Quincy Enunwa for a 3-yard touchdown on their opening drive.We didnt make adjustments, but we kept fighting, Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. We knew that at some point, we would have an opportunity to shift the game and make a great play.After getting down to the 4 on its next drive, New York stalled with two incompletions to Brandon Marshall and a catch for no yards by Bilal Powell. That set up a 22-yard chip shot for Nick Folk, whose low kick was blocked by Margus Hunt.We were just sloppy down there, Marshall said of the Jets red-zone struggles. Poor execution. Its something we pride ourselves on. Didnt get it done. ... That was the poorest execution Ive ever seen on our side in the red zone since Ive been here.New York rebounded in the second quarter with a 15-yard touchdown from Fitzpatrick to Eric Decker, which gave the Jets a 13-10 lead. Folk, however, missed the first extra point of his career.I take it on my shoulders, Folk said. I feel like I let the team down. If we make the extra point and the field goal, they need a touchdown at the end.The fourth quarter, however, was where the game really turned.Trailing 20-16, New York went to the ground game in a big way, running the ball nine times in 10 plays to get down to the 2. But on third-and-goal, Fitzpatrick misfired to Decker --- and the Jets had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Folk.ddddddddddddOn Cincinnatis next possession, Mike Nugent was wide right on a 52-yard attempt that kept the game a one-point affair. It also gave the Jets terrific field position with just over 9 minutes left, putting the ball at their 42.A 17-yard catch by Enunwa and a 22-yard grab by Decker three plays later put the Jets at the Bengals 15. Matt Forte gained 3 yards on a run and Marshall had a 4-yard catch, but Bilal Powell gained just 2 yards on third-and-3 from the 8.Again, the Jets had to kick a field goal, this time a 23-yarder by Folk that put the Jets ahead 22-20 with 3:23 left.We made a big stop there, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.That also left plenty of time for Andy Dalton and the Bengals to put together the winning drive, capped by Nugents 47-yarder with 54 seconds left.Anytime you can get a win on the road, youve got to take these games, said Dalton, who was sacked a career-high seven times. This one was big. At the end, we needed to make a play. It was a great team effort by everybody.The Jets still had an opportunity to drive for a winning score after Nugents kick, but things got off to a bad start when Marshall dropped a deep pass over the middle.Next came an incompletion to Decker, and then Josh Shaw picked off Fitzpatricks next throw to Decker -- the Jets only turnover of the game -- to seal it for the Bengals.Im just happy, Lewis said. We kept pounding today and thats what weve got to do. Thats the thing all season: Just pound together and break through, and today, the breakthrough came late in the game and the defense had a big stop there at the end.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '