The date happens to be the start of the postseason this year, and there’s really only one such date on the calendar every year. But there is the potential for a lot of October firsts this year. Several teams and players could be ending long postseason droughts, reaching October for the first time in a long time, or ever.

First baseman Ryan Howard is recovering from left knee surgery in July, and it became clear on Thursday that the Phillies see little point in rushing him back for a handful of games at season’s end.

The Reds played a game in Cincinnati on Wednesday night, beneath the glow of a full moon, that was entirely more arduous than it needed to be. But in a year in which pretty much everything has been a little bit more difficult than expected, why should this particular game be any different?

The St. Louis Cardinals won what amounted to a split decision Wednesday. On the plus side, they won a game and a series from the Milwaukee Brewers with an 8-6 victory at Miller Park. And they demonstrated a continuing faith in the notion that their invaluable catcher, Yadier Molina, would be able to play on a truly regular basis. On the minus side, Jake Westbrook’s slump was not ended.

To understand how Ichiro Suzuki got to this remarkable place in baseball history, his pregame preparation might be a good place to start. He’s a private man by nature, guarded in his public comments. Nevertheless, he has revealed plenty about himself during nine seasons in Japan and 13 with the Mariners and Yankees with how he has gone about his job.

While Alex Rodriguez has provided a seemingly endless news trail off the field, the Yankees have quietly started to gain ground in the American League East.

Former Major League player and manager and current Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon hit homers on all five swings he took during the 1971 Little League World Series and was dubbed “Legendary Lloyd.”

Even if you can appreciate Mike Trout’s all-around skills and historic start to his career, you can’t possibly make the argument that he’s been more valuable to the bottom line of 2013 standings significance than Miguel Cabrera.

Four players in history played at least 1,000 games at second base and had at least 3,000 career hits, including Rod Carew, whose hit totals through six years Robinson Cano could match this year.

Mariano Rivera has shut down opponents in the ninth inning — or later — 644 times in the past 19 years. But on July 4, 1995, he didn’t pitch in the ninth. Instead, Rivera shut down his opponent over the first eight innings.

Every lineup, every day, as they are made public by the clubs.

Danny Salazar was sharp over 5 1/3, and Drew Stubbs hit the winning blast in the 14th inning in a 4-1 victory over the Angels on Tuesday night.

The Indians and Justin Masterson will look to wrap up a successful road trip on Wednesday as they go for a three-game sweep of the Angels, who send Jerome Williams to the mound in Anaheim.

Tuesday, the Giants went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and nearly let the Red Sox establish control in the first inning. But last year’s World Series champions received stubborn pitching and scrounged up enough offense to prevail, 3-2, on Marco Scutaro’s bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning.

Nick Franklin went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs before leaving the game with a lacerated knee after sliding safely through the block of A’s catcher Derek Norris to score the tying run in the Mariners’ 7-4 come-from-behind victory in Oakland on Tuesday night.

Eight players have flied out to the Beat the Streak warning track in 2013 after climbing at least 70 percent of the way to the apex of the contest’s mountain. The newest member of BTS Club 40 is Clement Uduk, a 25-year-old from Portland, Ore.

A.J. Burnett was in command over seven stellar innings and the Pirates churned out three run-scoring triples to motor the offense to an 8-1 victory Tuesday night in San Diego.