close
close

Maisonceres

Trusted News & Timely Insights

Wildcard schedule, results and highlights
Washington

Wildcard schedule, results and highlights

play

October is here and with it comes postseason baseball.

The MLB wild card round begins Tuesday with four games spread over the afternoon and evening.

Twelve teams are still in the hunt for the Commissioner’s Trophy. Four of them – the New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies – will receive first-round byes, while the other eight will face off in the best-of-three wild-card round.

The only thing we know for sure between now and October is that a new team will be crowned champions since the reigning 2024 World Series champion Texas Rangers are not in the postseason. And beware of the home advantage, it hasn’t been particularly good in recent years.

The home team posted a 15-26 (.366) record in last year’s postseason, its worst postseason finish in 53 years, dating back to 1970, when there were only four teams in a postseason (4-7, .364).

Over the last five full years, excluding the 2020 postseason when games were played at neutral sites, more series have been won on the road (27) than at home (22).

So stay tuned for all the action from the opening games of the MLB Wild Card Series on Tuesday:

Astros lineup

  1. Jose Altuve, 2B
  2. Yordan Alvarez, DH
  3. Kyle Tucker, RF
  4. Alex Bregman, 3B
  5. Yainer Diaz, C
  6. Jeremy Peña, SS
  7. Victor Caratini, 1B
  8. Mauricio Dubon, LF
  9. Jake Meyers, CF

Yordan Alvarez, dealing with a right knee sprain, is on the Astros’ 26-man wild-card roster and in the Game 1 lineup at second at DH. The three-time All-Star hasn’t played in a game since Sept. 22, but his bat is needed in the lineup. He hit .308 with 35 home runs and 86 RBI this season.

However, missing from the postseason roster is three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP Justin Verlander, who played against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. Verlander could be added to the roster for future rounds if the team advances.

Always east

  • No. 6 Detroit Tigers (LHP Tarik Skubal, 18-4, 2.39 ERA) at No. 3 Houston Astros (LHP Framber Valdez, 15-7, 2.91 ERA) – 2:32 p.m
  • No. 5 Kansas City Royals (LHP Cole Ragans, 11-9, 3.14 ERA) at No. 4 Baltimore Orioles (RHP Corbin Burnes, 15-9, 2.92 ERA) – 4:07 p.m
  • No. 6 New York Mets (RHP Luis Severino, 11-7, 3.91 ERA) at No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers (RHP Freddy Peralta, 11-9, 3.68 ERA) – 5:32 p.m
  • No. 5 Atlanta Braves (TBD) at No. 4 San Diego Padres (RHP Michael King, 13-9, 2.95 ERA) – 8:38 p.m

Who will carry on? Here’s what the USA TODAY Sports MLB team looks like this week.

Detroit Tigers (86-76) with the Houston Astros (88-73)

  • Bob Nightengale: Astros in 3rd
  • Gabe Lacques: Tiger in 2
  • Steve Gardner Astros in 3rd
  • Jesse Yomtov: Astros in 3rd
  • Scott Boeck: Tiger in 3

Kansas City Royals (86-76) with Baltimore Orioles (91-71)

  • Bob Nightengale: Oriole in 3
  • Gabe Lacques: Oriole in 2
  • Steve Gardner: Oriole in 3
  • Jesse Yomtov: Oriole in 2
  • Scott Boeck: Oriole in 3

New York Mets (89-73) at Milwaukee Brewers (93-69)

  • Bob Nightengale: Brewer in 2
  • Gabe Lacques: Brewer in 2
  • Steve Gardner: Brewer in 2
  • Jesse Yomtov: Mets in 3rd
  • Scott Boeck: Brewer in 2

Atlanta Braves (89-73) with the San Diego Padres (93-69)

  • Bob Nightengale: Padres in 2nd
  • Gabe Lacques: Padres in 2nd
  • Steve Gardner: Padres in 2nd
  • Jesse Yomtov: Braves in 3rd
  • Scott Boeck: Padres in 2nd

Astros vs. Tigers

Orioles vs. Royals

Brewers vs. Mets

Padres vs. Braves

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *