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October Arrives: All Four MLB Division Series Open Today With Rays-Yankees Headlining
The postseason's final eight teams are set as the Division Series begin Saturday, with the top-seeded Rays and Brewers finally back in action after a week off.
Major League Baseball's final eight teams open the Division Series today, with all four best-of-five matchups set to play Game 1 on the same afternoon and night — a loaded Saturday slate that decides who's still playing when the League Championship Series begin next week.
The top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, who sat idle for a week after clinching the American League's best record, finally get back on the field against the New York Yankees, who eliminated the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round. The other AL series pits the No. 2 Cleveland Guardians against the Chicago White Sox, who completed a stunning sweep of the Houston Astros to reach their first ALDS in 21 years.
National League's Big Four
Over in the National League, the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers host the San Diego Padres, who eliminated the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in their Wild Card series, according to MLB.com. And the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers, chasing a third straight pennant, face an Atlanta Braves team that rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies to punch its ticket in.
All four series follow the same format: the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5, while the lower seed gets home Games 3 and 4. The American League series air across TBS, truTV and HBO Max; the National League games are split between FOX, FS1 and FOX One, per ESPN's postseason schedule.
FOUR SERIES, ONE SATURDAY, EIGHT TEAMS LEFT.
The White Sox's run has been the postseason's break-out story — two years removed from a 121-loss season that tied an American League record for futility, Chicago is now two series wins from the World Series. The Rays and Brewers, by contrast, are trying to prove that a week of rest didn't cost them their edge after cruising to the best records in their respective leagues.
Game 2s follow Sunday for the NL and Monday for the AL, with the series shifting to a potential decisive Game 5 by Oct. 9-10 if any matchup goes the distance. Whoever survives moves on to the League Championship Series, with the winners meeting in the World Series later this month.