usatoday
Major League Baseball's postseason kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with the best-of-three wild card series, with two series in each league. The New York Yankees will host their archrival Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium for the second consecutive year, marking another intense clash between the AL East foes who both finished behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the division. The AL West champion, the Atlanta Braves, and the San Diego Padres will also serve as hosts for the wild card series. If needed, decisive Game 3s will take place on Thursday.
The victors of the wild card series move on to the best-of-five Division Series, where they will meet the division winners who earned a bye. The winner of the Yankees-Red Sox series will face the Rays, with the ALDS starting Saturday, Oct. 3. MLB expanded the postseason in 2022, adding an additional wild card in each league, which created the high-stakes wild card series. In the first four years under this format, two teams—the 2023 Texas Rangers and 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers—went on to win the World Series after playing in the wild card series.
Full Wild Card Series Schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 29
- NL Game 1: Diamondbacks/Phillies at Braves, 2 p.m. ET
- AL Game 1: White Sox at Rangers/Astros, 5 p.m. ET
- AL Game 1: Red Sox at Yankees, 8 p.m. ET
- NL Game 1: Cubs at Padres, 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Sept. 30
- NL Game 2: Diamondbacks/Phillies at Braves, 2 p.m. ET
- AL Game 2: White Sox at Rangers/Astros, 5 p.m. ET
- AL Game 2: Red Sox at Yankees, 8 p.m. ET
- NL Game 2: Cubs at Padres, 10 p.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 1 (*if necessary; times subject to change if series end early)
- NL Game 3: Diamondbacks/Phillies at Braves, 2 p.m. ET
- AL Game 3: White Sox at Rangers/Astros, 5 p.m. ET
- AL Game 3: Red Sox at Yankees, 8 p.m. ET
- NL Game 3: Cubs at Padres, 10 p.m. ET
Originally reported by usatoday.