The race for the American League and National League pennants is on.
The race for the American League and National League pennants is on.
Following MLB's shortened 60-game season, only four teams remain in the postseason. The league implemented a new playoff format for 2020, which included the addition of eight first-round wild-card series. The field of 16 teams then narrowed to eight teams as they headed to the traditional division series, and it delivered plenty of October drama.
In the NL, the Braves swept the Marlins in a slugfest that saw catcher Travis d'Arnaud emerge as the star of the series. d'Arnaud led all players in the NLDS with a 2.092 OPS, batting .600 with two home runs, two doubles and seven RBIs.
Cody Bellinger impressed for the Dodgers in a three-game sweep of their division rival Padres. In Game 2, Bellinger had the catch of the year when he robbed Fernado Tatis Jr. of a potential go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning, leaping above the center field wall to grab the ball and maintain the Dodgers' 4–3 lead. The reigning NL MVP also shed his postseason struggles at the plate by hitting .333 with one home run and one triple in the series.
Across the AL, teams relied on their power, too. The Astros got into the A's bullpen early in four games and scored 33 runs in 35 innings. Both Houston and Oakland had 12 homers each to set a division series record. With their series win, the Astros advanced to ALCS for the fourth year in a row.
The Rays and Yankees' stretched out their series to a decisive Game 5, which saw the bitter rivals locked in a tie in the eighth inning when Mike Brosseau stepped up to the plate to face closer Aroldis Chapman. Storytellers say legends are born in October, and Brosseau launched himself into history with a game-winning homer off Chapman's 100-mph fastball. It marked a defining moment in the Rays-Yankees rivalry and secured Tampa Bay's first trip to the ALCS since 2008.
The best-of-seven League Championship Series will be held in bubble sites for both the AL and NL. The Dodgers and Braves will play at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Tex., while the Astros and Rays will battle at San Diego's Petco Park.
Check Out the ALCS and NLCS Broadcast Schedules (all times Eastern):
ALCS: Rays vs. Astros
- Game 1: Oct. 11 at 7:37 p.m. (TBS)
- Game 2: Oct. 12 at 4:07 p.m. (TBS)
- Game 3: Oct. 13 (TBS)
- Game 4: Oct. 14 (TBS)
- Game 5*: Oct. 15 (TBS)
- Game 6*: Oct. 16 (TBS)
- Game 7*: Oct. 17 (TBS)
NLCS: Dodgers vs. Braves
- Game 1: Oct. 12 at 8:08 p.m. (FOX/FS1)
- Game 2: Oct. 13 (FOX/FS1)
- Game 3: Oct. 14 (FOX/FS1)
- Game 4: Oct. 15 (FOX/FS1)
- Game 5*: Oct. 16 (FOX/FS1)
- Game 6*: Oct. 17 (FOX/FS1)
- Game 7*: Oct. 18 (FOX/FS1)
* If necessary