MLB playoff field finally set: Full schedule, matchups after Braves, Mets clinch final spots
(This story was updated to add new information and change a photo.)
Matchups for Major League Baseball’s playoffs are finally set.
Twenty-eight of 30 teams finished their regular season Sunday, and the results ensured that the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves played one more day of games — yes, Nos. 161 and 162, at Atlanta’s Truist Field — to determine the final two National League wild-card teams.
And both clubs were able to don their "October Ready" officially sanctioned shirts after splitting a doubleheader, the Mets winning an 8-7 thriller in Game 1 while the Braves took advantage of a Mets team with nothing to play for to win the nightcap, 3-0.
That set the last of the National League wild card series, as their traveling secretaries could finally hit “book” on hotel rooms and tell their pilots exactly where they should punch it in the team plane - the Braves, to San Diego and the Mets to Milwaukee.
Going home? The Arizona Diamondbacks, who like the Braves and Mets finished 89-73 but lost tiebreakers to both teams, ensuring their reign as NL champions ends after one year.
A look at the playoff field:
NIGHTENGALE: Handing out awards for 2024 MLB season
How will the NL survivors be seeded?
The San Diego Padres are the No. 1 wild card and No. 4 NL seed.
The Braves are the No. 5 seed, by virtue of winning the season series against the Mets, 7-6.
A look at the playoff picture and projected starters, starting with the well-defined American League before we get to the NL mess:
AL wild-card series
(All games on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)
No. 6 Detroit Tigers at No. 3 Houston Astros
Game 1, Tuesday: LH Tarik Skubal vs. LH Framber Valdez, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. TBA, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC
No. 5 Kansas City Royals at No. 4 Baltimore Orioles
Game 1, Tuesday: LH Cole Ragans vs. RH Corbin Burnes, 4:08 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Game 2, Wednesday: RH Seth Lugo vs. RH Zach Eflin, 4:38 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: RH Michael Wacha vs. RH Dean Kremer, 4:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
AL Division Series – Saturday, TBS
Royals-Orioles winner vs. No. 1 New York Yankees
Tigers-Astros winner vs. No. 2 Cleveland Guardians
NL wild-card series
No. 6 New York Mets at No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers
Game 1, Tuesday: TBA vs. RH Freddy Peralta, 5:32 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. TBA, 7:38 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 5 Atlanta Braves at No. 4 San Diego Padres
Game 1, Tuesday: TBA vs. RH Michael King, 8:38 p.m. ET, ESPN,
Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. RH Joe Musgrove, 8:38 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. RH Dylan Cease, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff picture: Full schedule, matchups for wild card series
