After a wild Major League Baseball season that included a record-setting number of home runs, the regular season has finally come to a close. With October baseball upon us, there are only 10 teams left standing who all hope to raise the Commissioner's Trophy when all is said and done.
The A's won 97 games and will be playing in the AL Wild Card Game for the second straight season. After losing the do-or-die game to the Yankees last year, Bob Melvin's club will host the Rays on Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum. The Astros, Yankees and Twins round out the American League field as division winners.
In the National League, the Giants, despite a red-hot July stretch that put them briefly in playoff contention, struggled down the stretch and finished 77-85 in Bruce Bochy's final year as manager. The rival Dodgers won the NL West for the seventh straight season as they hope to end a thirty-year World Series drought. The Cardinals and Braves won the NL Central and NL East, respectively, while the Brewers and Nationals will play in the NL Wild Card Game.
Here is the entire playoff bracket:
NL WILD CARD GAME: Brewers vs. Nationals
Tuesday, Oct. 1: 5:08 p.m. PT at Washington (TV: TBS)
AL WILD CARD GAME: Rays vs. A's
Wednesday, Oct. 2: 5:09 p.m. PT at Oakland (TV: ESPN)
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NL DIVISION SERIES: BREWERS-NATIONALS WINNER VS. DODGERS
Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 3, 5:37 p.m. PT, at Los Angeles (TV: TBS)
Game 2: Friday, Oct. 4, 6:37 p.m. PT at Los Angeles (TV: TBS)
Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 6, time TBD, at Milwaukee/Washington (TV: TBS)
Game 4: Monday, Oct. 7, time TBD, at Milwaukee/Washington (TV: TBS -- if necessary)
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 9, time TBD, at Los Angeles (TV: TBS -- if necessary)
NL DIVISION SERIES: CARDINALS VS. BRAVES
Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2:02 p.m. PT, at Atlanta (TV: TBS)
Game 2: Friday, Oct. 4, 1:37 p.m. PT, at Atlanta (TV: TBS)
Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 6, time TBD, at St. Louis (TV: TBS)
Game 4: Monday, Oct. 7, time TBD, at St. Louis (TV: TBS -- if necessary)
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 9, time TBD, at Atlanta (TV: TBS -- if necessary)
AL DIVISION SERIES: A'S-RAYS WINNER VS. ASTROS
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 4, 11:05 a.m. PT, at Houston (TV: FS1)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 5, 6:07 p.m. PT, at Houston (TV: FS1)
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 7, time TBD, at Oakland or Tampa Bay (TV: FS1)
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 8, time TBD, at Oakland or Tampa Bay (TV: FS1 -- if necessary)
Game 5: Thursday, Oct. 10, time TBD, at Houston (TV: FS1 -- if necessary)
AL DIVISION SERIES: TWINS VS. YANKEES
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 4, 4:07 p.m. PT, at New York (TV: FS1)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 5, 2:07 p.m. PT, at New York (TV: FS1)
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 7, time TBD, at Minnesota (TV: FS1)
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 8, time TBD, at Minnesota (TV: FS1 -- if necessary)
Game 5: Thursday, Oct. 10, time TBD, at New York (TV: FS1 -- if necessary)
NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game 1: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed on Friday, Oct. 11, time TBD
Game 2: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed on Saturday, Oct. 12, time TBD
Game 3: NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed on Monday, Oct. 14, time TBD
Game 4: NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed on Tuesday, Oct. 15, time TBD
Game 5: NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed on Wednesday, Oct. 16, time TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed on Friday, Oct. 18, time TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed on Saturday, Oct. 19, time TBD (if necessary)
AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game 1: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed on Saturday, Oct. 12, time TBD
Game 2: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed on Sunday, Oct. 13, time TBD
Game 3: AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed on Tuesday, Oct. 15, time TBD
Game 4: AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed on Wednesday, Oct. 16, time TBD
Game 5: AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed on Thursday, Oct. 17, time TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed on Saturday, Oct. 19, time TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed on Sunday, Oct. 20, time TBD (if necessary)
WORLD SERIES
Game 1: Lower Seed at Higher Seed on Tuesday, Oct. 22, time TBD
Game 2: Lower Seed at Higher Seed on Wednesday, Oct. 23, time TBD
Game 3: Higher Seed at Lower Seed on Friday, Oct. 25, time TBD
Game 4: Higher Seed at Lower Seed on Saturday, Oct. 26, time TBD
Game 5: Higher Seed at Lower Seed on Sunday, Oct. 27, time TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Lower Seed at Higher Seed on Tuesday, Oct. 29, time TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Lower Seed at Higher Seed on Wednesday, Oct. 30, time TBD (if necessary)
