For the first time in five years, the Chicago Cubs are in the postseason as they face the San Diego Padres Tuesday for Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.
The first game, set for 2:08 p.m. CT, will take place at Wrigley Field. Once the series closes out, the winner will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series.
As the series gets under way, here’s how it works, new rules to know about and more.
How MLB’s new playoff format works
Major League Baseball in 2022 introduced a new playoff format that added an extra wild card team to each league, and additional wild card series to the postseason schedule.
Under that format, a total of six teams from each league reach the postseason. Of the three division winners, the top two teams receive byes into the Division Series. The division winner with the worst record plays in a best-of-three wild card series against the wild card winner with the worst record.
The top wild card team then plays the second wild card club in a best-of-three series. All three games take place at the ballpark of the team with the better record.
After that, the winner of the series between the two wild card clubs takes on the team with the best record in their league, and that series is the best-of-five Division Series.
The other division winner battles the winner of the other wild card round series.
When do the Cubs play?
Both Games 1 and 2 between the Cubs and Padres will begin at 2:08 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Both games will air nationally on ABC.
Game 3 of the series, if necessary, would be played on Thursday. A start time has not yet been determined.
What happens if they win?
If the Cubs can advance out of that series, they will take on the Brewers beginning Saturday at Milwaukee’s American Family Field.
What other teams are in the playoffs?
The other three series will also take place Tuesday through Thursday. The two American League series will begin at 12:08 p.m. and 5:08 p.m. Central time, and those games will air on ESPN.
Currently, two of the three division titles remain up for grabs, with only the Seattle Mariners having locked up their crown. They will receive a bye into the American League Division Series as the No. 2 seed.
The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees are tied atop the American League East, with the Blue Jays holding the tiebreaker. They will play the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, with a win guaranteeing them the top seed in the American League and a bye into the division series.
The second place team from the East will earn the top wild card spot and will host a wild card round series beginning Tuesday.
In the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers remain tied for the top spot, with the Guardians holding the tiebreaker. If they can win their game Sunday, they would capture the division crown and would host the wild card series in Cleveland beginning Tuesday.
The Boston Red Sox also need a win to lock up the second wild card spot in the American League.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, the winners of the National League West Division, will take on either the Cincinnati Reds or New York Mets beginning at 8:08 p.m. Tuesday in Game 1, with that game airing on ESPN.
The Reds hold a tiebreaker over the Mets entering the final game of the regular season, meaning a win over the Brewers would guarantee them a playoff berth. The Mets are taking on the Miami Marlins in their season finale.
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