2020 MLB Postseason: AL & NL Wild Card Series

[Eye Black]

 

 

For each round of the playoffs we will have a discussion thread. Obviously we will also have game specific threads for the Brewers games starting on Wednesday, but in the meantime feel free to discuss any of the playoff matchups or results here.

 

 

WILD CARD SERIES

Best-of-three (Italics below indicate "if necessary")

Hosted by each league’s top four seeds

All times CT

 

Tuesday, Sept. 29

• AL Wild Card Series Game 1, Astros at Twins, 1 p.m. (ABC)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 1, White Sox at A's, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 1, Blue Jays at Rays, 4 p.m. (TBS)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 1, Yankees at Indians, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

 

Wednesday, Sept. 30

• NL Wild Card Series Game 1, Reds at Braves, 11 a.m. (ESPN)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 2, Astros at Twins, 12 p.m. (ESPN2)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 1, Marlins at Cubs, 1 p.m. (ABC)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 2, White Sox at A's, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 2, Blue Jays at Rays, 3 p.m. (TBS)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 1, Cardinals at Padres, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 2, Yankees at Indians, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 1, Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

 

Thursday, Oct. 1

• AL Wild Card Series Game 3, Blue Jays at Rays, TBD (TBS)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 3, White Sox at A's, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 3, Astros at Twins, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• AL Wild Card Series Game 3, Yankees at Indians, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 2, Brewers at Dodgers, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 2, Reds at Braves, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 2, Cardinals at Padres, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 2, Marlins at Cubs, TBD (ESPN Networks)

 

Friday, Oct. 2

• NL Wild Card Series Game 3, Brewers at Dodgers, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 3, Reds at Braves, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 3, Cardinals at Padres, TBD (ESPN Networks)

• NL Wild Card Series Game 3, Marlins at Cubs, TBD (ESPN Networks)

[willie key]

Look at that list of games on Wednesday. Even though this season was kind of lame, that should be pretty fun to follow

 

I was a little indifferent for the brewers this season, because they were so hard to watch, but I’m glad they made the playoffs

 

It will be short but fun. I can’t believe Burnes got hurt in his final start

[RightFieldCoder]

I can't wait to see the banner the Brewers hang for going 29-31 in a season.

 

I'm hoping it's the Brewers facing the Marlins in the NLCS. That would be fun and cause the most uproar among the twitterverse.

[Jimbo]

Has a game been played yet in Arlington's stadium? Too bad the Brewers couldn't make history by playing its first game. Instead, it goes to the Cardinals.

[MrTPlush]

Has a game been played yet in Arlington's stadium? Too bad the Brewers couldn't make history by playing its first game. Instead, it goes to the Cardinals.

 

Yes, all year.

[TURBO]

This season, more than any other season, proves why you manage to win EVERY single game.

[vetter]

Has a game been played yet in Arlington's stadium? Too bad the Brewers couldn't make history by playing its first game. Instead, it goes to the Cardinals.

 

All games in the Brewers-Dodgers series are being played at Dodger Stadium.

[owbc]

Upset predictions for round 1? I’ll take Cincinnati over Atlanta and the Marlins over the Cubs.

[Jimbo]

Has a game been played yet in Arlington's stadium? Too bad the Brewers couldn't make history by playing its first game. Instead, it goes to the Cardinals.

 

All games in the Brewers-Dodgers series are being played at Dodger Stadium.

 

Yes, brain fart on my part. It was early in the morning. I saw Arlington in the graphic.

[RollieTime]

Marlins over the Cubs, Yankees over the Indians, and White Sox over the A’s are my upset predictions.

[vetter]

The Reds' starting pitching is stacked so that seems the most logical upset. I'm happy the Brewers made it in, but I would have loved to see the Reds and Dodgers in a 3 game WC series, especially if Brewers got the 7 seed and Reds 8. Burnes/Woodruff and Buehler/Kershaw also would have been great.

 

I'm with the Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson analogy. Our chances look so pathetically slim on paper that somehow, someway we win the series.

 

Douglas lost decisively in his first title defense against Holyfield. I see them going the same route in the NLDS. But our legacy is shaking up the entire playoff landscape in 2020. That makes the current playoff rules a massive debate going into the offseason.

[pacopete4]

Brewers over Dodgers is mine.

[long ball]

Upset predictions for round 1? I’ll take Cincinnati over Atlanta and the Marlins over the Cubs.

 

Reds are +105. I like the Reds as well since the 3 SP they'll trot out are pretty tough and they finished the season pretty strong. The Braves have a nasty offense though, something the Reds really haven't had to face very often this year.

 

I like the Indians over the Yankees too. Indians are +110. I could even envision a sweep with Bieber and Carrasco going in games 1 and 2.

 

White sox are +110. I know they basically tanked after clinching, but the offense is strong and Giolito and Keuchel in the first 2 games is probably to their advantage. I kinda hate their pen, but I'll roll with them.

 

Of course basically anything can happen in a 3 game series so I'd expect some surprising upsets. (Brewers over Dodgers please )

[moofis]

7 of the 8 matchups feature a Central team vs. a non-Central team. I’m very interested to see how these go. If the Central teams do well, then perhaps it suggests that the Brewers’ 2020 struggles were at least due in part to having faced stiffer competition than teams from the East or West. Conversely, if the Central teams get dominated, then maybe the Brewers would have fared even worse if they had to play a regular 162-game season with a more balanced schedule.

 

Obviously, 3-game series aren’t the best way to judge one division vs. another, but in a season with no inter-divisional games until the postseason, they might be our only glimpse at the relative strength of each division.

[long ball]

Also, Lamet and Clevinger are sorta unknowns on whether they're healthy or not. If they can't go then the Cards are a decent upset pick. 2020 would be the most Cardinals World Series run ever.

[MrTPlush]

If you guys didn't notice the Brewers game is at 9pm CENTRAL TIME.

 

Lol, I will see the score when I wake up I guess.

[Underachiever]

 

The Braves have a nasty offense though, something the Reds really haven't had to face very often this year.

 

 

If it's nasty offense you want, have I got a team for you!

[TURBO]

If you guys didn't notice the Brewers game is at 9pm CENTRAL TIME.

 

Lol, I will see the score when I wake up I guess.

 

That sucks so hard!

 

Gonna be a long day Thursday I guess. There is no way I can go to bed with out knowing. If we are getting blown out, that would be the only way I miss the ending.

[TURBO]

I hope all 3 games aren't at 9:00 pm central... (Assuming we get to 3 games....Brewers in 2!)

[adambr2]

I work 2 to 10 this week. 9 pm start is perfect for me.

[mtrebs]

If you guys didn't notice the Brewers game is at 9pm CENTRAL TIME.

 

Lol, I will see the score when I wake up I guess.

 

That sucks so hard!

 

Gonna be a long day Thursday I guess. There is no way I can go to bed with out knowing. If we are getting blown out, that would be the only way I miss the ending.

 

With our offense, this could be 3-0!

[owbc]

This is going to be a great week for baseball watching. I'm glad the Brewers are a part of it. I didn't enjoy watching the WC game at all last year (even before they blew it), but this is going to be really fun since they have nothing to lose and the potential to really throw a wrench in MLB's plans for expanded playoffs.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Count me aboard the nothing-to-lose train. Might as well win the whole thing, I guess.

 

And, hey, if we can just shut the Dodgers out for 18 straight innings, I'm like 60 percent confident we'll sweep.

[shanedog19]

I would think Suter starts game 1 and hopefully can give us 3-4 innings. My guess is Peralta follows, and then go from there.

[willie key]

Brewers are over 3-1 underdogs in the first playoff game tomorrow. I don’t know if I've ever seen that before