PHOENIX (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and the hard-hitting Atlanta Braves have earned a couple days of rest and relaxation after Major League Baseball’s long 162-game regular season.
So have Jose Altuve, Justin Verlander and the defending World Series champion Houston Astros — who won the AL West on the season’s final day — along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and feel-good story Baltimore Orioles.
As for the other eight teams that qualified for Major League Baseball’s 12-team October showcase?
The action comes in a hurry.
MLB’s postseason bracket is set, with the American League and National League wild-card matchups beginning Tuesday. It’s the second year for the new October format, which includes an opening round, best-of-three series with all of the games at the higher seed’s ballpark.
In the AL, the No. 6 seed Toronto Blue Jays will face the No. 3 Minnesota Twins and the No. 5 Texas Rangers travel to the No. 4 Tampa Bay Rays. The NL features the No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks against the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers and the No. 5 Miami Marlins at the No. 4 Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves, Astros, Dodgers and Orioles will get about a week off before the division series begin.
It’s a postseason bracket missing some of the sport’s marquee franchises. Slugger Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will spend October at home. So will the big-spending New York Mets and San Diego Padres.
But for those who remain, the road to the World Series begins soon. Here’s a look at the qualifiers:
THE WILD CARD MATCHUPS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
No. 6 Diamondbacks at No. 3 Brewers
The season series: D-backs won 4-2.
The skinny: Arizona is back in the postseason for the first time since 2017 despite losing its final four games of the regular season. Rookie speedster Corbin Carroll leads a versatile lineup while right-hander Zac Gallen is among the top candidates for the NL Cy Young Award. The Brewers’ lineup is led by 2018 MVP Christian Yelich, while the pitching staff has a solid top three in Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta.
No. 5 Marlins at No. 4 Phillies
