BALTIMORE — It's win or go residence day. And in two years of Major League Baseball's expanded wild-card playoff format, the reply has nearly at all times been, “Go home.”
The Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves will attempt to stave off elimination Wednesday after dropping their openers in the best-of-three wild card spherical. The Astros will ship right-hander Hunter Brown to the mound – with lefty Yusei Kikuchi obtainable in the bullpen – in opposition to the stunning Detroit Tigers (2:32 ET, ABC).
Baltimore will hope to keep away from one other disappointing playoff sweep – and break a nine-game postseason dropping streak – in opposition to the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards (4:38 ET, ESPN). Milwaukee and the stunning New York Mets (7:38 ET, ESPN) and San Diego Padres-Atlanta (8:38 ET, ESPN2) will spherical out the quartet of video games.
Game 3s might be contested Thursday, with the begin instances fluctuating based mostly on what number of video games are essential. If historical past is our information, it will not be many: Seven of eight wild-card sequence ended in two-game sweeps in the first two years of this format, and the Game 1 winner has received all eight.
Keep it right here Wednesday for all the motion from Game 2 between the Orioles and Royals at Camden Yards:
How to look at Orioles vs Royals
MLB PLAYOFFS SCORES: Wild card outcomes from Game 2 motion Wednesday
Who will transfer on? Here's how the USA TODAY Sports MLB group sees this week enjoying out.
Kansas City Royals (86-76) at Baltimore Orioles (91-71)
- Bob Nightengale: Orioles in 3
- Gabe Lacques: Orioles in 2
- Steve Gardner: Orioles in 3
- Jesse Yomtov: Orioles in 2
- Scott Boeck: Orioles in 3
Detroit Tigers (86-76) at Houston Astros (88-73)
- Bob Nightengale: Astros in 3
- Gabe Lacques: Tigers in 2
- Steve Gardner Astros in 3
- Jesse Yomtov: Astros in 3
- Scott Boeck: Tigers in 3
New York Mets (89-73) at Milwaukee Brewers (93-69)
- Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 2
- Gabe Lacques: Brewers in 2
- Steve Gardner: Brewers in 2
- Jesse Yomtov: Mets in 3
- Scott Boeck: Brewers in 2
Atlanta Braves (89-73) at San Diego Padres (93-69)
- Bob Nightengale: Padres in 2
- Gabe Lacques: Padres in 2
- Steve Gardner: Padres in 2
- Jesse Yomtov: Braves in 3
- Scott Boeck: Padres in 2
BALTIMORE – It was 2 hours, 25 minutes of crisp playoff baseball theater Tuesday afternoon, the margins for error just about nonexistent, the best-of-three format guaranteeing that both the Kansas City Royals or Baltimore Orioles would emerge on the improper finish of this standoff, and face elimination simply hours later.
And for 10 Kansas City Royals whose names would dot the field score, Game 1 of their American League wild-card sequence was their first glimpse of postseason baseball, a battle not solely in opposition to the gifted Orioles but additionally in regulating their very own feelings, calming the coronary heart when wanted and letting it rip when the scenario dictated.
The youngest group in Major League Baseball handed the take a look at like the savviest of veterans.
– Gabe Lacques
MLB playoffs bracket
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