The 2024 National League Wild Card Series will be two best-of-three playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) that determined the participating teams of the 2024 National League Division Series (NLDS). Both Wild Card Series will begin on October 1, with Game 2s scheduled for October 2. ESPN will broadcast both Wild Card Series in the United States together with ESPN Radio.[1][2]
| 2024 National League Wild Card Series | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Dates | October 1–3 | ||||||||||||
| Television | ESPN (Games 1 and 2) ESPN2 (Game 3) | ||||||||||||
| TV announcers | Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, and Jesse Rogers | ||||||||||||
| Radio | ESPN | ||||||||||||
| Radio announcers | Mike Couzens and Chris Burke | ||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Dates | October 1–3 | ||||||||||||
| Television | ESPN (Games 1 and 3) ESPN2 (Game 2) | ||||||||||||
| TV announcers | Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, David Cone, and Buster Olney | ||||||||||||
| Radio | ESPN | ||||||||||||
| Radio announcers | Roxy Bernstein and Gregg Olson | ||||||||||||
These matchups are:
- (3) Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central champions) vs. (6) New York Mets (third wild card)
- (4) San Diego Padres (first wild card) vs. (5) Atlanta Braves (second wild card)
Background
editThe lowest-seeded division winner and three wild card teams in each league play in a best-of-three series after the end of the regular season. The winners of each league's wild card rounds advance to face the two best division winners in that league's Division Series.
Entering September 30, the day before the Wild Card Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks had finished their season with 89 wins, while the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves were tied with 88 wins. Due to Hurricane Helene that impacted Georgia, two games between the Mets and Braves from the week prior were postponed, and the two teams were forced to make up the remaining games in a doubleheader at Truist Park on the day before the postseason began. Both Atlanta and New York had a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks, meaning both teams would only have to win one game in the doubleheader to clinch a playoff berth. If either Atlanta or New York lost both games in the doubleheader, they would be eliminated and the Diamondbacks would clinch a playoff berth. In the first game of the doubleheader, the Mets defeated the Braves, 8–7, clinching the #6 seed. In the second game, the Braves defeated the Mets, 3–0, clinching the #5 seed and eliminating the Diamondbacks.[3][4]
The Milwaukee Brewers (93–69) qualified for the postseason as the National League Central division winner, clinching the division via a Chicago Cubs loss on September 18.[5] As the team with the lowest record among other division winners in the National League for this season, they are locked into the third seed following the Philadelphia Phillies victory over the Chicago Cubs on September 25, thus giving Philadelphia a first-round bye.[6] Milwaukee is making their sixth postseason appearance in seven seasons and are looking for their first postseason series victory since 2018. They will host the New York Mets (89–73), who clinched a spot in the postseason via a 8–7 against the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of a doubleheader on September 30th. New York, who was 11 games under .500 at one point in the season, is returning to the postseason after failing to qualify the year previous. Milwaukee won the season series, 5–1, which included them taking two games of three just a few days ago.[7] This is the first postseason match-up between the Brewers and Mets.
The San Diego Padres (93–69) clinched a playoff spot on September 24 and were locked in to the Wild Card three days later after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ending their division title aspirations.[8][9] It is their third playoff appearance in the past five seasons, all as a wild card entrant. They will host the Atlanta Braves (89–73), who clinched a spot in the postseason via a 3–0 win over the New York Mets in Game 2 of a doubleheader on September 30th. The Braves are making their seventh straight postseason appearance and first as a wild card since 2012. The Padres won the season series, 4-3. This is the first postseason match-up between the Braves and Padres since the 1998 NLCS, which was won by San Diego in six games.
As the top two seeds, the Los Angeles Dodgers (98–64) and Philadelphia Phillies (95–67) earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS.[10][11][12][13][14][15] This was the first year since 2014 that no team in Major League Baseball won 100 games or more.[16]
Matchups
editMilwaukee Brewers vs. New York Mets
editSeries tied, 0–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 1 | New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | 5:32 pm EDT/4:32 pm CDT | - |
| 2 | October 2 | New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | 7:38 pm EDT/6:38 pm CDT | - |
| 3 | October 3† | New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | 8:38 pm EDT/7:38 pm CDT | - |
† If necessary
San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves
editSeries tied, 0–0.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 1 | Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | 8:38 pm EDT/5:38 pm PDT | - |
| 2 | October 2 | Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | 8:38 pm EDT/5:38 pm PDT | - |
| 3 | October 3† | Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres | Petco Park | 7:08 pm EDT/4:08 pm PDT | - |
† If necessary
Milwaukee vs. New York
editThis will be the first postseason meeting between the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers
Game 1
edit| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Milwaukee | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Starting pitchers: NYM: TBD MIL: Freddy Peralta (0–0) Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 2
edit| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Milwaukee | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Starting pitchers: NYM: TBD MIL: TBD Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
San Diego vs. Atlanta
editThis will be the second meeting between the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves in the postseason, with the last being in the 1998 National League Championship Series, which was won by San Diego in six games.
Game 1
edit| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Starting pitchers: ATL: TBD SD: TBD Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 2
edit| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Starting pitchers: ATL: TBD SD: TBD Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Foster, Jason (August 1, 2024). "Postseason schedule announced; flexible start date for World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ Snyder, Matt (August 1, 2024). "MLB releases 2024 playoffs schedule: Dates for every postseason series, plus why the World Series could move". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Mets 8-7 Braves (Sep 30, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Braves 3-0 Mets (Sep 30, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ McCalvy, Adam. "Brewers defy odds to win NL Central, then walk off Phillies". MLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Brewers fall to Pirates, miss out on chance for 1st-round bye". WTAQ News Talk 97.5 FM · 1360 AM Green Bay, WI. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ McCalvy, Adam. "Crew awaits Wild Card opponent with race still undecided". MLB.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Padres 4-2 Dodgers (Sep 24, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ "Dodgers 7-2 Padres (Sep 26, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ DeRosa, Theo. "Dodgers clinch No. 1 seed, home-field advantage through postseason". MLB.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Toribio, Juan (September 26, 2024). "For 11th time in 12 seasons, Dodgers are best in NL West". MLB.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Gonzalez, Alden (September 26, 2024). "Dodgers clinch NL West, but Freddie Freeman exits with injury". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Zolecki, Todd (September 23, 2024). "Phillies return home to clinch first NL East crown since 2011". MLB.com. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ Gelston, Dan (September 24, 2024). "Philadelphia Phillies clinch 1st NL East title since 2011". AP News. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ Ladson, Bill (September 25, 2024). "Phils clinch first-round bye after slugfest and Brewers loss". MLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Jake, Mintz (September 23, 2024). "No team in MLB is going to win 100 games this year. Why?". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 29, 2024.