MLB Playoff Schedule 2015: Game Times, Match-Ups Set For MLB Playoffs
MLB playoff schedules are out for the 10 postseason teams. The 2015 MLB playoff schedule officially begins on Tuesday, October 6, when the New York Yankees host the Houston Astros. This is the American League Wild Card Game, with first pitch scheduled for about 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The National League Wild Card Game will be played the next day on Wednesday, October 7 at about 8 p.m. ET on TBS. The NL match-up is the Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates serving as the host. The Pirates and Yankees get to host the wild card games after finishing with a better regular season record than their opponents.
Moving forward in the 2015 MLB playoff schedule, the ALDS match-ups will begin on Thursday, October 8. The AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays will host the AL West champion Texas Rangers in the best-of-five series. The AL Central champion Kansas City Royals will host the wild card winner after securing the best regular season record in the league. The games will be on FOX, FS1, or MLB Network.
The NLDS match-ups begin on Friday, October 9, with the games broadcast on TBS. The NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers will host the NL East champion New York Mets in one series. In the other series, the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals will host the wild card winner after securing the best regular season record in the league.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Mets vs. Dodgers series has some very good pitching match-ups scheduled. Jacob deGrom will pitch Game 1 for the Mets, with Noah Syndergaard pitching Game 2 and Matt Harvey on the mound for Game 3. The Dodgers will counter with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw; two pitchers that are competing to win another Cy Young Award during the 2015 MLB season.
In each of the divisional series match-ups, the games for each respective league will remain on the same days in October. The 2015 MLB playoff schedule has the ALDS continuing with Game 2 on October 9, Game 3 on October 11, Game 4 on October 12, and Game 5 on October 14. The NLDS schedule has Game 2 on October 10, Game 3 on October 12, Game 4 on October 13, and Game 5 on October 15.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals each host the first two games of the NLDS. The teams then travel to play the New York Mets and the wild card winner in Games 3 and 4. Should a Game 5 be necessary in either series, it will be played in Los Angeles and St. Louis.
For the American League match-ups, the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays each host the first two games of the ALDS. The teams then travel to play the wild card winner and the Texas Rangers in Games 3 and 4. Should a Game 5 be necessary in either series, it will be played in Kansas City and Texas.
MLB World Series odds have also been released by Vegas, showing which teams the “experts” feel have the best shot at a title. The most likely scenario is a Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals World Series. The Royals have been given a 22.2 percent chance to win it all, with the Cardinals slotted at 16.7 percent.
Additional World Series odds have the Blue Jays and Dodgers at 14.3 percent, he Mets at 11.1 percent, the Yankees at 10 percent, the Astros and Pirates at 7.7 percent, the Cubs at 6.7 percent, and the Rangers at 3.2 percent. The odds are pretty steep for one of the wild card teams to win the World Series, but that’s why they play the games. The 2014 World Series champion San Francisco Giants were also a wild card team.
The teams all get a day off on Monday, October 5, before the 2015 MLB Playoff schedule gets started. From there, it’s a race to the finish with quite a few exciting storylines ready to unfold.
[Image Sources: David Banks And Pool / Getty Images]
