Ezra Shaw/Getty Images After six months and 162 regular-season games, the real action has begun with the 2018 MLB playoffs. The American League bracket had been set for some time with three 100-win teams and two more dangerous squads all having their eyes on a World Series title. On the other hand, the National League playoffs remained a mess until the final day. There are now just two teams remaining. The margin for error at this point is slim, likely creating plenty of drama until a World Series champion is crowned. Here is what you need to know for the playoffs, with a bracket available at MLB.com. 2018 MLB Playoff Schedule Tiebreaker Games Video Play Button Videos you might like Milwaukee Brewers defeat Chicago Cubs, 3-1 Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies, 5-2 National League Wild Card Game Colorado Rockies defeat Chicago Cubs, 2-1 (13 innings) American League Wild Card Game New York Yankees defeat Oakland A's, 7-2 National League Division Series (Milwaukee Brewers defeat Colorado Rockies 3-0) Game 1: Milwaukee Brewers def. Colorado Rockies, 3-2 (10 innings) Game 2: Milwaukee Brewers def. Colorado Rockies, 4-0 Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers def. Colorado Rockies, 6-0 National League Division Series (Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Atlanta Braves 3-1) Game 1: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Atlanta Braves, 6-0 Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Atlanta Braves, 3-0 Game 3: Atlanta Braves def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5 Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Atlanta Braves; 6-2 American League Division Series (Boston Red Sox defeat New York Yankees 3-1) Game 1: Boston Red Sox def. New York Yankees, 5-4 Game 2: New York Yankees def. Boston Red Sox, 6-2 Game 3: Boston Red Sox def. New York Yankees 16-1 Game 4: Boston Red Sox def. New York Yankees, 4-3 American League Division Series (Houston Astros defeat Cleveland Indians 3-0) Game 1: Houston Astros def. Cleveland Indians, 7-2 Game 2: Houston Astros def. Cleveland Indians, 3-1 Game 3: Houston Astros def. Cleveland Indians, 11-3 National League Championship Series (Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Milwaukee Brewers 4-3) Game 1: Milwaukee Brewers def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5 Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3 Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-0 Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1 (13 innings) Game 5: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2 Game 6: Milwaukee Brewers def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-2 Game 7: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1 American League Championship Series (Boston Red Sox defeat Houston Astros 4-1) Game 1: Houston Astros def. Boston Red Sox, 7-2 Game 2: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 7-5 Game 3: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 8-2 Game 4: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 8-6 Game 5: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 4-1 World Series (Boston Red Sox defeat Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1) Game 1: Boston Red Sox def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-4 Game 2: Boston Red Sox def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2 Game 3: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Boston Red Sox, 3-2 (18 innings) Game 4: Boston Red Sox def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-6 Game 5: Boston Red Sox def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1 Full schedule available at MLB.com. Top Storylines The Brewers Finally Lost Justin Edmonds/Getty Images Sometimes, playoff success simply comes down to being hot at the right time, and that was perfectly fine for the Milwaukee Brewers. The squad had seven straight wins to match the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and then followed it up with a win in Game 163 to avoid the Wild Card game. While the division rivals were eliminated in the sudden-death game, Milwaukee went onto sweep the Colorado Rockies. The 11 straight wins put them in rare territory in MLB history: The winning streak grew to 12 games with Milwaukee's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the NLCS. Alas, the Dodgers finally ended the win streak in Game 2 of the NLCS, when Justin Turner's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave them a 4-3 win. But the Brewers remained one of the best stories in baseball. Christian Yelich was the big star as the likely MVP in the National League, but there were other players who helped put the games in the hands of the bullpen. This is where the real strength of the team was as Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, Jeremy Jeffress and others can shorten any game. While the Dodgers eliminated them, the Brewers were amazing since late September, even if their win streak finally came to a close. Ultimately, the Brewers just couldn't regain their momentum in time to save their season. Can the Red Sox Avoid a Final Let Down? Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images There is something special about a playoff series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. While the first round was mostly filled with one-sided matchups, the AL East rivals at least held our attention due to the tension in every game. Just like during the regular season, Boston was the better team in the ALDS, winning the series in four games and earning bragging rights for the next five months. The problem is this was just the start of the postseason for the Red Sox. This team won 108 games this year so it is obviously talented, but the players are relatively inexperienced when it comes to playoff success. Most of the roster had never won a playoff series before this year, so winning one over a hated rival is certain to create a lot of excitement. Rookie manager Alex Cora responded, though, and rallied his team for a five-game victory over a very good Astros team. There are still lingering questions about top starters Chris Sale and David Price in the playoffs, so this is no time for Boston to relax. Sale was hospitalized for a stomach illness, and Price has struggled in the postseason throughout his career even though he allowed just three hits and zero runs in the closeout game against Houston. Boston was baseball's best team during the regular season. But the Dodgers represent a monumental challenge for the Sox in the World Series.<doc-sep>Jim McIsaac/Getty Images The two wild-card games are in the books, leaving eight teams in the hunt for the 2018 World Series title. After the Colorado Rockies bested the Chicago Cubs by 2-1 score in a thrilling 13-inning affair Tuesday, the New York Yankees' high-powered offense came out on top Wednesday with a 7-2 win over the Oakland Athletics. Focus now shifts to the Division Series, where the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are all waiting to begin their respective playoff runs. The full playoff bracket can be found here. Division Series Matchups ALDS Greg Fiume/Getty Images Video Play Button Videos you might like (1) Boston Red Sox vs. (WC) New York Yankees (2) Houston Astros vs. (3) Cleveland Indians Surviving the AL Wild Card Game means the Yankees are headed to Boston to take on the rival Red Sox, who finished the regular season with a franchise-record 108 wins. The Red Sox won the season series by a 10-9 margin, but the Yankees took two of three during both of their meetings in September. There promises to be plenty of offense in this matchup. Boston led the majors in runs scored (876), batting average (.268) and OPS (.792), while New York slugged an MLB-record 267 home runs and finished second in runs scored (851). Meanwhile, pitching will be the big story in the other ALDS matchup. That's not to say the Astros (797 runs, sixth in MLB) and Indians (818, third in MLB) don't both have high-powered offenses, but it's their arms that will likely determine their matchup. Houston led the majors in team ERA (3.11), WHIP (1.10), strikeouts (1,687) and opponents' batting average (.217), while Cleveland was the first team in baseball history to have four pitchers record 200 strikeouts in the same season. It will be the Astros' Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton squaring off against the Indians' Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Trevor Bauer. The first team to get to the other one's bullpen should come out on top. NLDS Dylan Buell/Getty Images (1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (WC) Colorado Rockies (2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (3) Atlanta Braves The Brewers and Rockies were both forced to play a Game 163 after finishing the regular season tied for their respective division leads, so both clubs have already had a taste of the postseason atmosphere. The Rockies also played in the NL Wild Card Game. Both teams finished the regular season strong. The Brewers went 19-7 with a plus-67 run differential in September to erase a four-game deficit in the NL Central standings, while the Rockies were 19-9 with a plus-59 run differential to overtake both the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Milwaukee won the season series 5-2, which included taking three of four at Coors Field, but the teams haven't met since early August. Christian Yelich (MIL) and David Dahl (COL) might be the two hottest hitters on the planet, so keeping them from doing further damage will be key for the pitching staffs. In the other NL matchup, a Dodgers team that has won six straight division titles will square off against a Braves team that only recently emerged from a full-scale rebuild and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2013. L.A.'s rotation is finally all healthy at once, and the starting staff of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill might be the deepest of any of the Dodgers' recent postseason squads. Buehler could be the real X-factor, as he's pitched like a legitimate ace of late. The 24-year-old rookie posted a 1.95 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 32.1 innings over five September starts. Then he tossed 6.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in the tiebreaker against the Rockies. As for the Braves, the emergence of Mike Foltynewicz, steady production of Anibal Sanchez and impact addition of Kevin Gausman give them a formidable staff of their own. Experience looks like a major factor here, but Atlanta has been surprising people all season after losing 90 games a year ago. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.<doc-sep>For Major League Baseball fans, October means one thing: the playoffs. This postseason will soon be packed with plenty of elite, top-tier teams as well as dark horses looking for a shot at the upcoming World Series. Here’s all you need to know about the 2018 Major League Baseball playoffs, including the brackets, schedule information, how to watch, predictions and World Series odds. The Boston Red Sox are heading into the 2018 MLB playoffs with the best record in the league MLB playoffs 2018 brackets The 2018 MLB playoffs will feature the following matchups: Tiebreaker Games Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs on Monday, October 1 Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, October 1 National League Wild Card Game Rockies/Dodgers Loser at Brewers/Cubs Loser on Tuesday, October 2 American League Wild Card Game Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees on Wednesday, October 3. National League Division Series (NL Wild Card Winner vs. Chicago Cubs/Milwaukee Brewers Winner) Game 1: NL Wild Card at Chicago/Milwaukee on Thursday, October 4 Game 2: NL Wild Card at Chicago/Milwaukee on Friday, October 5 Game 3: Chicago/Milwaukee at NL Wild Card on Sunday, October 7 Game 4 (if necessary): Chicago/Milwaukee at NL Wild Card on Monday, October 8 Game 5 (if necessary): NL Wild Card at Chicago/Milwaukee on Wednesday, October 10 National League Division Series (Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers/Colorado Rockies Winner) Game 1: Atlanta at Los Angeles/Colorado on Thursday, October 4 Game 2: Atlanta at Los Angeles/Colorado on Friday, October 5 Game 3: Los Angeles/Colorado at Atlanta on Sunday, October 7 Game 4 (if necessary): Los Angeles/Colorado at Atlanta on Monday, October 8 Game 5 (if necessary): Atlanta at Los Angeles/Colorado on Wednesday, October 10 American League Division Series (AL Wild Card Winner vs. Boston Red Sox) Game 1: AL Wild Card at Boston on Friday, October 5 Game 2: AL Wild Card at Boston on Saturday, October 6 Game 3: Boston at AL Wild Card on Monday, October 8 Game 4 (if necessary): Boston at AL Wild Card on Tuesday, October 9 Game 5 (if necessary): AL Wild Card at Boston on Thursday, October 11 American League Division Series (Cleveland Indians vs. Houston Astros) Game 1: Cleveland at Houston on Friday, October 5 Game 2: Cleveland at Houston on Saturday, October 6 Game 3: Houston at Cleveland on Monday, October 8 Game 4 (if necessary): Houston at Cleveland on Tuesday, October 9 Game 5 (if necessary): Cleveland at Houston on Thursday, October 11 National League Championship Series Game 1 on Friday, October 12 Game 2 on Saturday, October 13 Game 3 on Monday, October 15 Game 4 on Tuesday, October 16 Game 5 (if necessary) on Wednesday, October 17 Game 6 (if necessary) on Friday, October 19 Game 7 (if necessary) on Saturday, October 20 American League Championship Series Game 1 on Saturday, October 13 Game 2 on Sunday, October 14 Game 3 on Tuesday, October 16 Game 4 on Wednesday, October 17 Game 5 (if necessary) on Thursday, October 18 Game 6 (if necessary) on Saturday, October 20 Game 7 (if necessary) on Sunday, October 21 World Series Game 1 on Tuesday, October 23 Game 2 on Wednesday, October 24 Game 3 on Friday, October 26 Game 4 on Saturday, October 27 Game 5 (if necessary) on Sunday, October 28 Game 6 (if necessary) on Tuesday, October 30 Game 7 (if necessary) on Wednesday, October 31 MLB playoffs 2018 schedule The Major League Baseball tiebreaker games will be played on October 1, with the Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs game slated to begin at 1:05pm EST and the Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game starting at 4:09pm EST. The National League Wild Card and American League Wild Card games are scheduled to be played on October 2 and October 3, respectively, with both starting at 8pm EST. October 4 marks the start of the National League Division Series while the American League Division Series will begin the following day on October 5. The National League Championship Series will start on October 12 while the American League Championship Series will begin the following day on October 13. The World Series itself is scheduled to begin on October 23. The starting times for the Division Series, League Championships and World Series are still to be announced. How to watch MLB playoffs 2018 The tiebreaker games will be aired on ESPN, as will the National League Wild Card game. The American League Wild Card game can be seen on TBS. All American League Division Series games will be aired on TBS while the National League Division Series games are scheduled to be broadcast on Fox Sports One or the MLB Network. The American League Championship Series games can be seen on TBS whereas the National League Championship Series games will be aired on Fox or Fox Sports One. All World Series games are scheduled to be broadcast on Fox. MLB playoffs 2018 predictions The Boston Red Sox have dominated Major League Baseball this season, posting a franchise record 108 wins, also best among all teams this season. Though they won the World Series fairly recently in 2013, most of the players currently on their roster are more familiar with the disappointingly early postseason exits of the previous two seasons. Though the team boasts top-tier stars like Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Chris Sale, their pitching staff has notably struggled in the playoffs over the years, with pitchers David Price and Rick Porcello posting lackluster 5.03 and 5.27 ERAs over the course of their careers. For the rest of the American League, the reigning World Series champions, the Houston Astros, also posted a strong season and are clear World Series contenders while the New York Yankees, fighting for a Wild Card spot, are also seen as serious World Series contenders thanks to rising stars like Aaron Judge and slugger Giancarlo Stanton. The National League playoffs picture is a bit murkier, lacking the clear favorites that the American League offers in the Red Sox, Astros and Yankees. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, both of which boast rosters of star players with extensive postseason experience, are certainly seen as likely World Series contenders. The Milwaukee Brewers are also on a hot streak they’re looking to carry well into the postseason while the tenacious Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves, long counted out, have proven themselves to be serious postseason competitors, though their World Series odds have notably lagged behind most other teams. World Series 2018 odds Per Bleacher Report, the 2018 World Series odds are as follows:<doc-sep>
David Banks/Associated Press After the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers won tiebreaker games to win National League Central and West Divisions, respectively, the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs got the postseason started in record-setting fashion. The two teams battled for 13 innings—the longest win-or-go-home game in Major League Baseball postseason history—before the Rockies advanced to the Divisional Series with a 2-1 victory. Backup catcher Tony Wolters drove home the winning run when he singled with two out in the top of the 13th off of Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs were unable to rally in the bottom of the inning and they were eliminated on their home field. The Rockies will meet the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Divisional Series and they will be joined by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. The Brewers and Dodgers will have homefield advantage in those best-of-5 series. Postseason Schedule Video Play Button Videos you might like Wild-Card Games Wednesday, October 3, A's at Yankees, 8 p.m. ET, TBS Division Series NLDS Thurs., Oct. 4, Game 1, Rockies at Brewers, 5:07 p.m., ET FS1 Thurs., Oct. 4, Game 1, Braves at Dodgers, 8:37 p.m. ET, MLBN Fri., Oct. 5, Game 2, Rockies at Brewers, 4:15 p.m. ET, FS1 Fri., Oct. 5, Game 2, Braves at Dodgers, 9:37 p.m. ET, FS1 Sun., Oct. 7, Game 3, Brewers at Rockies, 4:37 p.m. ET, MLBN Sun., Oct. 7, Game 3, Dodgers at Braves, 8:07 p.m. ET, FS1 Mon., Oct. 8, Game 4*, Brewers at Rockies, FS1 Mon., Oct. 8, Game 4*, Dodgers at Braves, FS1 Wed., Oct. 10, Game 5*, Rockies at Brewers FS1 Wed., Oct. 10, Game 5*, Braves at Dodgers, FS1 *If necessary ALDS Friday, October 5, Yankees/A's at Red Sox, Game 1, TBS Friday, October 5, Indians at Astros, Game 1, TBS Saturday, October 6 Yankees/A's at Red Sox, Game 2, TBS Saturday, October 6, Indians at Astros, Game 2, TBS Monday, October 8, Red Sox at Yankees/A's, Game 3, TBS Monday, October 8, Astros at Indians, Game 3, TBS Tuesday, October 9, Red Sox at Yankees/A's, Game 4*, TBS Tuesday, October 9, Astros at Indians, Game 4*, TBS Thursday, October 11, Yankees/A's at Red Sox, Game 5*, TBS Thursday, October 11, Indians at Astros, Game 5*, TBS *If necessary League Championship Series NLCS Friday, October 12, Game 1, FOX or FS1 Saturday, October 13, Game 2, FOX or FS1 Monday, October 15, Game 3, FOX or FS1 Tuesday, October 16, Game 4, FOX or FS1 Wednesday, October 17, Game 5*, FOX or FS1 Friday, October 19, Game 6*, FOX or FS1 Saturday, October 20, Game 7*, FOX or FS1 *If necessary ALCS Saturday, October 13, Game 1, TBS Sunday, October 14, Game 2, TBS Tuesday, October 16, Game 3, TBS Wednesday, October 17, Game 4, TBS Thursday, October 18, Game 5*, TBS Saturday, October 20, Game 6*, TBS Sunday, October 21, Game 7*, TBS *If necessary WORLD SERIES Tuesday, October 23, Game 1, FOX Wednesday, October 24, Game 2, FOX Friday, October 26, Game 3 , FOX Saturday, October 27, Game 4, FOX Sunday, October 28, Game 5*, FOX Tuesday, October 30 Game 6*, FOX Wednesday, October 31 Game 7*, FOX All games can be live streamed on MLB.TV. The American League postseason gets underway Wednesday night as the New York Yankees host the Oakland A's in the wild-card game. The slugging Yankees, who won 100 games this season but still finished eight games behind the Boston Red Sox, and the powerful A's will play for the right to meet the Red Sox in the American League Division Series. The Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros, who represented the American League in the last two World Series, will meet in the other ALDS. After the four division series are completed, the two American League winners will meet in the ALCS, while the two National League survivors will play for the NL pennant. Both league championship series are best-of-7 formats, as is the World Series. The Boston Red Sox will have homefield advantage throughout the postseason, while the Milwaukee Brewers will have that advantage in the National League playoffs.