Aug 02, 2024

MLB announces postseason schedule

Posted Aug 02, 2024 2:25 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — The World Series could extend into November for the fourth straight year and will start on a Friday for the third consecutive time.

AL Division Series will have an extra scheduled off day between Games 1 and 2, a format that allows a team to have the same pitchers start Games 1 and 4, and Games 2 and 5 on normal four days’ rest. Last year, NL Division Series had the extra off day.

Major League Baseball said Thursday the Series will start on Oct. 25, putting a possible seventh game on Nov. 2. The Series went into November for the first time in 2001, when the 9/11 terrorist attacks caused the regular season to end a week later than originally scheduled. The latest a Series game has been played was Nov. 5, when Houston beat Philadelphia in Game 6 in 2022.

Before 2022, the World Series had not started on a Friday since 1915.

All four best-of-three Wild Card Series are scheduled for consecutive days from Oct. 1-3.

Twelve teams make the playoffs under the format that began in 2022. The top two teams in each league get first-round byes, while the No. 3 seed faces No. 6 and No. 4 plays No. 5. The higher seed will be home in each best-of-three series.

In the best-of-five Division Series, the top seed plays the 3-vs.-6 winner and the No. 2 seed plays the 4-vs.-5 winner. The Division Series will have the familiar format of the higher seed home for Games 1 and 2, and, if necessary, Game 5.

AL Division Series start on Oct. 5, have an off day followed by a game on Oct. 7, then switch to the other cities on Oct. 9-10. After another travel day, Game 5s would be played Oct. 12.

NL Division Series also will start Oct. 5-6 followed by travel day and switch to the other sites for games on Oct. 8-9. Game 5s would be Oct. 11.