Game Times, TV, Starting Pitchers for Baseball's Championship Series

It's the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros in the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in the National League championship series. Action starts on Sunday with the AL series.

Author:
Tom Brew
Oct 11, 2020 4:17 PM EDT

Major League Baseball's two championship series are now set, and the American League gets things started when the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Houston Astros.

The National League series starts on Monday between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This round is the best-of-seven, and will be played at neutral sites, much like the division series were. The American League games will be plated at Petco Park in San Diego. The National League series is at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

Tampa Bay and Houston met in the playoffs last year, with Houston winning the AL division series 3-2. But they had Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in their rotation last year, and Houston is having to piece things together this year. Tampa Bay is favored in the series.

Former Indiana pitcher Aaron Slegers is on Tampa Bay's 28-man roster for the ALCS. With no off days, Tampa Bay likely will do have at least two bullpen days.

Here's the schedule:

ALCS: Rays vs. Astros

Game 1, Sunday, 7:37 p.m. ET (TV: TBS): Houston will start Framber Valdez in the series opener, He was 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA during the regular season, and has won both of his starts in the playoffs, beating Minnesota 4-1 and Oakland 5-2. In the postseason, he's pitched 12 innings and allowed only two runs and seven hits, good for a 1.50 ERA in the postseason. For Tampa Bay, 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell will start. He was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA during the regular season. He beat Toronto in the first round by allowing only one hit and no runs in 5 2/3 innings, but lost Game 1 to the New York Yankees on Monday. He is pitching on five days' rest.
Game 2, Monday. 4:07 p.m. ET (TV: TBS): Houston will start Lance McCullers Jr. in the second game. He was 3-3 with a 3.93 ERA during the regular season. He has pitched once in the postseason, and was shelled by Oakland in Game 1 of their AL divisional series. He allowed eight hits and five runs, four earned, in just four innings, but the Astros came back to win the game 10-5. Tampa Bay is still unsure who will start Game 2. They used Game 2 ALDS starter Tyler Glasnow in Game 5, and Game 3 starter Charlie Morton is ready if need be. Who they go with might be determined by the outcome of Sunday's game.
Game 3, Tuesday. Time TBA
Game 4, Wednesday. Time TBA
Game 5, Thursday. Time TBA
Game 6, Friday, if necessary. Time TBA
Game 7, Saturday, if necessary. Time TBA

NLCS: Braves vs. Dodgers

Game 1, Monday. 8:08 p.m. ET (TV: FOX): These two teams are cruising through the playoffs, with each winning five straight game. Atlanta's pitching has been tremendous, with four shutouts in five games, tying an MLB record. Max Fried will pitch the opener for the Braves. He was 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA in the regular season and pitched seven shutout innings against Cincinnati in the wild card run. He's the only starter to give up any runs, getting roughed up for four against Miami, but the Braves came back and won 9-5. Walker Buehler will start for the Dodgers. He was 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in the regular season. He's gone four innings in each of his two playoff starts, without a decision. He's allowed three runs and five hits total thus far.
Game 2, Tuesday. Time TBA: Pitchers Ian Anderson for Atlanta vs. Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers.
Game 3, Wednesday. Time TBA: Pitchers Kyle Wright for Braves; Dodgers TBA.
Game 4, Thursday. Time TBA
Game 5, Friday, if necessary. Time TBA
Game 6, Saturday, if necessary. Time TBA
Game 7, Sunday, if necessary. Time TBA

American League Division Series

Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees

Best-of-5 series, all games played at Petco Park, San Diego
Game 1, Yankees 9, Rays 3: Gerrit Cole struck out eight batters over six innings and Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam in the ninth inning to help the Yankees win the series opener. (New York leads series, 1-0.)
Game 2, Rays 7, Yankees 5: Rays starter Tyler Glasnow struck out 10 Yankees in just five innings and earned the win in Tampa Bay's 7-5 victory. The Rays' bullpen was very good, too, allowing just one run and two hits over four innings, racking up eight more strikeouts. The Yankees' 18 strikeouts were a postseason record for a nine-inning game. Giancarlo Stanton hit two homers for New York. (Series tied 1-1).
Game 3, Rays 8, Yankees 4: The Rays' Randy Arozarena is turning into a superstar right before our eyes. The 25-year-old Cuban rookie hit a home run for the third straight day and went 3-for-4 in the Rays' second-consecutive win. He has 11 hits in the Rays' first four playoff games, which ties a major-league record. Starter Charlie Morton went five innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out six, and the vaunted Tampa Bay bullpen took it from there. (Tampa Bay leads series, 2-1)
Game 4, Yankees 5, Rays 1: Gleybar Torres hit a two-run homer, Jordan Montgomery pitched four solid innings, and the Yankees bullpen was perfect, pitching five hitless innings to beat the Rays and send the series to a deciding fifth game. Former Indiana star got the last four outs for Tampa Bay, allowing one run and three hits in his first outing since Sept. 26.
*** Game 5, Rays 2, Yankees 1: Austin Meadows hit a home run off Gerrit Cole and reserve Mike Brosseau homered off of Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth to lead Tampa Bay to a 2-1 win. The Rays won the series 3-2, and that was after dominating the Yankees 8-2 during the regular season.

Oakland A's vs. Houston Astros

Best-of-5 series, all games played at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Game 1, Astros 10, A's 5: Carlos Correa hit two home runs and George Springer had four hits to help Houston beat Oakland in a slugfest. (Houston leads series, 1-0.)
Game 2, Astros 5, A's 2: The Astros got an outstanding starter from Framber Valdez, who went seven innings and allowed only two runs in the 5-2 win. George Springer had another huge night at the plate, hitting two home runs and driving in three runs. He's had six hits in the first two games to help give Houston a commanding lead. (Houston leads series, 2-0.)
Game 3, A's 9, Astros 7: Oakland kept its season alive with a huge rally from three runs down, tying the game on a three-run homer from Chad Pinder in the seventh and then scoring two runs in the eighth on sacrifice flys. Closer Liam Hendriks pitched the final three innings to get in the win, allowing just one hit and striking out four. (Houston leads series, 2-1.)
Game 4, Astros 11, A's 6): Michael Brantley hit two home runs and a worn-out Houston bullpen closed out the deal as the Astros won the series and moved on to the AL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season. Carlos Correa had a three-run homer for Houston to give them the lead after behind 3-0.

National League Division Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres

All games played at Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas
Game 1, Dodgers 5, Padres 1: The Dodgers' pitchers allowed only three hits and struck out 14 in an easy win over the Padres in the series opener. The Dodgers broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. San Diego's starting rotation is decimated by injuries and Mike Clevenger, who tried to give it a go despite dealing with an elbow injuries, had to be pulled just two pitches into the second innings. San Diego wound up using nine pitchers, and allowed 10 walks. (Los Angeles leads series, 1-0)
Game 2, Dodgers 6, Padres 5: Clayton Kershaw pitched six solid innings and the Dodgers survived a ninth-inning scare to put the Padres in a big hole. Cody Bellinger hit a home run for the Dodgers and saved a home run with a great catch over the wall. Corey Seager was 3-for-4, with two doubles. (Los Angeles leads series, 2-0.)
Game 3, Dodgers 12, Padres 3: San Diego finally ran out of arms and got pounded by the Dodgers, who completed the sweep with a 14-hit performance. Catcher Will Smith led the way, going 5-for-6 with three RBIs. Cody Bellinger had three hits and 3 RBIs, as well.

Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins

All games played at Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
Game 1, Braves 9, Marlins 5: The Braves came from behind with a six-run explosion in the seventh inning to take down the Marlins in the season opener. Braves catcher Travis D'Arnaud had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and two walks, driving in four runs. Robert Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna also had multi-hit games for the Braves. (Atlanta leads series, 1-0). '
Game 2, Braves 2, Marlins 0: The Braves' pitching continues to dominate in the playoffs, getting their third shutout in four games to take a commanding lead. Rookie Ian Anderson went 5 2/3 innings and struck out eight, and the bullpen took it from there, pitching 3 1/3 innings without even allowing a hit. (Atlanta leads series, 2-0.)
Game 3, Braves 7, Marlins 0: The Braves' Kyle Wright pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits as the Braves pitched their fourth shutout in five playoff games. Atlanta became the second team in history to throw four shutouts in the first five playoff games, joining the 1905 New York Giants behind Hall of Famers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity.