Jessica Mendoza to call AL wild-card game in a first

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) Jessica Mendoza will become the first female analyst to call a nationally televised Major League Baseball postseason game when she works the American League wild-card matchup next week for ESPN.

Mendoza had replaced Curt Schilling on the network's top MLB announcing team for the rest of the regular season after the former pitcher was suspended last month in the wake of his anti-Muslim tweet. ESPN said Thursday that Mendoza will remain in the role alongside Dan Shulman and John Kruk for Tuesday's wild-card game.

Schilling said Sunday that he would return to the network's studio coverage later in the playoffs.

The 34-year-old Mendoza won two Olympic medals with the U.S. softball team.

The AL wild-card matchup is ESPN's only 2015 postseason game.