Major League Baseball's postseason got underway on Tuesday with the four best-of-three Wild Card Series. The No. 6 New York Mets, fresh off a doubleheader Monday, took down the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee, 8-4. The winner of the series will advance to play the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series.
Here is the Wild Card Series schedule:
| Date | Start time/score | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | Tues., Oct. 1 | NYM 8, MIL 4 | ESPN/fubo (try for free) |
Game 2 | Weds., Oct. 2 | 7:38 p.m. ET | ESPN/fubo (try for free) |
Game 3 (if necessary) | Thurs., Oct. 3 | 8:38 p.m. ET | ESPN2/fubo (try for free) |
Where to watch
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 2 | Time: 7:38 p.m. ET
Location: American Family Field (Milwaukee)
Channel: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Probable pitchers: RHP Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.84 ERA) vs. LHP Sean Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA)
Odds: MIL -110 | NYM -110; over/under: 7.5
After a back-and-forth Game 1 that saw the Mets pull ahead for good thanks to a five-run fifth inning, the Brewers send Frankie Montas to the hill to try to keep their season alive. Acquired from the Reds at the trade deadline, Montas allowed 29 earned runs in 57 1/3 innings with Milwaukee. Manaea, meanwhile, was brilliant for the Mets this year, particularly after changing his arm slot to resemble Chris Sale. He's made three playoff appearances in his career and all went poorly, but he's looked like a completely different pitcher since signing with New York.
Here's what you ought to know about the Mets and Brewers heading into the Wild Card Series.
Mets: The Mets are making their second postseason appearance in the last three years. New York's chances of reaching October appeared limited after a brutal May that saw them go 9-19. The Mets subsequently rallied, posting their 40th win in the second half on Monday, when they took the first game of a doubleheader against the Braves and clinched their playoff berth.
As an added subplot to this series, the Mets are led by former Brewers executive David Stearns. Stearns, who guided the Brewers from 2015-22, took a step back for the 2023 season before departing the organization to join the Mets.
Brewers: The Brewers are making their sixth postseason appearance in the last seven years. Alas, they've been knocked out during the wild-card round on three of those trips. Milwaukee will attempt to change their recent October fortunes after a season that saw them take control of the Central for good in late April.
