Rangers take on Rays in wild-card matchup
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: A detailed view of Texas Rangers baseball hats during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 6, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
MLB's postseason bracket is set, with the American League and National League wild-card matchups beginning Tuesday.
It's the second year for the new October format, which includes an opening round, best-of-three series with all of the games at the higher seed's ballpark.
In the AL, the No. 6 seed Toronto Blue Jays will face the No. 3 Minnesota Twins and the No. 5 Texas Rangers travel to the No. 4 Tampa Bay Rays. The NL features the No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks against the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers and the No. 5 Miami Marlins at the No. 4 Philadelphia Phillies.
MORE: Texas Rangers clinch first playoff berth since 2016
The Braves, Astros, Dodgers and Orioles will get about a week off before the division series begin.
It's a postseason bracket missing some of the sport's marquee franchises. Slugger Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will spend October at home. So will the big-spending New York Mets and San Diego Padres.
But for those who remain, the road to the World Series begins soon. Here's a look at the matchup between the Rangers and Rays:
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No. 5 Rangers at No. 4 Rays
The season series: Rangers won 4-2.
The skinny: The Rangers are led by the stellar middle infield combo of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, who could both finish in the top 5 of AL MVP balloting. Outfielder Adolis Garcia also had a big year. The pitching staff doesn't have a lot of big names who are healthy but has been steady with Dane Dunning, Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi. The Rays were the hottest team in baseball in the early weeks but got caught by the Orioles around midseason. Tampa Bay continues to thrive despite one of the lowest payrolls in the league. The balanced lineup includes Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena. Zach Elfin and Tyler Glasnow lead the pitching staff.