One and not done: NL is set for two division tiebreakers
Seeding at stake for Brewers, Cubs, Rockies, Dodgers
Triple Crown contender Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Nolan Arenado and the big-hitting Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
October baseball is about to begin with Game No. 163 on Monday. Two tiebreakers on the same day for the first time in major league history. Both to divvy up divisions, too.
Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs begin the doubleheader drama when they host Milwaukee for the National League Central crown. Later in the afternoon, Dodgers rookie Walker Buehler is set to start when Los Angeles faces Colorado for the NL West title.
There’s a catch, though.
All four teams are assured playoff spots, either as a division champ or wild card. The Dodgers, Rockies, Brewers and Cubs knew that going into Sunday, the regular season’s final scheduled day, and then romped by a combined score of 48-5.
So, it means these matchups are not one-and-done.
Never before has a team that lost a tiebreaker got to keep playing. Bucky Dent’s pop-fly homer finished the Red Sox in 1978. Matt Holliday slid home — and maybe touched the plate — to eliminate San Diego in 2007. David Price pitched Tampa Bay past Texas in 2013 to win the most recent matchup.
This time, they’re all in. But there’s still a big difference between winning the division or going into the postseason as a wild card.
The Brewers-cubs winner gets to start a best-of-five division series at home Thursday against the wild-card winner. The Colorado-los Angeles winner also begins the NLDS at home versus Atlanta.
The tiebreaker losers play Tuesday at the NL Central’s site to determine who advances.
The AL playoff scenario is set. Oakland and the Yankees hold the wild-card game Wednesday in New York, and the winner goes to Boston on Friday. Defending World Series champion Houston opens the ALDS against Cleveland.
Arenado homered twice and Charlie Blackmon hit for the cycle as the Rockies routed Washington 12-0.
Colorado, which never has won a division title, will try to deny the defending NL champion Dodgers their sixth straight West title. German Marquez, who struck out eight straight batters to begin his most recent start, takes the hill for the Rockies.
The Dodgers topped Colorado 12-7 in the season series. The Cubs are 11-8 against Milwaukee.
At Wrigley, lefty Jose Quintana is set to start for the Cubs. He’s 6-2 with a 1.60 ERA in 10 starts against Milwaukee. The Brewers haven’t announced their starter.