After an extra day of regular season, Major League Baseball’s 2024 playoffs are set and begin Tuesday with the opening games of the best-of-three wild-card round.
We’re set for quadruple-headers, with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros getting things underway at 2:23 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The Baltimore Orioles host the Kansas City Royals at 4:07 p.m., the New York Mets face the Milwaukee Brewers at 5:32 p.m. and the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves wrap things up in the nightcap at 8:38 p.m.
The second games will be played Wednesday with potential Games 3s scheduled for Thursday. Winners will move on to the best-of-five Division Series, which begin on Saturday.
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports MLB team sees this week playing out:
Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros
Predictions:
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Bob Nightengale: Astros in 3
Gabe Lacques: Tigers in 2
Steve Gardner Astros in 3
Jesse Yomtov: Astros in 3
Scott Boeck: Tigers in 3
Schedule
Game 1, Tuesday: LH Tarik Skubal vs. LH Framber Valdez, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. TBA, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC
Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles
Predictions:
Bob Nightengale: Orioles in 3
Gabe Lacques: Orioles in 2
Steve Gardner: Orioles in 3
Jesse Yomtov: Orioles in 2
Scott Boeck: Orioles in 3
Schedule
Game 1, Tuesday: LH Cole Ragans vs. RH Corbin Burnes, 4:08 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Game 2, Wednesday: RH Seth Lugo vs. RH Zach Eflin, 4:38 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: RH Michael Wacha vs. RH Dean Kremer, 4:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers
Predictions
Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 2
Gabe Lacques: Brewers in 2
Steve Gardner: Brewers in 2
Jesse Yomtov: Mets in 3
Scott Boeck: Brewers in 2
Schedule
Game 1, Tuesday: TBA vs. RH Freddy Peralta, 5:32 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. TBA, 7:38 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Atlanta at San Diego Padres
Predictions
Bob Nightengale: Padres in 2
Gabe Lacques: Padres in 2
Steve Gardner: Padres in 2
Jesse Yomtov: Atlanta in 3
Scott Boeck: Padres in 2
Schedule
Game 1, Tuesday: TBA vs. RH Michael King, 8:38 p.m. ET, ESPN,
Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. RH Joe Musgrove, 8:38 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. RH Dylan Cease, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
