For local supporters of the San Diego Padres hyped by news of the Friars securing a playoff berth, there's a tinge of disappointment as well.
The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture came into focus Tuesday night. The matchups were finally set, right before the last day of the regular season.
The postseason, expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season, begins Friday with a newly created wild-card round. All four series are best two of three — three days in a row, no breaks, with the higher seed hosting every game.
Padres Playoff Picture
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In the National League, it's Padres-Mets and Phillies-Cardinals. In the American League, it's Mariners-Blue Jays and Rays-Guardians.
So, unfortunately, despite making the playoffs, all three games the Padres will play will be at Citi Field in the borough of Queens, in New York. Here's why, among other reasons: The Padres, at 89-72, are 17 games over .500, a healthy season. The Mets, though, are gonna end the season with a minimum of 100 wins.
At Citi Field, New York figures to throw aces Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom at San Diego, featuring big-hitting Manny Machado and Juan Soto. The Mets' bid to win the NL East ended when they were beaten out by the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves, so New York wound up as the top NL wild-card team.
“We have to go on the road and play against a tough team and beat some of the best pitchers in the game,” Machado said. “It is about going out there and enjoying the moment.”
At Busch Stadium, soon-to-be-retired St. Louis stars Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols host Bryce Harper and Philadelphia. The Cardinals won the NL Central, but as the No. 3 seed don't get the benefit of an early bye.
A two-time champion with the Cardinals, the 42-year-old Pujols has looked like a 24-year-old version of himself down the stretch, topping 700 career home runs and passing Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time RBIs list.
A two-time MVP, Harper makes his first playoff appearance since 2017 with Washington. He missed two months in the middle of the season because of a broken thumb but is ready to swing away for the Phillies.
In Cleveland, José Ramírez leads a young team that includes rookie spark plug Steven Kwan and hard-throwing closer Emmanuel Clase as the AL Central champs host Tampa Bay.
This will be Cleveland's first postseason appearance as the Guardians. The team hasn't won the World Series since 1948.
In Toronto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the top AL wild-card Blue Jays take on Seattle and its rookie sensation, Julio Rodríguez. The series also matches Robbie Ray, who won the Cy Young Award with Toronto last year, against his former team.
All four matchups are scheduled to end Sunday. The best-of-five Division Series in both leagues begin Oct. 11.
Judge, fresh off hitting his 62nd home run to set the AL record, and the Yankees will host the Tampa Bay-Cleveland winner in Game 1. Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros start at home against the Seattle-Toronto winner.
In the NL, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have set a franchise record for wins, host the Mets-San Diego winner in the opener.
The Associated Press contributed to this report — Ed.
