Major League Baseball's postseason officially begins on Tuesday, Sept. 29 with the best-of-three wild card series, two in each the American and National League.
The New York Yankees host their rival Boston Red Sox in the Bronx for the second year in a row, another explosive showdown between the AL East foes who missed out on the division crown behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
The AL West winner, the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres will also host the wild card series. If necessary, winner-take-all Game 3s will be played on Thursday.
The wild card series winners advance to the best-of-five Division Series, where they will face the division winners who received a bye. The Yankees-Red Sox
victor takes on the Rays, with the ALDS beginning Saturday, Oct. 3.
MLB expanded the postseason in 2022, adding one more wild card in each league, creating the high-intensity wild card series. In the first four years under the new format, two teams – the 2023 Texas Rangers and 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers – have gone on to win the World Series after playing in the wild card series.
Here's a full look at this week's schedule:
MLB wild card series schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 29
- NL Game 1: Diamondbacks/Phillies at Braves – buy tickets – 2 p.m. ET
- AL Game 1: White Sox at Rangers/Astros – buy tickets – 5 p.m. ET
- AL Game 1: Red Sox at Yankees – buy tickets – 8 p.m. ET
- NL Game 1: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Sept. 30
- NL Game 2: Diamondbacks/Phillies at Braves – buy tickets – 2 p.m. ET
- AL Game 2: White Sox at Rangers/Astros – buy tickets – 5 p.m. ET
- AL Game 2: Red Sox at Yankees – buy tickets – 8 p.m. ET
- NL Game 2: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 1 (*if necessary)
Times subject to change if series early
- NL Game 3: Diamondbacks/Phillies at Braves – buy tickets – 2 p.m. ET
- AL Game 3: White Sox at Rangers/Astros – buy tickets – 5 p.m. ET
- AL Game 3: Red Sox at Yankees – buy tickets – 8 p.m. ET
- NL Game 3: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB wild card series schedule: Yankees vs Red Sox game times revealed
