Major League Baseball on Thursday set the start times for both League Championship Series, with the National League starting things off on Sunday evening and the American League getting going beginning Monday, October 12.
The Dodgers, after dispatching the Atlanta Braves in four games in the NLDS, for the second year in a row will play the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, their third NLCS meeting in the last nine years, with a 2020 wild card matchup mixed in in between.
Milwaukee, the MLB leader with
103 wins, has home-field advantage in the series.
The Tampa Bay Rays are already in the ALCS, awaiting the winner of the Division Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians.
There are two guaranteed days with two League Championship Series games — Monday, October 12 (NLCS Game 2 with the earlier start, ALCS Game 1 at night) and Thursday, October 15 (ALCS Game 3 first, then NLCS Game 4). There is also potential for two games on Friday, October 16 (NLCS Game 5, ALCS Game 4) and Monday, October 19 (NLCS Game 7, ALCS Game 6). For the latter two potential multi-game days, the NLCS has the later start times.
Fox Sports televises the NLCS this year, and TBS has the ALCS.
NLCS start times
Game 1 — Sunday, October 11 at Brewers, 5 p.m. PT (Fox)
Game 2 — Monday, October 12 at Brewers, 2 p.m. (Fox, FS1)
Game 3 — Wednesday, October 14 at Dodgers, 5 p.m. (FS1)
Game 4 — Thursday, October 15 at Dodgers, 6 p.m. (FS1)
Game 5* — Friday, October 16 at Dodgers, 6 p.m. (FS1)
Game 6* — Sunday, October 18 at Brewers, 5 p.m. (FS1)
Game 7* — Monday, October 19 at Brewers, 5 p.m. (Fox, FS1)
*if necessary
ALCS start times
Game 1 — Monday, October 12 at Rays, 5 p.m. PT (TBS)
Game 2 — Tuesday, October 13 at Rays, 5 p.m. (TBS)
Game 3 — Thursday, October 15, at Chicago or Cleveland, 3 p.m. (TBS)
Game 4 — Friday, October 16, at Chicago or Cleveland, 3 p.m. (TBS)
Game 5* — Saturday, October 17, at Chicago or Cleveland, 5 p.m. (TBS)
Game 6* — Monday, October 19 at Rays, 2 p.m. (TBS)
Game 7* — Tuesday, October 20 at Rays, 5 p.m. (TBS)
*if necessary
If the NLCS ends in a sweep, ALCS Game 4 next Friday would move to a 5 p.m. PT start time. Same for if the NLCS ends before a seventh game, then ALCS Game 6 on October 19 will be a 5 p.m. PT start.
