MLB Playoffs Standings, Bracket & Schedule: Cubs, Mets Look to Take Series Leads Over Dodgers & Cardinals
The 2015 Major League Baseball postseason is off and running.
The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros already showed their dominance with wild card wins over the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees last week. Now in the divisional round, the field will soon be cut to just four teams.
The Cardinals defeated the Cubs in Game 1 of the National League division series by a score of 4-0 thanks to John Lackey's performance on the mound. The Cubs struck back in Game 2 to even the series, and things couldn't get better for them. CY Young favorite Jake Arrieta will be the starter in Game 3. Arrieta has been virtually perfect since the all star break, and many believe he will give the Cubs a 2-1 series lead over their rivals on Monday night.
The Cubs and Cardinals will play on Monday at 6 p.m. EDT on the TBS Network.
The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are currently tied at one game in their series. Clayton Kershaw has now lost his last five consecutive playoff games, and many are dubbing him a "choke artist." Luckily for the Dodgers, Zack Greinke was able to win Game 2 at home for the Dodgers to tie the series. Adrian Gonzalez broke the game open in the seventh inning with a huge hit down the right field line, and the Dodgers never looked back. Still, the Mets stole home-field advantage from the Dodgers, and they have a chance to end this thing back on the East coast. If the Mets can win their next two games, which are at home, this series is officially over.
The Mets and Dodgers will play each on Monday at 8:30 p.m. EDT on the TBS Network.
Over in the American League, Canada's lone team got a much needed victory over the weekend. Trailing 0-2 in the series against the Texas Rangers, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Rangers in Game 3 to stay alive. David Price hasn't played excellent in the postseason as a starter, so there's a good chance we may see him play as a relief man in Game 4. Don't put too much stock into home-field advantage in this series as the home team is currently 0-3.
If the Rangers win Game 4, this series is over. The Rangers haven't won a playoff series since they made it to the 2011 World Series. Pitchers R.A. Dickey and Derek Holland will be going at it in this one.
The Blue Jays and Rangers will play each other on Monday at 4 p.m. EDT on FOX Sports 1.
The final series taking place at the moment is between the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals. Dallas Keuchel blanked the Yankees last week, and he picked up another win for the Astros in the divisional round. Now leading the series 2-1, the Astros have a chance to end this thing on Monday and advance to the American League Championship Series with Lance McCullers Jr. on the mound.
The Royals need a quick spark. The defending AL champions find themselves just one game away from elimination. Last postseason the Royals didn't lose a single postseason game until the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. Yordano Ventura will get the start in Game 4 for the Royals.
The Royals and Astros will play on Monday at 1 p.m. EDT on FOX Sports 1.
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Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1
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