The League Championship Series field is set, with Cleveland arriving in Tampa Bay after surviving a bruising American League Division Series against the White Sox. The Guardians now draw the top-seeded Rays, while Milwaukee and Los Angeles renew a National League postseason rivalry with a World Series berth on the line.
Quick scan
- Tampa Bay won five of six regular-season games from Cleveland, pitching three shutouts.
- The Rays swept the Yankees, while Cleveland had to stretch its pitching staff in the ALDS.
- Milwaukee took four of seven from the Dodgers during the regular season, including three wins in a mid-August series in Los Angeles.
- The Dodgers have beaten the Brewers in each of their three previous postseason matchups.
- José Ramírez, Shohei Ohtani and Jackson Chourio loom large in two pennant races with very different questions around them.
The ALCS opens Monday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. ET in Tampa Bay. Games 1 and 2 will be played at the Rays’ home park before the series moves to Cleveland for three possible games.
| ALCS game | Date | Site | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Monday, Oct. 12 | Tampa Bay | 8 p.m. ET |
| Game 2 | Tuesday, Oct. 13 | Tampa Bay | 8 p.m. ET |
| Game 3 | Thursday, Oct. 15 | Cleveland | 6 p.m. ET |
| Game 4 | Friday, Oct. 16 | Cleveland | 6 p.m. ET |
| Game 5, if needed | Saturday, Oct. 17 | Cleveland | 8 p.m. ET |
| Game 6, if needed | Monday, Oct. 19 | Tampa Bay | 5 p.m. ET |
| Game 7, if needed | Tuesday, Oct. 20 | Tampa Bay | 8 p.m. ET |
Every ALCS game is scheduled for TBS, truTV, HBO Max and UniMas. Tampa Bay dominated the season series from the mound, never allowing more than three Cleveland runs in a game. Cleveland’s only victory came at home in late April.
It is the third October meeting between the clubs. The Guardians swept Tampa Bay in the 2022 Wild Card Series, while the Rays won their 2013 Wild Card Game.
Both teams defend, and neither built its regular-season identity around the home run. Each finished in the bottom 10 in MLB homers, but the Rays carried the stronger overall offensive line: a .728 club OPS, eighth in the majors, against Cleveland’s .696 mark, which ranked 26th.
The difference in rest could matter. Tampa Bay handled the Yankees in a sweep, while Cleveland spent its Division Series mixing and matching to cover innings. The Guardians will need José Ramírez to keep carrying the offense after an injury-marred regular season.
Ramírez found his stride late against Chicago, collecting five hits and seven RBIs over the final three games of that series. For Cleveland to flip the script against Tampa Bay, its star third baseman may need to set the tone again.
The NLCS begins Sunday, Oct. 11, in Milwaukee, with Game 1 scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX One will carry the series.
| NLCS game | Date | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sunday, Oct. 11 | Milwaukee |
| Game 2 | Monday, Oct. 12 | Milwaukee |
| Game 3 | Wednesday, Oct. 14 | Los Angeles |
| Game 4 | Thursday, Oct. 15 | Los Angeles |
| Game 5, if needed | Friday, Oct. 16 | Los Angeles |
| Game 6, if needed | Sunday, Oct. 18 | Milwaukee |
| Game 7, if needed | Monday, Oct. 19 | Milwaukee |
The Brewers are chasing their first World Series appearance since 1982. Los Angeles is trying to keep alive its pursuit of a third straight championship, and Milwaukee enters with the recent regular-season edge after winning four of seven games.
Three of those Brewers victories came during a four-game August stop in Los Angeles. Still, the Dodgers own the postseason history, having won the 2025 NLCS, the 2020 Wild Card Series and the 2018 NLCS against Milwaukee.
Los Angeles advanced past Atlanta on timely long balls, while Milwaukee’s leading players delivered when the Padres pushed them in the NLDS. This matchup could turn into a test of pitching depth: the Dodgers have bullpen uncertainty, and the Brewers face questions behind starters Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson.
Ohtani’s bat will be one of the series’ biggest storylines after a quiet Division Series. If he returns to form, the Dodgers’ lineup changes shape quickly.
Milwaukee counters with a young October force in Jackson Chourio. The 23-year-old left fielder battled Mason Miller before delivering the Game 2 walk-off in the NLDS, and he already owns the Brewers’ franchise records for postseason home runs and RBIs.
