MLB has announced the 2016 postseason schedule, revealing the dates and network broadcasting each game for the Wild Card round through the World Series.
Will the Boston Red Sox still be playing in October? Well, the MLB regular season doesn’t end until October 2, so technically we can be assured that they will be. What we want to know is if this team will be participating in any playoff games this year.
It’s a bit too soon to say for sure, with the Red Sox locked in a tight divisional race. They currently sit tied with the Toronto Blue Jays at the top of the AL East, with the Baltimore Orioles looming a mere two games behind them. If they can’t hang on to the division crown then there remains a solid chance that the Red Sox can still make the postseason as a Wild Card team.
If Boston does qualify for the playoffs we at least have an idea of what days they will be playing, as MLB has released the 2016 postseason schedule.
After the regular season comes to a close there will be a day off to allow for any potential tiebreaker games. Teams that qualify for the postseason without the need of a tiebreaker can use this day to take a breather and line up their rotations.
Here’s how the MLB postseason dates line up from the Wild Card round through the World Series, along with the network that will broadcast each game.
Wild Card Round
Oct. 4: AL Wild Card Game, TBS
Oct. 5: NL Wild Card Game, ESPN
Divisional Round
Oct. 6: both ALDS Game 1, TBS
Oct. 7: both ALDS Game 2, TBS. Both NLDS Game 1, FS1 or MLBN
Oct. 8: both NLDS Game 2, FS1 or MLBN
Oct. 9: both ALDS Game 3, TBS
Oct. 10: both ALDS Game 4 (if necessary), TBS. Both NLDS Game 3, FS1 or MLBN
Oct. 11: both NLDS Game 4 (if necessary), FS1
Oct. 12: both ALDS Game 5 (if necessary), TBS
Oct. 13: both NLDS Game 5 (if necessary), FS1
Championship Round
Oct. 14: ALCS Game 1, TBS
Oct. 15: ALCS Game 2, TBS. NLCS Game 1, Fox or FS1
Oct. 16: NLCS Game 2, Fox or FS1
Oct. 17: ALCS Game 3, TBS
Oct. 18: NLCS Game 3, Fox or FS1. ALCS Game 4, TBS
Oct. 19: NLCS Game 4, Fox or FS1. ALCS Game 5 (if necessary), TBS
Oct. 20: NLCS Game 5 (if necessary), Fox or FS1
Oct. 21: ALCS Game 6 (if necessary), TBS
Oct. 22: NLCS Game 6 (if necessary), Fox or FS1. ALCS Game 7 (if necessary), TBS
Oct. 23: NLCS Game 7 (if necessary), Fox or FS1
World Series
Oct. 25: Game 1, AL City, Fox
Oct. 26: Game 2, AL City, Fox
Oct. 28: Game 3, NL City, Fox
Oct. 29: Game 4, NL City, Fox
Oct. 30: Game 5, NL City (if necessary), Fox
Nov. 1: Game 6, AL City (if necessary), Fox
Nov. 2: Game 7, AL City (if necessary), Fox
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That’s a long road for any team to navigate, but one Red Sox fans will be more than happy to travel as long as their team remains in the playoffs. If Boston were to make it to the World Series then we know that they will still be playing baseball through at least October 29.
Pencil these games into your calendar now, just in case!