The National League Championship Series opens Sunday night with a matchup that has all the makings of a can’t-miss October game.
The Dodgers are in Milwaukee to face the Brewers in Game 1, and the pitching duel is the kind that jumps off the schedule. The Brewers are sending Jacob Misiorowski to the mound, while the Dodgers counter with Tarik Skubal, the pitcher who has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards.
Skubal’s postseason track record is a huge part of why the Dodgers made him one of their deadline prizes from the Tigers. In October, he has been lights-out, putting up a 1.97 ERA and allowing two runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. He has also worked at least six innings in each of those outings, which is no small thing in today’s postseason game.
Misiorowski hasn’t been quite as sharp in his only playoff start so far by his own standards. In Game 1 against the Padres, he gave up two runs over four innings and struck out six. Even so, American Family Field should be electric with the Brewers trying to keep their run going against the two-time defending champions.
Here’s the full rundown for today’s playoff action and how to watch it.
Sunday, Oct. 11
NLCS Game 1: Brewers vs. Dodgers, 8 p.m. ET on Fox, DIRECTV and Fubo
For the rest of the League Championship Series, the NLCS will air on Fox or FS1, while the ALCS will be carried by TBS. Fans can stream every postseason game live with DIRECTV, which offers a free trial for new subscribers. Games on Fox and FS1 can also be streamed with Fubo, which also has a free trial.
Monday, Oct. 12
NLCS Game 2: Brewers vs. Dodgers, 5 p.m. ET on Fox, FS1, DIRECTV and Fubo
ALCS Game 1: Rays vs. Guardians, 8 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV
Tuesday, Oct. 13
ALCS Game 2: Rays vs. Guardians, 8 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV
Wednesday, Oct. 14
NLCS Game 3: Dodgers vs. Brewers, 8 p.m. ET on FS1, DIRECTV and Fubo
Thursday, Oct. 15
ALCS Game 3: Guardians vs. Rays, 6 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV
NLCS Game 4: Dodgers vs. Brewers, 9 p.m. ET on FS1, DIRECTV and Fubo
Friday, Oct. 16
ALCS Game 4: Guardians vs. Rays, 6 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV
NLCS Game 5: Dodgers vs. Brewers, 9 p.m. ET on FS1, DIRECTV and Fubo, if necessary
Saturday, Oct. 17
ALCS Game 5: Guardians vs. Rays, 8 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV, if necessary
Sunday, Oct. 18
NLCS Game 6: Brewers vs. Dodgers, 8 p.m. ET on FS1, DIRECTV and Fubo, if necessary
Monday, Oct. 19
ALCS Game 6: Rays vs. Guardians, 5 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV, if necessary
NLCS Game 7: Brewers vs. Dodgers, 8 p.m. ET on Fox, FS1, DIRECTV and Fubo, if necessary
Tuesday, Oct. 20
ALCS Game 7: Rays vs. Guardians, 8 p.m. ET on TBS and DIRECTV, if necessary
In Other News...
Where This Rays Team Already Stacks Up Against 2008 And 2020
Three Rays teams have now pushed the franchise this far, and the comparison naturally starts with how each one got here. The 2008 club broke through with a memorable postseason run after a breakthrough regular season, the 2020 group navigated a shortened and unusual year on its way to the American League Championship Series, and this current team has matched that October standard with a strong season and another deep playoff march.
For Tampa Bay, the bigger question is how this team stacks up in the moments that matter most, because the franchise has learned that getting to the ALCS is only part of the job. The current roster has already handled its early postseason test well enough to keep alive the possibility of a first World Series trip, but the final judgment on where it belongs alongside 2008 and 2020 will depend on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Catcher Search Keeps Pointing To One Familiar AL East Name
The Rays have spent enough time in the AL East to know how much roster building can hinge on timing, creativity, and a little bit of luck. Their trip to the ALCS was shaped by a mix of trades, a Rule 5 Draft pick, and a free-agent addition, the kind of patchwork approach that can look ordinary in March and brilliant by October. It is also the sort of background that makes any neighboring clubs personnel search worth watching closely, especially when another division rival starts circling the same kinds of solutions Tampa Bay has leaned on.
Bostons latest hunt at catcher keeps drifting toward familiar territory, too. The Red Sox had shown interest in Hunter Feduccia before he landed with the Dodgers, where he is now working as a backup, and that kind of detour only adds to the sense that the AL Easts front offices are chasing overlapping answers again. Even Baltimore could be part of the same offseason chain reaction, with bullpen changes expected as Andrew Kittredge and Keegan Akin move toward free agency and Akin continues working back from Tommy John surgery. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Roster Blueprint Is Drawing New Attention Across Baseball
The Rays roster model is drawing fresh attention around baseball because it keeps producing a playoff-caliber team without following the same spending script as the sports bigger markets. MLB insider Jon Morosi recently spotlighted the way Tampa Bay has put its club together, noting how much of the roster has been built through deals rather than the usual free-agent splashes, a reminder that the Rays front office still leans hard into creativity and market efficiency.
For a team operating with a smaller payroll, that strategy is hardly accidental. Tampa Bay has spent years trying to stay competitive by finding value in the trade market and turning roster churn into an advantage, and Morosis point was that other clubs could stand to study that blueprint more closely. The broader question is whether the rest of baseball will actually follow the Rays lead, or keep chasing the expensive answers Tampa Bay keeps finding a different way around. [Read more 🡒]