query: when did the wild card start in mlb

pos: Major League Baseball wild card winners of each LCS meeting in the World Series. However, an expanding number of teams over the years made making the playoffs increasingly difficult. The new system was instituted in 1994 (but first used in 1995 because a players strike canceled the 1994 playoffs) when Major League Baseball expanded from two to three divisions per league. In the new three-division leagues, each league had four teams in the playoffs. In addition to the three division winners, a wild-card team made the playoffs as the fourth seed. This was the team with the most wins amongst non-division winners. The wild-card matchup

pos: Major League Baseball wild card Major League Baseball wild card In Major League Baseball (MLB), the wild card teams are the two teams in each of the two leagues (American and National) that have qualified for the postseason despite failing to win their division. Both teams in each league possess the two best winning percentages in their respective league after the three division winners. The wild card was first instituted in MLB in 1994, with one wild-card team per league advancing to the Division Series in the postseason to face a division winner. In 2012, the system was modified to add a second wild-card team

pos: Games behind common and standings points are typically used. Major League Baseball (MLB) defines games behind as "the average of the differences between the leading team wins and the trailing team wins, and the leading teams losses and the trailing team losses." A games behind column almost always appears in MLB standings for each five-team division. In the 1994 MLB season, the American League and National League each split into three divisions, and each added a wild card team to the playoffs. Following this change, it became common for the media to publish an additional set of standings for the wild card

pos: 2006 World Series in their first World Series after 43 seasons. The Tigers had not appeared in the World Series since winning it in 1984. The Cardinals last won in 1982, losing three times since then, in 1985, 1987 and 2004. The Tigers were the eighth wild card team to compete in the World Series since MLB introduced the wild card in 1994. A wild-card team participated in the Series from 2002 to 2007. Riding the momentum they built up during their surprisingly easy ALDS and ALCS victories, Detroit entered the Series as a prohibitive favorite. Bob Nightengale of USAToday expressed popular sentiment

pos: History of baseball popularity after the 1994 interruption, Little League enrollment was in decline: after peaking in 1996, it dropped 1 percent a year over the following decade. With more rigorous testing and penalties for performance-enhancing drug use a possible factor, the balance between bat and ball swung markedly in 2010, which became known as the "Year of the Pitcher". Runs per game fell to their lowest level in 18 years, and the strikeout rate was higher than it had been in half a century. Before the start of the 2012 season, MLB altered its rules to double the number of wild card

pos: National League East Wild Card, 5–0. <nowiki>**</nowiki> – Starting with the 2012 season, there will be two Wild Card winners in each league. The qualifiers will play a single-game playoff to determine who will face the top-seeded team in the National League Division Series. National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves have the most National League East titles (13). Most of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of reaching MLB playoffs 14 consecutive times (there were no playoffs in 1994 and the first three titles of that streak came

neg: Wild card (sports) the National Hockey League's 1968–1974 and 1982–1993 playoffs (top four finishers from each division) are not true wild-card formats. When a wild-card playoff format is used, the number of teams in a division that qualify is not fixed; the divisional champion automatically qualifies, but non-division winners qualify, based either on league record or conference record. In Major League Baseball (MLB), wild-card playoff spots are given to the two teams in each league (four teams overall) with the best records among the non-division winners. The initial wild-card format was implemented after MLB expanded to 28 teams and realigned its two leagues

neg: Major League Baseball wild card in the second. On November 17, 2011, MLB announced that it would be adding two wild-card teams to the postseason. The two wild-card teams in each league face each other in a one-game playoff. The winner of this game advances to meet the top seed in the Division Series. The revised playoff system began with the 2012 season. For each league's list of wild-card winners by year and teams with most wild-card titles, see: (*) – Counts one-game wild-card playoff in the statistics. Major League Baseball wild card In Major League Baseball (MLB), the wild card teams are the two

neg: 2015 National League Wild Card Game 2015 National League Wild Card Game The 2015 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In MLB, the two teams with the best record in each league who do not win a division play against each other in the Wild Card Game. The game was held at Pittsburgh's PNC Park on October 7, 2015. This was the third consecutive year that the NL Wild Card Game was played in Pittsburgh. This was the third

neg: 1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game finished 10 games back of the division leading Cardinals. 1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 1999 National League wild-card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1999 regular season, played between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds to determine the winner of the National League (NL) wild card. It was played at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, on October 4, 1999. The Mets won the game, 5–0, with starting pitcher Al Leiter pitching a two-hit shutout. As a result, the Mets qualified for the postseason and the Reds did not. The game was necessary

neg: 1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game 1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 1999 National League wild-card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1999 regular season, played between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds to determine the winner of the National League (NL) wild card. It was played at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, on October 4, 1999. The Mets won the game, 5–0, with starting pitcher Al Leiter pitching a two-hit shutout. As a result, the Mets qualified for the postseason and the Reds did not. The game was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss

neg: 2015 National League Wild Card Game striking out four. For the first time in 12 years, the Chicago Cubs won a postseason game and went on to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series. 2015 National League Wild Card Game The 2015 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In MLB, the two teams with the best record in each league who do not win a division play against each other in the Wild Card Game. The game

neg: 2012 American League Wild Card Game 2012 American League Wild Card Game The 2012 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2012 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild-card teams, the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. It was held at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, on October 5, 2012, at 8:37 p.m. EDT. The Orioles won by a 5–1 score and advanced to play the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. The game was televised on TBS. The Orioles scored their first run of the inaugural AL wild-card game when J. J. Hardy knocked

neg: 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game necessary after both teams finished the season with win–loss records of 91–71 and thus tied for the second Wild Card position in the AL. The Rangers were awarded home field for the game, as they won the regular season series against the Rays, 4–3. The game was televised on TBS. It was the fourth tie-breaker in MLB history for a Wild Card spot, although it was the first since MLB adopted its current format of two Wild Card teams playing in a Wild Card Game in 2012. The tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game for both teams, with

neg: Major League Baseball on TBS Baseball" (until it was canceled in 2011), as well as "MLB Tonight" on the MLB Network. Before the postseason, TBS will air any tie-breaker games for divisional and one of the two wild card games. Should multiple tie-breaking games be played, or if multiple Division Series games are going on at the same time, those additional games air on TBS' sister network, TNT. However, games between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are subject to be moved to Fox. From 2007–2010, when TBS aired every Division Series game, start times were staggered throughout the day from early

neg: 2014 National League Wild Card Game Wild Card Game. This was done in an effort to beat the Cardinals to the NL Central division title, rather than settling for the wild card spot. The Pirates also needed to rely on the Arizona Diamondbacks – which finished with the worst record in the MLB at 64–98 (.395) – to defeat St. Louis in order to force a tiebreaker. However, this did not come to fruition as the Cardinals narrowly won 1–0 over the D-backs, while the Pirates lost 4–1 to Cincinnati. As a result of Cole starting in Sunday's season finale, he was unable to pitch in

neg: 2016 American League Wild Card Game 2016 American League Wild Card Game The 2016 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild card teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. As both teams finished with identical 89–73 records, a tiebreaker was used to determine the host team. In accordance with MLB tiebreaking rules, the Blue Jays earned the right to host the game by winning their season series against the Orioles 10–9. The Blue Jays beat the Orioles, 5–2, in extra innings. This was Toronto's first appearance in

neg: 2016 National League Wild Card Game 2016 National League Wild Card Game The 2016 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. As both teams finished with identical 87–75 records, a tiebreaker was used to determine the host team. In accordance with MLB tiebreaking rules, the Mets earned the right to host the game by winning their season series against the Giants 4–3. The game was played on October 5, 2016 at Citi Field in Queens, New York, and

neg: Grant Roberts 27, 2000, with the Mets holding a slight lead in the National League wild card race, Roberts made his major league debut with a terrible start against the Montreal Expos, getting knocked out in the second inning. After what turned out to be the only start of his major league career, Roberts was sent back to the minors until September. When he returned, the Mets were comfortably in the wild card lead and Roberts was in the bullpen for three appearances, highlighted by a four-inning one-hit performance on the last day of the season. Roberts did not pitch in the

neg: Games behind race. It included all teams from a league, with the exception of the division leaders, and games behind was calculated with respect to the team with the highest standing in the wild card race. In the 2012 MLB season, both leagues add a second wild card team. Now, games behind in the wild card race is calculated with respect to the team with "second highest" standing in the wild card race. MLB's website distinguishes this statistic as "wild card games behind", abbreviated WCGB. Assuming that teams are not tied for first place in the wild card race, this results in

neg: 2018 National League Wild Card Game Card Game to require any tiebreaker game, as the only other Wild Card Game to require a tiebreaker was the 2013 AL Wild Card Game. The Cubs and Rockies became the first teams in MLB history to lose tiebreaker games at the end of the regular season yet still enter postseason play, as they played in the first divisional tie-breaker games needed since MLB's addition of a second Wild Card team in 2012. The Cubs entered the Wild Card Game with a record of 95–68, while the Rockies entered at 91–72. They met six times during the regular season with

neg: Major League Baseball postseason St. Louis Cardinals received each when the team won the World Series in 2006. Major League Baseball postseason The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the MLB regular season. As of 2012, the playoffs for each league—American and National—consist of a one-game wild-card playoff between two wild card teams, two best-of-five Division Series (LDS) featuring the wild-card winner and the winner of each division, and finally the best-of-seven League Championship Series (LCS). The winners of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) play each other in the

neg: Masters (snooker) round was still completed on Wednesday. In 2007 all three wild-card matches were played on the first Sunday so that the last-16 round did not start until Monday. There were a total of 43 wild-card matches. In 19 of these matches the seeded player played the winner of the Qualifying Event. In the remaining 24 matches the seed played a selected wild-card. The players selected as wild-card were Jimmy White (5), Ding Junhui (3), Steve Davis (2), Marco Fu (2), James Wattana (2), Ken Doherty, Peter Ebdon, Andy Hicks, Alex Higgins, John Higgins, Paul Hunter, Stephen Maguire, Ian McCulloch, Ricky

neg: Kansas City Royals but then had only one winning season from 1995 to 2012. For 28 consecutive seasons (1986–2013), the Royals did not qualify to play in the MLB postseason, one of the longest postseason droughts during baseball's current wild-card era. The team broke this streak in 2014 by securing the franchise's first wild card berth and advancing to the World Series. The Royals followed this up by winning the team's first Central Division title in 2015 and defeating the New York Mets for their first World Series title in 30 years. The Royals began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. In

neg: 2016 National League Wild Card Game a 3−0 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Bumgarner returned to the mound and set down the Mets in order for a complete game shutout. Exactly as he had done in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game, Bumgarner had tossed a four-hit shutout to send the Giants to the NLDS. 2016 National League Wild Card Game The 2016 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. As both teams finished with

neg: 2012 National League Wild Card Game 2012 National League Wild Card Game The 2012 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2012 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. It was held at Turner Field in Atlanta, on October 5, 2012, at 5:07 p.m. EDT. The Cardinals won by a 6–3 score and advanced to play the Washington Nationals in the NL Division Series. In addition to being the inaugural NL Wild Card Game, it is notable for being the final game of Chipper Jones's career, as

neg: 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 regular season, played between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays to determine the second participant in the 2013 American League (AL) Wild Card Game. It was played at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on September 30, 2013. The Rays defeated the Rangers, 5–2, and advanced to the AL Wild Card Game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field, which they won 4–0; the Rangers failed to qualify for the postseason. The tie-breaker game was

neg: One-game playoff the four-man crews of the regular season). Also, television broadcasting rights for all are negotiated by MLB - since 2012, the network owning the rights to the Wild Card Game for a particular league has also had the rights to any tiebreaker(s) that might occur in that league. Current MLB scheduling practices stipulate a break of at least one day between the scheduled end of the regular season and the start of the postseason. The schedule is designed to maximize the probability that tiebreakers can take place on the day after the scheduled end of the regular season with no

neg: 2008 Indianapolis Colts season 2008 Indianapolis Colts season The 2008 Indianapolis Colts season was the 56th season for the team in the National Football League and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not win the AFC South title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season Peyton Manning led the Colts to a nine-game winning streak, a 12–4 record, and a wild card berth in the playoffs. The Colts' season came to an end in San Diego when they were upset in their wild-card round playoff game against the Chargers. The 2008 season was the

neg: 2008 Indianapolis Colts season season would end with an overall record of 12–5. 2008 Indianapolis Colts season The 2008 Indianapolis Colts season was the 56th season for the team in the National Football League and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not win the AFC South title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season Peyton Manning led the Colts to a nine-game winning streak, a 12–4 record, and a wild card berth in the playoffs. The Colts' season came to an end in San Diego when they were upset in their wild-card round playoff

neg: 2018 National League Wild Card Game 2018 National League Wild Card Game The 2018 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's 2018 postseason between the National League's two wild card teams, the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs earned home field advantage by virtue of having a better regular season record. The game occurred on October 2, 2018, with the Rockies victorious by a score of 2–1 in 13 innings—the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history. The Rockies advanced to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. For sponsorship reasons with Hankook Tire the game

neg: 2014 American League Wild Card Game 2014 American League Wild Card Game The 2014 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild card teams, the Oakland Athletics and the Kansas City Royals. It was held on September 30, 2014. The Royals won by a score of 9–8 in 12 innings, and advanced to play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2014 American League Division Series. This was the second postseason meeting between the Athletics and Royals, having first met in the 1981 ALDS (Athletics won 3–0). The 12-inning

neg: 2014 American League Wild Card Game it sweeter for Royals fans was their bitter feelings towards the Athletics, who played in Kansas City from 1955-67 before owner Charles O. Finley moved the franchise to California. It was the Royals' first playoff game in 29 years. 2014 American League Wild Card Game The 2014 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild card teams, the Oakland Athletics and the Kansas City Royals. It was held on September 30, 2014. The Royals won by a score of 9–8 in 12 innings, and

neg: 2017 National League Wild Card Game game as the Diamondbacks advanced to the NLDS. 2017 National League Wild Card Game The 2017 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2017 postseason that was played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. The game was televised nationally by TBS. The game took place on October 4 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. with the Diamondbacks winning 11–8, thus eliminating the Rockies from the postseason and advancing the Diamondbacks to the NL Division Series (NLDS) in which they lost to the Los

neg: 2017 National League Wild Card Game 2017 National League Wild Card Game The 2017 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2017 postseason that was played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. The game was televised nationally by TBS. The game took place on October 4 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. with the Diamondbacks winning 11–8, thus eliminating the Rockies from the postseason and advancing the Diamondbacks to the NL Division Series (NLDS) in which they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3–0. This was Arizona's first playoff

neg: 2015 American League Wild Card Game 2015 American League Wild Card Game The 2015 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild card teams, the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. It was held at Yankee Stadium on October 6, 2015. The Astros defeated the Yankees, 3–0. It was the Astros' first playoff win since Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS and their first ever victory in a winner-take-all postseason game. With the Yankees eliminated, all four remaining teams in the 2015 ALDS were expansion teams. The Yankees clinched

neg: 2013 National League Wild Card Game 2013 National League Wild Card Game The 2013 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 2013. The Pirates won by a 6–2 score and advanced to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series. The game was televised on TBS, and was also broadcast on ESPN Radio. The game marked the first postseason appearance by the Pirates since 1992 and

neg: 2014 National League Wild Card Game in 2002. 2014 National League Wild Card Game The 2014 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 2014, starting at 8:07 p.m. EDT. After both teams finished the regular season with identical records of 88–74, the Pirates were awarded home field for the game, as they won the season series against the Giants, four games to two. Despite this advantage, the

neg: Major League Baseball Wild Card Game From 1995 to 1997 the matchups for the division series were determined by annual rotation between the west, central and east divisions. Nineteen of the thirty MLB franchises have appeared in a Wild Card Game. The New York Yankees of the American League and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League have appeared in a record three games. The San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees have won the most Wild Card Games with two each. The addition of a second wild-card team to each league was completed for multiple reasons: With the adoption of MLB's new collective bargaining

neg: 2013 American League Wild Card Game 2013 American League Wild Card Game The 2013 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild card teams, the Cleveland Indians and the Tampa Bay Rays (the latter winners of a one-game tie-breaker against the Texas Rangers). It was held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 2, 2013. The Rays won by a 4–0 score and advanced to the AL Division Series to face the Boston Red Sox, who went on to become the World Series champion of that year. The game

neg: 2014 National League Wild Card Game 2014 National League Wild Card Game The 2014 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 2014, starting at 8:07 p.m. EDT. After both teams finished the regular season with identical records of 88–74, the Pirates were awarded home field for the game, as they won the season series against the Giants, four games to two. Despite this advantage, the Giants won

neg: 2013 American League Wild Card Game Chicago Cubs, winning 4-3. 2013 American League Wild Card Game The 2013 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild card teams, the Cleveland Indians and the Tampa Bay Rays (the latter winners of a one-game tie-breaker against the Texas Rangers). It was held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 2, 2013. The Rays won by a 4–0 score and advanced to the AL Division Series to face the Boston Red Sox, who went on to become the World Series champion of

neg: 2012 American League Wild Card Game and sacrifice bunt by Manny Machado. The Oriole relievers would prove enough to take care of the Rangers lineup the rest of the way. The Orioles scored two insurance runs off of Joe Nathan in the final frame on a leadoff double by Robert Andino, RBI single by Machado, and sacrifice fly McLouth to seal a 5–1 victory. 2012 American League Wild Card Game The 2012 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2012 postseason played between the American League's (AL) two wild-card teams, the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. It was

neg: American League Central sitting atop the wild-card standings and would have qualified for the postseason as the AL's first wild card but on August 12 of that year, the season came to an early end due to a players strike, cancelling the remainder of the regular season and postseason. The 2006 Detroit Tigers were the first team from the Central to qualify as the wild card. MLB revamped the postseason starting in 2012, creating a new single-game playoff where two wildcards competed against each other while the division winners each received a bye. The winner of the American League wild card game moves

neg: Wild card (sports) did not win either the previous year's tournament or their respective provincial or territorial championship. The top ranked of these two teams receives the hammer (last rock) to start the game. The CTRS standings are also used to determine the seeding of all teams in the main tournament, with one important caveat - for the purposes of seeding the round robin pools and so as to allow the main round robin schedule to be drawn up prior to the Wild Card game, the ranking of the top Wild Card team is the ranking that is used for seeding purposes regardless

neg: 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game clinched the team's fourth post-season berth in franchise history. The Rays played the Cleveland Indians in the American League Wild Card Game and advanced to the American League Division Series (ALDS) with a 4-0 win. However, the Rays lost to the eventual World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, 3 games to 1. 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 regular season, played between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays to determine the second participant in the 2013

neg: 1998 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game 1998 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 1998 National League wild-card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 regular season, played between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants to determine the winner of the National League (NL) wild card. The game took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, on September 28, 1998. The Cubs won the game 5–3, holding the Giants scoreless for the majority of the game until the Giants threatened heavily in the ninth inning and scored all three of their runs. As a result of the game, the Cubs qualified

neg: 2007 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game 2007 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 2007 National League wild-card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2007 regular season, played between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies of the National League's (NL) West Division to determine the NL wild card. It was played at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on October 1, 2007. The Rockies won the game 9–8 in thirteen innings on a controversial play at home plate. The game was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 89–73. The Rockies won a coin flip late

neg: 1998 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game Sammy Sosa were given during their record chase. As a result, according to "Game of Shadows", Bonds turned to weight training under Greg Anderson who began providing him with steroids and other PEDs following the 1998 season. 1998 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game The 1998 National League wild-card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 regular season, played between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants to determine the winner of the National League (NL) wild card. The game took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, on September 28, 1998. The Cubs won the

neg: One-game playoff title would be settled first, with the loser of that game then contesting a tiebreaker for the wild card berth. There have been several occasions where such scenarios were possible as late as the last game of the season, but it has not yet happened. To provide some additional flexibility in case of make-up games and/or complicated playoff scenarios, an additional break of one day is always scheduled between the wild card game and the start of the Division Series in each league. Starting in 2012, with the Wild Card game between the top two teams who did not win

neg: Milton Bradley (baseball) then moved towards Winters. While restrained by Black, Bradley fell to the ground and injured himself. He missed the final week of the regular season in 2007, during which the Padres lost to the Colorado Rockies in a one game playoff for the National League wild card on October 1. Winters was suspended for the remainder of the season and also spent the postseason on the restricted list for the incident, after MLB determined that he had indeed directed obscene language toward Bradley. Bradley was not suspended, MLB finding no need for such discipline since he did not make physical

neg: Mike Coolbaugh League president Tom Kayser declared the game would be considered a complete game. The Drillers and Travelers both postponed their game scheduled the following night. After clinching the National League Wild Card playoff berth during the 2007 Major League Baseball season, the Colorado Rockies announced that the players voted to award Coolbaugh's widow, Amanda, a full share of their playoff winnings. Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said, "when I heard about what the players did, I almost cried." As the Rockies made it to the World Series, her share ended up being $233,505.18. On November 8, 2007, MLB general managers

neg: Babe Ruth Award older than the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, which was not created until 1955 (as the "SPORT Magazine Award"), the Babe Ruth Award is considered less prestigious, because it is not sanctioned by MLB and is awarded several weeks after the World Series. MLB expanded its postseason to include the League Championship Series (LCS) in 1969, the League Division Series (LDS) in 1995, and the Wild Card round in 2012. The Wild Card round is a one-game playoff, the LDS follows a best-of-five playoff format, and the LCS and World Series follow a best-of-seven playoff format. The most recent

neg: American League East the best record in the division earns one of the American League's five playoff spots. The most recent team to win this division was the Boston Red Sox in 2018. Writers have posted that the American League East is the toughest division in MLB; during its 46-year existence, an East division team has gone on to play in the World Series 25 times, and 14 of those teams have been crowned World Series champions. Since the season when the wild-card playoff berth was introduced, the AL East has produced the wild-card team for the American League in 13 out of

neg: Matt Holliday His September totals included a .367 batting average, 29 R, six doubles, 12 HR, 30 RBI, and .796 slugging percentage, prompting MLB to award him NL Player of the Month honors as the Rockies won 13 of their 14 final scheduled games. He garnered copious attention for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award throughout the season, which increased even more that September. The Rockies and Padres finished the scheduled portion of their regular seasons tied for the NL wild card position with identical 89–73 records, for which MLB declared a one-game extension to the regular season to determine the wild-card

neg: Atlanta Braves pitcher starts (total of 23). Atlanta stayed close to the Washington Nationals in the race to win the National League East title. They also stayed on top of the National League Wild Card race. Washington ended up winning their first division title in franchise history, but the Braves remained in first place of the NL wild card race. Keeping with a new MLB rule for the 2012 season, the top two wild card teams in each league must play each other in a playoff game before entering into the Division Series. The Braves played the St. Louis Cardinals in the

neg: Brian Holloway became the starting left offensive tackle , next to guard John Hannah, and missed only one start up to the end of the 1986 NFL season. In the 1982-83 NFL playoffs, the Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins in a wild-card game. They did not make the playoffs in 1983 and 1984 but did so in 1985. After beating the New York Jets in a wild-card game of the 1985-86 NFL playoffs, the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Raiders on the road in the divisional round with a strong running game, amassing 156 yards, 104 by running back Craig James

neg: 2016 American League Wild Card Game the Rangers for the second consecutive time in the postseason; their first meeting was in the previous year's American League Division Series. Encarnación became only the fourth player to end a winner-take-all postseason game (that is, a game in which one team or the other was sure to be eliminated) with a walk-off home run, joining Bill Mazeroski (1960 World Series), Chris Chambliss (1976 ALCS) and Aaron Boone (2003 ALCS). 2016 American League Wild Card Game The 2016 American League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 postseason played between the American League's (AL)

neg: 2012 National League Wild Card Game call had been the correct one. In the bottom of the ninth inning, batting against Cardinals closer Jason Motte, Chipper Jones reached first base on an infield single in his final Major League at-bat. Freddie Freeman hit a ground rule double, bringing Dan Uggla to bat as the potential tying run. Motte retired Uggla with a groundout to record the save, then both teams rushed off the field after fans resumed throwing debris. 2012 National League Wild Card Game The 2012 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2012 postseason played between the

neg: Major League Baseball wild card per league and put each league's wild-card teams against each other in a play-in game—the MLB Wild Card Game—the winner of which would then advance to the Division Series and play the team with the best record. This system ensures that the team with the second-best record in each league, after the three division winners and the team with the first-best record in the league that is a non-division winner, will also get a postseason berth, even if it isn't a division champion. From 1969 through 1993, division leaders in each league advanced to the League Championship Series, with the

neg: Major League Baseball postseason Major League Baseball postseason The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the MLB regular season. As of 2012, the playoffs for each league—American and National—consist of a one-game wild-card playoff between two wild card teams, two best-of-five Division Series (LDS) featuring the wild-card winner and the winner of each division, and finally the best-of-seven League Championship Series (LCS). The winners of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) play each other in the best-of-seven World Series. Major League Baseball is the oldest of America's major professional sports

neg: Wild card (sports) decline to or are unable to defend their title, the runners-up) and teams representing all fourteen constituent associations representing the ten provinces and three territories plus Northern Ontario. The remaining two participants in the tournament are the Wild Cards, which compete in an MLB-style play-in game prior to the main tournament to determine the sixteenth team in the main tournament. Just as is the case with MLB division titles, the format is designed to give teams an incentive to win their provincial championships. The Wild Cards are the top two teams in the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) standings that

neg: Wild card (sports) division to each conference. The league decided not to change the number of playoff teams, and thus the number of wild card qualifiers was reduced to two per conference, with the two lowest ranked divisional winners not receiving byes. The term "Wild Card Round" continues to be used for the opening weekend of NFL playoffs, even though that weekend has involved both wild card and non-wild card teams since 1990. As of the start of the 2018 season, there has never been a meeting of two wild card teams in either conference's championship game or in the Super Bowl. By

neg: Mark Wegner Mark Wegner Mark Patrick Wegner (born March 4, 1972) is a Major League Baseball umpire. He worked in the National League from 1998 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He was promoted to Crew Chief for the 2018 MLB season when Dale Scott retired after the 2017 MLB season. Wegner has umpired in seven Division Series (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013), five League Championship Series (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018), and two World Baseball Classics (2009, 2013). He also officiated in the 2008 All-Star Game, the 2014 and 2018 National League Wild Card Games, and

neg: Kazuo Uzuki Japan into professional baseball in the United States. The Uzuki rookie card was found in one out of every 72 packs of cards. When the card was released, people did not know that it was a joke and the card was trading for around $10–$15 on eBay. It was even the "card of the day" when it was released. Also, the card said that an MLB scout called him the best pitching prospect in 30 years and he is getting a astronomical deal. Also, the card says he threw 17 strikeouts in 7 innings at a WBC squad trial. Kazuo

neg: 2018 MLB Little League Classic of the wild card. The game was widely publicized for its playoff implications. The game was aired nationally on ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball" and MLB Network. It was aired in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. The game was broadcast on ESPN Radio and Westwood One. It was streamed world-wide on ESPN.com and the ESPN app, as well as multiple streaming-based websites such as Hulu. 2018 MLB Little League Classic The 2018 MLB Little League Classic was a regular season Major League Baseball (MLB) game that was played on August 19, 2018, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, during the 2018 MLB season and the

neg: Opener (baseball) the Athletics used the opener strategy in September (with Liam Hendriks serving as opener in eight of those games), they posted a win-loss record of 4–5 and a 1.86 ERA. The Athletics also chose to use Hendriks as the opener in the 2018 American League Wild Card Game. In the 2018 National League Championship Series, the Milwaukee Brewers used starter Wade Miley as an opener in Game 5. He pitched to only one batter before being replaced, becoming just the second pitcher in MLB playoff history to start a game and face only one batter. One advantage of the strategy

neg: Liam Hendriks in 53 appearances. In 2017, he pitched 64 innings in 70 appearances with a 4–2 record and 4.22 ERA. Hendriks was designated for assignment on 25 June 2018, and sent outright to Triple-A Nashville. He was called up to the major league club on 1 September 2018. During the regular season, Hendriks appeared in 25 games with Oakland, pitching 24 innings with a 0–1 record and 4.13 ERA. The Athletics will use Hendriks as their opener in the 2018 American League Wild Card Game. Hendriks is the first Australian born player to ever start an MLB postseason game. Hendriks pitched

neg: 2015 Toronto Blue Jays season innings and striking out 11, which tied a franchise record for strikeouts in a Blue Jays debut. Before the game on August 4, it was announced that John Gibbons had been suspended 1 game for returning to the field on August 2 after being ejected. Aaron Sanchez was suspended 3 games, as MLB determined he had intentionally hit Alcides Escobar with a pitch. The Blue Jays would take sole possession of the second Wild Card spot with a 3–1 win that night, aided by another strong start from Marco Estrada. In the third game of the series, Jose Bautista hit

neg: History of the Pittsburgh Pirates Liriano but his arrival to the team was delayed by a broken non-throwing arm. The Pirates entered the 2013 MLB All Star Game with a record of 56-37 and had sent four all stars (Andrew McCutchen, Jason Grilli, Pedro Álvarez, and Jeff Locke). The Pirates finished the season 94-68 and clinched a wild card berth. They eventually were eliminated by the NL champion St. Louis Cardinals. McCutchen received the NL MVP and Pedro Alvarez was tied for the NL Leader in home runs. The 2011 season had a promising start, as the Pirates were above .500 at the All-Star Break

neg: History of the Colorado Rockies History of the Colorado Rockies The History of the Colorado Rockies began in 1991 when a Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion franchise for Denver, Colorado was granted to an ownership group headed by John Antonucci. In 1993, the Colorado Rockies started play in the National League (NL) West division. Since that date, the Rockies have reached the MLB postseason four times, each time as the National League wild card team. Twice (1995 and 2009) they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In 2007, the Rockies advanced all the way to the World Series, only to be swept

neg: History of the Colorado Rockies day, with all three home games selling out within two and a half hours. History of the Colorado Rockies The History of the Colorado Rockies began in 1991 when a Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion franchise for Denver, Colorado was granted to an ownership group headed by John Antonucci. In 1993, the Colorado Rockies started play in the National League (NL) West division. Since that date, the Rockies have reached the MLB postseason four times, each time as the National League wild card team. Twice (1995 and 2009) they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In 2007,

neg: Joe Girardi he joined MLB Network as an analyst. After the 2005 regular season, Girardi was named the manager of the Marlins, replacing manager Jack McKeon. His first notable action as manager was to prohibit facial hair, a policy similar to that of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The team had a 78–84 record with Girardi as manager, and was in wild-card contention even though the team had the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball. At $15 million, the Marlins' 2006 payroll was lower than the salaries of several MLB players. However, Girardi was nearly fired in early August when he got into

neg: 2010 Atlanta Braves season of 2–3, the Giants eliminated the Braves from the postseason, winning the series three games to one. This game was the last Major League game ever managed by long-time Braves manager Bobby Cox. All-Star MLB Player of the Month MLB Pitcher of the Month MLB Rookie of the Month MLB Player of the Week MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award As National League Wild Card winner, the Braves faced the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 National League Division Series. It was the first postseason appearance for the Braves since the 2005 team was eliminated after four games in

neg: Jim Plunkett Kansas City Chiefs. The 32-year-old Plunkett came off the bench to relieve Pastorini, throwing five interceptions in a 31-17 loss. The Raiders, however, believing that Marc Wilson did not have the experience they wanted, called on Plunkett to start for the remainder of the year. In his first game as a starter, he completed eleven of fourteen passes with a touchdown and no interceptions. Plunkett guided Oakland to nine victories in eleven games and a playoff berth as a wild card. Plunkett led the Raiders to four playoff victories, including the first-ever victory by a wild card team in the

neg: 1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game by Alfonzo. Graves remained in the game until Mark Lewis pinch hit for him in the eighth and Dennys Reyes relieved him in the ninth. Graves and Reyes held the score steady after the sixth but the Reds' offense did not score against Al Leiter and the Mets won the game, and with it the Wild Card, 5–0. Al Leiter pitched a complete game shutout, scattering two hits and four walks across the nine inning start. This was Leiter's first complete game of the season. Pokey Reese was the only Reds player to reach scoring position for the entire game,

neg: 2011 Atlanta Braves season Wild Card standings with just one scheduled game to play, this time with the St. Louis Cardinals. Taking on the Houston Astros in Houston on the final day, the Cardinals shutout their opponent 8–0 on a Chris Carpenter gem. Meanwhile, the Braves faced the Philadelphia Phillies at home to conclude their schedule. Despite a solid start by veteran Tim Hudson, the Braves fell to the Phillies 3–4 in thirteen innings, officially eliminating the team from playoff contention. It was the first time since June 8 that the Braves did not possess a portion of first place in the Wild Card

neg: 1999 National League Championship Series However, the Mets swept their season-ending three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at Shea Stadium, while the wild-card-leading Cincinnati Reds lost two out of three to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets and Reds had the same record at 95–66 heading into an eventful final day of the season. That Sunday saw the Mets win their game, 2–1, on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth; the Reds avoided the sweep in Milwaukee following a seven-hour rain delay. Both teams finished even with records of 96–66 after 162 games. Per MLB rules, the one game wild card playoff was

neg: 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 86–76. The Twins, who had won the regular season series against the Tigers, 11 games to 7, were thus awarded home field due to a rules change prior to the 2009 season. It was the third tie-breaker played in MLB from 2007–2009. It was also the second consecutive tiebreaker for the AL Central title after 2008, when the Chicago White Sox defeated the Twins to win the division. The Twins became the first (and, as of 2018, only) MLB team to contest tie-breaker games of any sort (divisional and/or wild card)

neg: Wild Card (lottery) The final drawing for "Wild Card" was on February 24, 2016. Wild Card (lottery) Wild Card (for part of its history Wild Card 2) was a lottery game that was available in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, although at no point did the five lotteries offer it simultaneously. The game was administered by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which is best known for Mega Millions and Powerball. "Wild Card (2)" was drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays until February 24, 2016. The original version of the game began in 1998; it was known as "Wild Card", and lasted 15

neg: 1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft Series in their fourth year of existence) and were the first wild card team to win the World Series. 1992 Major League Baseball expansion draft On November 17, 1992, during the 1992–93 offseason, Major League Baseball (MLB) held an expansion draft in New York City to allow two expansion teams, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, to build their rosters prior to debuting in the National League's (NL) East and the West divisions, respectively, in the 1993 MLB season. The 1990 collective bargaining agreement between MLB owners and the MLB Players Association allowed the NL to expand by two members

neg: 2008 ISSF World Cup Final (rifle and pistol) equalling or raising it. Tamas did not participate and was replaced by Valérian Sauveplane. Bindra did not participate. Tan did not participate. Alifirenko, Pupo and Raicea did not participate and were replaced by Cha Sang-jun, Alexey Klimov and Taras Magmet. Emmons did not participate. In addition, Thanyalak Chotphibunsin entered as the host country's wild card. Emmons and Lechner did not participate, and were replaced by Beate Gauss. In addition, Thanyalak Chotphibunsin entered as the host country's wild card. Kolly did not participate. In addition, Tanyaporn Prucksakorn entered as the host country's wild card. Paderina, Kolly and Csonka did not participate

neg: Giancarlo Stanton off Francisco Liriano, becoming the 147th player in MLB history to do so. Stanton played 158 games in 2018, finishing the year with a .266 batting average, 38 home runs, 34 doubles, and 100 RBI. He also struck out 211 times, breaking the Yankees record previously set by Aaron Judge. He hit the ball with the highest exit velocity of the season in the major leagues, which was 121.7 miles per hour. With the Yankees finishing the 2018 year 100-62, the team clinched a wild card spot. In the 2018 AL Wild Card round against the Oakland Athletics, Stanton hit

neg: Jason Heyward 23, he hit his first career grand slam. Through the end of August, the Braves were the NL wild card leader. However, the Cardinals overcame a -game deficit for the wild card position by winning 20 of their final 28 to eliminate the Braves from the playoffs on the final day, consummating one of the epic late-season collapses in MLB history. After battling a shoulder injury from the beginning of the season, Heyward's overall performance dropped off from his rookie season. His batting average dropped 50 points to .227; his other contributions, also in decline, included 14 HR, 42 RBI,

neg: 2009 Tampa Bay Rays season Yankees for the division lead by 11½ games, but were still within reach of the wild card, trailing the Boston Red Sox by only 5 games. When rosters expanded on the first day of September, the Rays called up four players. Relief pitcher Jeff Bennett, outfielder Fernando Perez, catcher Shawn Riggans, and starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, with Sonnanstine scheduled to start for the Rays that night. The Rays were struggling to keep up in the wild card race, but took a blow to their lineup on September 7 when Carlos Peña, who was leading the American League in home runs,

neg: Wild Card (lottery) Wild Card (lottery) Wild Card (for part of its history Wild Card 2) was a lottery game that was available in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, although at no point did the five lotteries offer it simultaneously. The game was administered by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which is best known for Mega Millions and Powerball. "Wild Card (2)" was drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays until February 24, 2016. The original version of the game began in 1998; it was known as "Wild Card", and lasted 15 months; it was played in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

neg: Phase 10 only another player playing a Skip or the floater drawing a Skip will keep the hand going, and only four exist in the deck. If the dealer turns over a wild card at the beginning of the hand to start the discard pile, the dealer gets to decide who gets the wild card, instead of it automatically going to the player to the left of the dealer. The recipient of the wild card will choose a card from their hand to discard (the card cannot be a Skip), and then play continues with the player to the left of the

neg: Top Card on it. The champion picked one and revealed the prize to the audience. Eight of the nine squares on the board now featured smaller prizes, with each having a certain value displayed and a hidden card behind them. The Wild Card space hid a mystery prize and did not have a value on it, but if the contestant chose it at any point the remaining bankroll was exhausted. A joker was also placed on the board, which the champion was trying to avoid uncovering. Five cards were drawn from the top of the oversized deck to start the round. The

neg: Kris Bryant 130 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. Bryant struck out 199 times, which led the National League and set a new rookie record. According to sales on Major League Baseball's official website, Bryant had the best-selling jersey in all of baseball during the 2015 regular season. With the Cubs finishing the season, 97–65, the team clinched a Wild Card spot in the MLB postseason, their first playoff berth in seven years. Despite Bryant not having any hits in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game, the Cubs shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–0, and advanced to the 2015 National

neg: 2018 National League Central tie-breaker game best record in the NL. They swept the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 National League Division Series, and advanced to the 2018 National League Championship Series. They then lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. With the loss, the Cubs finished the season as the top Wild Card. They lost to the Rockies in the Wild Card Game on October 2. 2018 National League Central tie-breaker game The 2018 National League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2018 regular season, played between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs to determine the champion

neg: 2014 Oakland Athletics season Callaspo scored Josh Reddick on a single to left field, which put the Athletics up 8-7. In the bottom of the 12th Kansas city rallied back, and tied the game on an infield single, and later won the game in walk-off fashion on a Salvador Pérez single down the 3rd base line. The 2014 AL Wild Card playoff game became the longest game in the history of the MLB wild card. The Royals would later continue their hot streak, and found themselves in the 2014 World Series, where they later lost to the San Francisco Giants. The following players represented

neg: Seed (sports) until 2011 in MLB there was a rule where at the conference or league semifinal, should the top seed and last seed (wild card) be from the same division, they may not play each other; in that case, the top seed plays the worst division champion; the second-best division champion plays the wild card team. In international fencing competitions, it is common to have a group stage. Participants are divided in groups of 6–7 fencers who play a round-robin tournament, and a ranking is calculated from the consolidated group results. Single elimination is seeded from this ranking. Seed (sports) A

neg: Yadier Molina he became the fourth catcher in Cardinals history to reach that milestone, following Simmons, Bob O'Farrell and Walker Cooper. St. Louis won 20 of 28 games to finish the season, allowing them to tie the Braves for the wild card lead going into the final day. Molina caught Carpenter's 8–0 shutout of the Astros, the final game of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Philles defeated the Braves 4–3 in 13 innings, giving the Cardinals the wild card title and eliminating the Braves from the playoffs. The games-won deficit marked the largest lead surrendered with 28 left to play in MLB

neg: 2018 New York Yankees season This will be the Yankees third postseason appearance in five years, all of which will begin with the Wild Card Game. On September 28, with a win over the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees clinched home field advantage and will face the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card Game. The next day, with a 4th inning two-run home run by Gleyber Torres, the Yankees broke single season home run record set by the 1997 Seattle Mariners with 265 home runs (a game later 267). Also, the Yankees became the first team in MLB history to have at least 20

neg: One-game playoff season game and therefore be a half game behind in the standings. However, if a team in such a scenario were to lose a divisional tiebreaker and then win a tiebreaker for the second wild card, it would actually finish a half game behind the division winner and a half game ahead of third place in the wild card standings. Avoiding any confusion with the term "Playoffs" as the oft-used but unofficial name of MLB's post-season tournament, the term "Tiebreaker" is MLB's preferred term for a one-game playoff. Through the 2013 MLB season, there have been 14 occasions where a

neg: 2005 Los Angeles Angels season at Angel Stadium and still think that Doug Eddings suffers from "Dumbass Umpire Syndrome". Note: Major League Baseball's playoff format automatically seeds the Wild Card team 4th. Normally, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed in the Division Series. However, MLB does not allow the No. 1 seed to play the 4th seed/Wild Card winner in the Division Series if they are from the same division, instead having the No. 1 seed play the next lowest seed, the No. 3 seed. 2005 Los Angeles Angels season The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2005 season was the franchise's 45th

neg: American League Division Series second-best record, and the remaining two division leaders played each other. Beginning with the 2012 season, the wild card team that advances to the Division Series was to face the number 1 seed, regardless of whether or not they are in the same division. The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS. Home field advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record (or head-to-head record if there is a tie between two or more teams), except for the wild card team, which never receives the home field advantage. Beginning in 2003, MLB has implemented a

neg: 2009 Major League Baseball season the Wild Card team 4th. Normally, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed in the Division Series. However, MLB does not allow the No. 1 seed to play the 4th seed/Wild Card winner in the Division Series if they are from the same division, instead having the No. 1 seed play the next lowest seed, the No. 3 seed. The Seattle Mariners named Milwaukee Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik its new general manager on October 22, replacing interim GM Lee Pelekoudas. Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden resigned on March 1 amid allegations that he was skimming bonus money

neg: 2002 Anaheim Angels season only World Series MVP from a losing team.) Note: Major League Baseball's playoff format automatically seeds the Wild Card team 4th. Normally, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed in the Division Series. However, MLB does not allow the No. 1 seed to play the 4th seed/Wild Card winner in the Division Series if they are from the same division, instead having the No. 1 seed play the next lowest seed, the No. 3 seed. 2002 Anaheim Angels Troy Glaus Adam Kennedy Tim Salmon Garret Anderson Darin Erstad Bengie Molina Mike Scioscia Outfielders Coaches Local TV Local Cable

neg: American League East Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays finished the season with the identical records of 91–71. A one-game playoff was held and the Rays won it 5–2 over the Rangers to capture the second Wild Card berth. <nowiki>***</nowiki> In , the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles finished the season with the identical records of 89–73. However, the Blue Jays won the right to host the Wild Card Game by virtue of their 10–9 regular season record against the Orioles. American League East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s six divisions (An East, Central, and

neg: 2001 Oakland Athletics season their final 33 games. The Athletics' maligned rotation returned to form; over their final games, Zito, Mulder, Hudson, and Lidle went a combined 48-10. On July 25, the Athletics acquired slugger Jermaine Dye from the Kansas City Royals for prospects; this move further energized the already-surging squad. The Athletics ultimately weren't able to catch up with Seattle (which won an AL-record 116 games), but their remarkable run allowed them to clinch the AL's Wild Card. The Athletics' 102 wins remain the most by a Wild Card team in MLB history. The Athletics faced the New York Yankees (the three-time defending