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MLB unveils 2021 postseason schedule. NL wild card game is October 6

Get ready for a lot of TBS games in October

American League Championship Series Game 2: Tampa Bay Rays v. Houston Astros Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Dodgers enter Wednesday with a 100-percent chance to make the playoffs per both Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs, so the only question is whether they will start their 2021 postseason on Wednesday, October 6 or Friday, October 8.

Major League Baseball announced its 2021 postseason schedule on Wednesday, which includes the National League wild card game on October 6. Both NL Division Series start two days later, on October 8. The entirety of the National League playoffs will be televised by TBS.

The Dodgers own the second-best record in baseball entering Wednesday at 79-47, but the team ahead of them, the 81-44 Giants, leads the National League West by 2½ games. Should these positions hold over the next five-plus weeks, the Dodgers would play in the wild card game for the first time ever, needing to win a play-in game to reach what would be a ninth straight NLDS.

The regular season ends on Sunday, October 3. The Dodgers are home for the final week of the season, hosting the Padres and Brewers. Los Angeles currently has a 10½-game lead over the Reds, currently in second wild card position, with San Diego a game behind Cincinnati. The wild card team with the best record hosts the wild card game.

The American League wild card comes first, an ESPN game on Tuesday, October 5, with both AL Division Series starting on Thursday, October 7.

The NLCS starts on Saturday, October 16, with Game 7 set for Sunday, October 24. The ALCS runs from Friday, October 15 to Saturday, October 23 if it goes the distance. The World Series, which will be televised by Fox, starts on Tuesday, October 26, with Game 7 scheduled for Wednesday, November 3.

2021 postseason schedule

AL wild card game: Tuesday, October 5 (ESPN)
NL wild card game: Wednesday, October 6 (TBS)

ALDS: October 7-13 (FS1/MLB Network)
NLDS: October 8-14 (TBS)

2021 National League Division Series schedule

Game Date TV
Game Date TV
1 Fri, Oct 8 TBS
2 Sat, Oct 9 TBS
3 Mon, Oct 11 TBS
4* Tue, Oct 12 TBS
5* Thu, Oct 14 TBS
*if necessary

ALCS: October 15-23 (FS1, Fox)
NLCS: October 16-24 (TBS)

2021 National League Championship Series schedule

Game Date TV
Game Date TV
1 Sat, Oct 16 TBS
2 Sun, Oct 17 TBS
3 Tue, Oct 19 TBS
4 Wed, Oct 20 TBS
5* Thu, Oct 21 TBS
6* Sat, Oct 23 TBS
7* Sun, Oct 24 TBS
*if necessary

World Series: October 26-November 3 (Fox)

2021 World Series schedule

Game Date TV
Game Date TV
1 Tue, Oct 26 Fox
2 Wed, Oct 27 Fox
3 Fri, Oct 29 Fox
4 Sat, Oct 30 Fox
5* Sun, Oct 31 Fox
6* Tue, Nov 2 Fox
7* Wed, Nov 3 Fox
*if necessary