Clayton Kershaw hopes to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series.
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
Thursday night brought a wild start to the divisional round of the MLB playoffs with the St. Louis Cardinals scoring four runs in the ninth to beat the Atlanta Braves. The start of the second National League matchup between the Washington Nationals and league-leading Los Angeles Dodgers was less suspenseful, ending in a 6-0 Dodgers win.
Friday is a new day where the Braves and Nats have a chance to even things up. The best-of-five National League Division Series (NLDS) will be broadcast on TBS starting with the Cards and Braves at 4:37 p.m. ET, followed by the Nationals and Dodgers at 8:37 p.m. ET. Here’s what cord cutters need to know to watch the NLDS and the ALDS games live.
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Who’s in?
The National League division and Wild Card winners are:
After defeating the Brewers, the Nationals take on the league-leading Dodgers in one division series, and the Cards and Braves face off in the other division series.
The American League division and Wild Card winners are:
After knocking out the A’s, the Rays head to Houston to play the league-leading Astros in one division series, and the Twins and Yanks face off in the other division series.
What’s the postseason schedule look like?
Here’s the remaining schedule for the best-of-five NLDS (all times ET):
- Friday, Oct. 4: STL at ATL Game 2, 4:37 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 4: WSH at LAD Game 2, 8:37 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 6: ATL at STL Game 3, 4:10 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 6: LAD at WSH Game 3, 7:45 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 7: LAD at WSH Game 4 (if necessary)
- Monday, Oct. 7: ATL at STL Game 4 (if necessary)
- Wednesday, Oct. 9: WSH at LAD Game 5 (if necessary)
- Wednesday, Oct. 9: STL at ATL Game 5 (if necessary)
The next round, featuring the winners of the four division series, is the League Championship Series. The NLCS begins on Friday, Oct. 11. The ALCS begins on Saturday, Oct. 12.
The World Series begins Tuesday, Oct. 22. If it goes the distance, Game 7 of the World Series will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
How can I watch on TV?
The MLB postseason is broadcast on Fox, FS1 and TBS. Two games of the ALDS will be shown exclusively on MLB Network.
Let’s look at it round by round:
The NLDS is on TBS, and the ALDS is on FS1 and MLB Network.
The NLCS is on TBS, and the ALCS is on Fox or FS1.
The World Series is on Fox.
How can I watch online?
You can livestream games the Fox Sports Go app or Watch TBS app, but you’ll need to authenticate your account to prove you’re a pay TV subscriber.
Cord cutters can watch postseason baseball with a live TV streaming service, but not every service carries every local network (Fox, in this case). See below for links to find out if you can get Fox to watch AL postseason games and the World Series.
YouTube TV costs $50 a month and includes the five channels you need — Fox, FS1, ESPN, TBS and MLB Network — to watch every postseason game. For Fox in your area, get the details about YouTube TV’s available networks here.
PlayStation Vue’s $50-a-month Access plan includes Fox, FS1, TBS and ESPN. The $55-a-month Core plan adds MLB Network. Plug in your zip code here to see if Fox is available in your area.
Hulu with Live TV costs $45 a month and includes Fox, FS1, TBS and ESPN, but not MLB Network. Click the “View all channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see if you get Fox where you live.
AT&T Now TV Now’s basic $50-a-month Plus package includes Fox, FS1, TBS and ESPN. Neither of its plans include MLB Network. Enter your zip code here to see if you can get Fox in your area.
FuboTV costs $55 a month and includes a live feed of Fox in dozens of markets, along with FS1 and TBS, but not ESPN or MLB Network.
Sling TV’s $25-a-month Blue or Orange package includes TBS, and the Orange package includes ESPN. Neither package includes Fox or FS1, but you can add the MLB Network for $10 a month with the Sports Extra add-on package. (Sling TV is currently discounted by 40% for the first month, and a free preview of MLB Network is available until Oct. 12.)
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our massive streaming services guide.
MLB.com At Bat app
The MLB.com At Bat app is great for watching out-of-market baseball games during the regular season, but it’s less useful for tuning into baseball’s postseason, because you must be a subscriber to a participating pay TV provider. The list is short and can be found here. If you’re a subscriber to one of the pay TV providers listed, the Postseason Package will run you $25. To sweeten the deal, the Postseason Package includes spring training games next year.
Over-the-air antenna
If you just want to watch the World Series on Fox, you can do so with an over-the-air digital antenna. We have suggestions for the best indoor antennas that start as low as $10.