Pair of tiebreak games initiates postseason on Monday

It's playoff time in Major League Baseball with a pair of tiebreak games on Monday launching the month-long chase to World Series honours.

It's playoff time in Major League Baseball with a pair of tiebreak games on Monday launching the month-long chase to World Series honours.

The Milwaukee Brewers will be at the Chicago Cubs after the two tied for the National League Central title and the Colorado Rockies will travel to the Los Angeles Dodgers to decide the National League West championship.

Win or lose, all four teams will play on, either as division champions or National League wild-card teams.

The other four divisions were wrapped up long before Sunday's final day of the regular season, with the Boston Red Sox (East), Cleveland Indians (Central) and Houston Astros (West) claiming American League division titles and the Atlanta Braves winning the National League East.

The title-winning Red Sox, Indians, Astros and Braves will advance to the postseason along with the Brewers, Cubs, Rockies and Dodgers plus the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics, the two American League wild card teams.

Wildcard games on Tuesday (losers of Brewers-Cubs and Rockies-Dodgers games) and Wednesday (Athletics at Yankees) will narrow the field to eight teams, four in each league, as the chase begins in earnest for the World Series crown won in 2017 by the Houston Astros. The best-of-seven National League Division Series will open on Thursday with the pairings to be determined. The American League Division Series will begin the next day with the Yankees-Athletics winner at the Red Sox and the Indians and Astros meeting in Houston. League championship series, which are best of seven affairs, open Oct. 12 in the National League and Oct. 13 in the American League.

Then it is on to the World Series starting Oct. 23.

The schedule:

Monday

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs for National League Central Division title

Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers for National League West Division title

Tuesday

Milwaukee Brewers-Chicago Cubs loser vs Colorado Rockies-Los Angeles Dodgers loser, National League wild-card game

Wednesday

Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees, American League wild-card game

Thursday-Oct 10

Best-of-five National League Division Series

Friday-Oct 11

Best-of-five American League Division Series

Oct 12-20

Best-of-seven National League Championship Series

Oct 13-21

Best-of-seven American League Championship Series

Oct 23-31

Best-of-seven World Series between American and National League champions.

(With inputs from agencies.)