What Is The Wild Card Game In Baseball?

The Wild Card game in baseball is a one-game playoff between the two teams with the best records in each league. The winner of the game advances to the League Division Series.

What is the Wild Card Game?

In baseball, the Wild Card Game is a single elimination game played by the two teams with the best record in each league who did not win their division. The winner of the game advance to the next round of the playoffs, while the loser is eliminated.

The Wild Card Game was first introduced in 2012, and is seen as a way to add more excitement to the end of the regular season. It also helps to even out the playing field between teams in different divisions, as it gives teams from weaker divisions a chance to make the playoffs.

Some people see the Wild Card Game as unfair, as it can reward teams with worse records than other teams who did not make the playoffs. Others see it as a fair way to create more excitement and competition at the end of the regular season.

Regardless of your opinion on the matter, the Wild Card Game is here to stay. So if you’re a baseball fan, make sure you tune in to watch some exciting playoff action!

How did the Wild Card Game come to be?

Since baseball expanded to a three-division format in each league in 1994, four teams have qualified for the playoffs in each league. However, from 1994-2011, only the division winner with the best record in each league was given a first-round bye and allowed to advance directly to the League Championship Series.

The other two division winners and the team with the best record among the non-division winners in each league participated in a one-game playoff, called the Wild Card Game. At first, the Wild Card Game was held at the home ballpark of whichever team had the better regular-season record.

In 2012, Major League Baseball changed the format so that the Wild Card Game would be held at a neutral site. The game has been held at Turner Field in Atlanta (2012), Busch Stadium in St. Louis (2013), PNC Park in Pittsburgh (2014) and Miller Park in Milwaukee (2015). The 2016 World Series will feature two Wild Card teams for the first time ever, as both the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians qualified via that route.

What is the format of the Wild Card Game?

The Wild Card Game is a single-elimination game played between the two teams with the best records in each league who did not win their division. The game is played at a neutral site, and the winner moves on to play the division winner in the next round of the playoffs.

What teams have played in the Wild Card Game?

In 2012, the Wild Card Game was introduced as a new way to determine which team would advance to the Divisional Series of the MLB playoffs. The Wild Card Game is a one-game playoff between the two teams with the best record in each league who did not win their division. The winner of the Wild Card Game advance to play the team with the best record in their league in the Divisional Series.

The first ever Wild Card Game was played between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals on October 5, 2012. The Cardinals won 6-3, and went on to defeat the Washington Nationals in the Divisional Series and then win the National League pennant. They eventually lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

In 2013, there were four teams vying for two Wild Card spots: The Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers from the National League, and сthe Cleveland Indians from the American League. The Pirates and Reds both had better records than the Brewers, but Milwaukee won their season series against both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati so they got one of the Wild Card spots.

The other NL Wild Card spot went to Pittsburgh who defeated Cincinnati in a one-game playoff at PNC Park. In that game, Pirate’s pitcher Andrew McCutchen hit a walk off home run in bottom of 13th inning to give Pittsburgh a 6-2 victory.

The Indians hosted Tampa Bay Rays in AL Wild Card Game at Progressive Field. Tampa Bay starting pitcher Matt Moore allowed only one run through 7 innings pitched and Rays won 4-0 over Cleveland Advancement to ALDS.

What is the most memorable Wild Card Game?

There have been some truly great Wild Card games in baseball history. In 2012, the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals played one of the most thrilling games in postseason history. The Cardinals were down 6-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning, but they rallied to score 4 runs and take the lead. The Braves tied it up in the top of the 9th, and then Scott Radinsky came on to pitch for St. Louis in the bottom of the inning. He got Andruw Jones to fly out, but thenWalked Chipper Jones and allowed a single to Brian McCann before being pulled from the game. Jason Motte came in and got Martin Prado to hit into a double play, sending the game to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Atlanta’s Michael Bourn led off with a single, but was quickly erased on a fielder’s choice by Dan Uggla. David Ross then singled, but Motte was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.

In the bottom of the 10th, pinch-hitter Rafael Furcal singled off Craig Kimbrel, and then Tony Cruz bunted him over to second base. Jon Jay was intentionally walked, and then Cardinal manager Mike Matheny pinch-ran Tyler Greene for Jay. Kimbrel struck out David Freese for the first out of the inning, but then Wade Miley came on to pitch for Atlanta and promptly allowed a walk-off single to Pete Kozma, giving St. Louis an improbable 7-6 victory.