Baseball

When MLB drew up the Wild Card Game, this is exactly what it had in mind. Two great National League Central rivals led by young aces will square off in Wednesday night's win-or-go-home bout between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs.

The National League side of the 2015 MLB postseason kicks off on Wednesday night when the Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Game.

Despite having the second- and third-best records in all of baseball, the two teams are forced to meet in the do-or-die game after the St. Louis Cardinals claimed the NL Central title with a 100-win season.

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia has decided to return to the team next season, choosing to forgo the opt-out clause in his contract, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

"I'm coming back," Scioscia simply said, per Fletcher.   

The Houston Astros head to the Bronx to face the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday night.

What do the Yankees need to do to win? Will Dallas Keuchel be able to step up on the road?

The Washington Nationals fired manager Matt Williams on Monday, according to a team release, after a tumultuous 83-79 season that saw the squad miss the postseason and severely underachieve after being preseason contenders for a World Series title. Thus began the search for the club's next manager.  

Continue for updates.

The Oakland Athletics aren't in the playoffs after three consecutive prior appearances, but they aren't wavering in their support of front office executives Billy Beane and David Forst.  

New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia won't pitch during the 2015 MLB playoffs after deciding to enter treatment at an alcohol rehabilitation center.

It took exactly 162 games to get here, but the matchup for the 2015 American League Wild Card Game is set. The Houston Astros will visit the New York Yankees for a do-or-die showdown on Tuesday (8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN) with a trip to the division series on the line.

The Yankees (87-75) haven't been to the playoffs since 2012, while the Astros (86-76) last went to the dance in 2005. 

Despite coming up short for the best record in the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays enter baseball's postseason this week atop the odds to win the AL pennant and the World Series at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

The New York Mets are chasing an improbable and long-awaited postseason run, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have some making up to do for last year. When the 2015 National League Division Series is settled, one of the two will head home disappointed.