The Nationals will be favored to put their postseason demons to rest Tuesday against the Brewers in the National League wild-card game in Washington, but Milwaukee's presence in the playoffs at all shows it's a team capable of outperforming expectations.
The fractured kneecap Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich suffered Sept. 10 ended his season and was supposed to take his team down with it. Instead, Milwaukee went 15-2 in its next 17 games to secure a playoff spot, though being swept by the Rockies to close the season helped the Cardinals secure the NL Central title.
Washington has its own resurrection story, with the Nationals overcoming a 19-31 start to take the first wild card spot, and an eight-game win streak to close the season helped salvage what began as an ugly September.
MORE: Watch Nationals vs. Brewers live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Nationals ace Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92 ERA) will get the start for Washington, though the right-hander closed the season on some shaky notes. After allowing more than three runs in just two of his first 22 starts, he did so in three of his final five.
Last postseason, the Brewers went with a very modern approach to its pitching, often using openers and bullpen games to mask an underwhelming starting rotation. This year, things are a bit different.
Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62) worked mostly out of the bullpen last year but converted to starting full-time in 2019 and will take the mound for Milwaukee, but of course, with their postseason lives on the line, both teams will have quick hooks.
Below is all you need to know about Nationals vs. Brewers on Tuesday night, including start time and TV channel.
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What channel is Nationals vs. Brewers on today?
- TV channel: TBS
- Live stream: fuboTV
TBS is the home of the NL playoffs, airing the wild-card game and all divsional and championship series games. The American League playoffs are split between ESPN (wild-card game), MLB Network (ALDS), FOX Sports 1 (ALDS/ALCS), and FOX (ALCS).
This is Washington's first wild-card game. The Nationals missed the playoffs last year after back-to-back NL East titles in 2016 and 2017. The most recent postseason game at Nationals Park was the heartbreaking NLDS Game 5 loss to the Cubs in 2017.
Nationals vs. Brewers: What time is first pitch?
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 1
- Start time: 8:08 p.m. ET
Milwaukee made a surprisingly deep postseason run last season. The Brewers swept the Rockies in the NLDS with relative ease and then played the Dodgers to a Game 7 in a series with three one-run games.
MLB playoff schedule 2019
Wild-card round
| Event | Teams | Date | Time | TV channel |
| NL wild-card game | Brewers at Nationals | Tuesday, Oct. 1 | 8:08 p.m. ET | TBS |
| AL wild-card game | Rays at Athletics | Wednesday, Oct. 2 | 8:09 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Division Series
A = Involves club with best record; B = Does not involve club with best record
| Event | Teams | Date | Time | TV channel |
| NLDS 'A' Game 1 | WC at Dodgers | Thursday, Oct. 3 | TBA | TBS |
| NLDS 'B' Game 1 | Cardinals at Braves | Thursday, Oct. 3 | TBA | TBS |
| ALDS 'A' Game 1 | WC at Astros | Friday, Oct. 4 | TBA | MLBN or FS1 |
| ALDS 'B' Game 1 | Twins at Yankees | Friday, Oct. 4 | TBA | MLBN or FS1 |
| NLDS 'A' Game 2 | WC at Dodgers | Friday, Oct. 4 | TBA | TBS |
| NLDS 'B' Game 2 | Cardinals at Braves | Friday, Oct. 4 | TBA | TBS |
| ALDS 'A' Game 2 | WC at Astros | Saturday, Oct. 5 | TBA | FS1 |
| ALDS 'B' Game 2 | Twins at Yankees | Saturday, Oct. 5 | TBA | FS1 |
| NLDS 'A' Game 3 | Dodgers at WC | Sunday, Oct. 6 | TBA | TBS |
| NLDS 'B' Game 3 | Braves at Cardinals | Sunday, Oct. 6 | TBA | TBS |
| ALDS 'A' Game 3 | Astros at WC | Monday, Oct. 7 | TBA | MLBN or FS1 |
| ALDS 'B' Game 3 | Yankees at Twins | Monday, Oct. 7 | TBA | MLBN or FS1 |
| NLDS 'A' Game 4 (if necessary) | Dodgers at WC | Monday, Oct. 7 | TBA | TBS |
| NLDS 'B' Game 4 (if necessary) | Braves at Cardinals | Monday, Oct. 7 | TBA | TBS |
| ALDS 'A' Game 4 (if necessary) | Astros at WC | Tuesday, Oct. 8 | TBA | FS1 |
| ALDS 'B' Game 4 (if necessary) | Yankees at Twins | Tuesday, Oct. 8 | TBA | FS1 |
| NLDS 'A' Game 5 (if necessary) | WC at Dodgers | Wednesday, Oct. 9 | TBA | TBS |
| NLDS 'B' Game 5 (if necessary) | Cardinals at Braves | Wednesday, Oct. 9 | TBA | TBS |
| ALDS 'A' Game 5 (if necessary) | WC at Astros | Thursday, Oct. 10 | TBA | FS1 |
| ALDS 'B' Game 5 (if necessary) | Twins at Yankees | Thursday, Oct. 10 | TBA | FS1 |
League Championship Series
| Event | Teams | Date | Time | TV channel |
| NLCS Game 1 | TBA | Friday, Oct. 11 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 1 | TBA | Saturday, Oct. 12 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
| NLCS Game 2 | TBA | Saturday, Oct. 12 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 2 | TBA | Sunday, Oct. 13 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
| NLCS Game 3 | TBA | Monday, Oct. 14 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 3 | TBA | Tuesday, Oct. 15 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
| NLCS Game 4 | TBA | Tuesday, Oct. 15 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 4 | TBA | Wednesday, Oct. 16 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
| NLCS Game 5 (if necessary) | TBA | Wednesday, Oct. 16 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 5 (if necessary) | TBA | Thursday, Oct. 17 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
| NLCS Game 6 (if necessary) | TBA | Friday, Oct. 18 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 6 (if necessary) | TBA | Saturday, Oct. 19 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
| NLCS Game 7 (if necessary) | TBA | Saturday, Oct. 19 | TBA | TBS |
| ALCS Game 7 (if necessary) | TBA | Sunday, Oct. 20 | TBA | Fox or FS1 |
World Series
| Event | Teams | Date | Time | TV channel |
| World Series Game 1 | TBA | Tuesday, Oct. 22 | TBA | Fox |
| World Series Game 2 | TBA | Wednesday, Oct. 23 | TBA | Fox |
| World Series Game 3 | TBA | Friday, Oct. 25 | TBA | Fox |
| World Series Game 4 | TBA | Saturday, Oct. 26 | TBA | Fox |
| World Series Game 5 (if necessary) | TBA | Sunday, Oct. 27 | TBA | Fox |
| World Series Game 6 (if necessary) | TBA | Tuesday, Oct. 29 | TBA | Fox |
| World Series Game 7 (if necessary) | TBA | Wednesday, Oct. 30 | TBA | Fox |