MLB postseason field set as 12 teams begin October run

Major League Baseball’s 12-team postseason field is set after the regular season ended Sunday, with the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies claiming the final playoff spots on the season’s last day. The four best-of-three Wild Card Series are scheduled to begin September 29, and no postseason games have yet been played in the available reports. Houston clinched the American League West with an 81-81 record, completing a 9-0 win over Oakland in Game 162. The Astros are the first team reported to have reached the playoffs with a .500 or worse record over a full season. Two teams qualified with losing records during the shortened 2020 season, but that season did not run the standard 162-game schedule. Philadelphia secured the National League’s final wild-card berth with a 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay. The Phillies had lost four straight before the finale, according to the game account. Houston will host the Chicago White Sox, while Philadelphia travels to face National League East champion Atlanta. The other opening-round series pair the Boston Red Sox with the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs with the San Diego Padres. The Yankees host Boston, and San Diego hosts Chicago.