Mike Matheny had three choices. The Cardinals were leading by one run, with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. The Nationals had runners on second and third, with right-hander Mitchell Boggs on the mound. Chad Tracy, a left-handed hitter, had been announced as the pinch-hitter.

A dramatic end to the regular season and the first Wild Card round had more folks tuned into the start of the playoffs than a year ago.

The Orioles made four changes to their 25-man roster for the AL, the club announced prior to Sunday’s Game 1 against the Yankees.

Gio Gonzalez had just walked the pitcher, his fourth free pass of the second inning and his fifth of the game. In the left-hander’s own frantic recollection, National League Division Series Game 1 was “spinning out of control.”

The call came in the seventh inning, with the bases loaded and no outs. In the most difficult situation a reliever can face, Ryan Mattheus was going to make his postseason debut.

Al Alburquerque’s smooch of the baseball after he snared Yoenis Cespedes’ comebacker to strand the potential go-ahead run in the ninth inning of Game 2 rubbed some players the wrong way.

Josh Reddick’s go-ahead homer in what became a 5-4 A’s loss on Sunday was a start he needs to build on as the team heads back to Oakland, down 2-0 in the ALDS.

Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit had one word for his eighth-inning relief appearance on Sunday against the A’s at Comerica Park. “Horrible!” the veteran right-hander said.

Don Kelly’s been called a versatile late-game defensive replacement. But on Sunday, he was called something a bit different. He was called the hero.

These Tigers have had to scratch and claw for everything they’ve gotten. Now, up 2-0 in the ALDS after Sunday’s 5-4 walk-off win, they need one win to punch their ticket to the next round.

The Nationals’ Division Series roster became official on Sunday morning, a few hours before Washington’s scheduled 3 p.m. ET start time for Game 1 in St. Louis.

A’s lefty Brett Anderson doesn’t need an official announcement to declare his status for Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday.

Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez is slated to take the mound for Detroit against Oakland in Game 3 of their American League Division Series on Tuesday at 9:07 p.m. ET at the O.co Coliseum in a game broadcast by TBS.

Don Kelly lifted a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to give the Tigers a 5-4 comeback victory and a 2-0 ALDS lead over the A’s on Sunday.

In the Reds’ 5-2 win over the Giants on Saturday, Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips became the first leadoff hitter with three hits and three RBIs in a postseason Game 1.

This was one of those nights when Justin Verlander reminded the world that he’s about as good anyone has ever been.

If the Reds didn’t feel like the team with home-field advantage as they began the National League Division Series at the Giants’ bayside home, they should feel it now.