The Pirates had the pitcher they wanted on the mound on Wednesday night, but after a dominant regular season, Gerrit Cole couldn’t deliver the performance he or the Bucs expected.

There will obviously be no shortage of aces taking the mound in the National League Division Series matchup between the Dodgers and the Mets that begins Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, TBS).

The Cubs adopted an aggressive approach out of the gates on Wednesday night, getting to Pirates ace Gerrit Cole in the first inning of the National League’s Wild Card clash at PNC Park.

The biggest challenger to an Astros offense that’s relied on power for much of its runs this season just might be a ballpark during this best-of-five American League Division Series against the Royals.

The Rangers and Blue Jays meet in the American League Division Series that begins Thursday in Toronto (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and Sportsnet). As we prepare for the series, here’s a look at some of the top GIFs from each team’s season, courtesy of @MLBGIFs.

With the Cardinals’ 25-man National League Division Series roster not due until Friday morning, both manager Mike Matheny and general manager John Mozeliak declined to reveal some of the organization’s roster decisions on Wednesday.

The Astros’ bullpen might not strike fear in the hearts of opponents in the same fashion as the Royals’, but A.J. Hinch can’t help but feel confident in his relievers heading into the ALDS based on how they’ve performed for much of season.

When the Blue Jays roll out their heavy artillery, opponents are shelled with a blinding firestorm of hits and runs. As the curtain went down on their AL East championship Sunday, they’d outscored opponents 891 to 670.

Astros right fielder George Springer isn’t carrying any hard feelings into Game 1 of the American League Division Series matchup against the Royals on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports 1.

The Royals don’t walk, and they don’t hit homers. Overall, they’re barely an average offense. But somehow they scored the seventh-most runs in baseball. How did they do it? A fantastic display of clutch hitting.

When the Blue Jays acquired David Price at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, this is exactly how they envisioned it playing out: The ace left-hander taking the mound for the club’s first playoff game in 22 years.

Petrina McCutchen, mother of Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew, sang the national anthem prior to the National League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser. It’s the fourth time she delivered “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a Pirates game — they won the previous three.

The Blue Jays are known for their confidence, and no player embodies that attitude more than Josh Donaldson. Known at times to be brash and bold, the All-Star third baseman was blunt on Wednesday when asked why he believed his team could carry over a strong regular season showing into Thursday’s American League Division Series opener against the Rangers at Rogers Centre.

The only people more excited to see Jung Ho Kang on Wednesday night than the black-clad fans at PNC Park might have been inside the Pirates’ dugout.

Two decades of pent-up postseason energy will be unleashed at Rogers Centre on Thursday afternoon (2:30 p.m. CT, FS1). Yovani Gallardo can’t worry about quieting the crowd. All he can do is try to silence the mighty Blue Jays offense. He’s one of the few pitchers who has done that this year.

The Kansas City Royals will tell you that the difference between 2014 and 2015 hasn’t been all that much. Yes, the expectations have risen dramatically. But the game hasn’t changed, nor has the Royals’ approach to it, writes columnist Mike Bauman.

Collin McHugh’s continual ability to navigate his way through adversity very much reflects what the Astros have done all year, fighting through the ups and downs and defying expectations.