Preview/Prediction

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already advanced to the National League Championship Series by knocking off the Atlanta Braves, but the action isn't done there. The NLDS concludes Wednesday with a decisive Game 5 showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle faced a difficult decision following his team’s 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the National League Division Series: Trust a struggling veteran to start Wednesday’s deciding Game 5, or play the hot hand of a rookie.

Juan Uribe missed two bunts on Monday night before sending a two-run home run into the Los Angeles sky.

Much like that one tiny and wonderful Dodgers moment, the rest of the playoffs for the Blue Crew are shrouded in a little bad and a whole lot of good.  

Join MLB Contributor Gabe Zaldivar as he offers an initial assessment of what the Dodgers must do to get to the all-important World Series.

The journey will be an arduous one. As the Braves proved, there is no such thing as an easy inning in the MLB playoffs.

The Boston Red Sox were hoping to avoid a Game 4 in the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, yet that is exactly what is on the table.

As such, both teams need to regroup heading forward for, what could be, a pivotal postseason matchup. 

Which team will get more from their starting pitcher and who will be the offensive stars and catalysts during the game?

With a huge payroll, the Los Angeles Dodgers expect nothing less than a trip to the World Series. Here's what they will have to do in order to win the NLCS.

It has been an amazing turnaround in Los Angeles. Not only have the Dodgers drastically improved from last year, but they have gotten much better since early in this season.

The Oakland Athletics are one win away from clinching the 2013 American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers and will have to go through Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister if they want to do so in Game 4, which will start at 5:07 p.m. ET on October 8.

Tuesday could feature the clinching game for both American League Division Series, but the trailing squads will not go away too easily.

The Tampa Bay Rays stayed alive in Game 3 with a walk-off home run by Jose Lobaton. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers have as much talent as anyone in the majors and are always capable of coming through with a big game.

Up until the bottom of the ninth inning, it seemed as though the Boston Red Sox would pull off a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. But with one swing of the bat, Rays catcher Jose Lobaton smacked a walk-off solo home run (419 feet) off Koji Uehara to keep the team’s hopes alive.

After jumping out to a quick lead, the Detroit Tigers held on to defeat the Athletics on Friday night in Oakland by a count of 3-2. Highlighted by a dominant performance from starting pitcher Max Scherzer, the Tigers are now in the driver's seat heading into Game 2 Saturday night at O.co Coliseum.

The Boston Red Sox will once again host the Tampa Bay Rays from Fenway Park on Saturday, as these rivals clash in Game 2 of the ALDS.

Each team enters with its own clear aspirations. Coming off a 12-2 rout, the Red Sox aim to repeat the process and open a commanding 2-0 series advantage. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will do everything possible to stop the bleeding now and even up the matchup before the backdrop shifts to Tropicana Field.