Preview/Prediction

From Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke to Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets is all about the aces.

After combing through the numbers and breaking down the matchup on a position-by-position basis, there's one observation that is unavoidable: This is one evenly matched series. Both teams have outstanding starting pitching, but their lineups and bullpens are littered with question marks.

Despite posting baseball's second-best regular-season record and hosting their third consecutive National League Wild Card Game, the Pittsburgh Pirates are heading home after a 4-0 loss at the hands of Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs.

The Chicago Cubs will need dominating pitcher Jake Arrieta to bring out his inner bear when taking on Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Wednesday night's NL Wild Card Game—what is sure to be a hard-fought, low-scoring affair.

The 2015 MLB postseason got started on a high note with Tuesday's wild-card showdown, which promises to set up an exhilarating October as the nine teams left vie for a World Series crown.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Chicago Cubs in the one-and-done NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday night. Pittsburgh is the underdog in the eyes of a plethora of observers, many of whom are expecting to see a low-scoring affair at PNC Park.

One team is down and eight more are left to be eliminated before the 2015 MLB playoffs can crown a World Series champion.

The first one to bite the dust came Tuesday night, as the Houston Astros eliminated the New York Yankees from the postseason in a 3-0 AL Wild Card Game victory in the Bronx. The victory pushes Houston forward to the American League Division Series, where three division winners are waiting.

In the second of MLB's Wild Card Games, the Chicago Cubs will face the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night for the right to move on to meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.

Playoff baseball is officially underway.

The 2015 MLB postseason field is down to nine after the Houston Astros dispatched the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. After Wednesday night's National League Wild Card Game, eight squads will remain standing.

As difficult a task as it is to finish an MLB season with a playoff spot, the wild-card format leaves all of those 162 games down to one crucial nine-inning stretch of baseball that decides teams' fates.

There's no turning back now, folks. On Tuesday (8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN), the Houston Astros visit the New York Yankees in a do-or-die American League Wild Card Game to kick-start the 2015 playoffs, with a trip to the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals awaiting the winner.