2026 ALCS & NLCS: League Championship Series schedule and bullpens
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How many games are the NLCS and ALCS? Seven at most: both League Championship Series are best of seven, so the first team to win four games takes the pennant and a series lasts four to seven games. The 2026 NLCS starts Sunday, October 11 (a Game 7, if needed, is Thursday, October 15) and the ALCS starts Monday, October 12 (Game 7 Monday, October 19). Below: each matchup, the game-by-game schedule and TV, the regular-season head-to-head, and how the bullpens compare.
Data as of October 29, 2026 at 12:21 AM ET, from the official MLB Stats API. The page is published once a day and checks the API again after it loads. For scores during games see the live scoreboard.
2026 League Championship Series matchups
ALCS: (1) Tampa Bay Rays vs (2) Cleveland Guardians
Regular-season meetings: TB 5-1 (runs 20-8). The Tampa Bay Rays have home field as the higher seed.
| Regular season | Tampa Bay Rays | Cleveland Guardians |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 1 | 2 |
| Record | 98-64 | 85-77 |
| Run differential | +86 | +11 |
| Home / road | 55-26 / 43-38 | 41-40 / 44-37 |
| Last 10 games | 5-5 | 8-2 |
| One-run games | 25-14 | 27-22 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.51 | 3.93 |
| Relief ERA | 3.99 | 3.54 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.20 | 1.25 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 8.40 · 3.13 | 10.21 · 3.60 |
| Saves / chances | 58/77 | 46/64 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 44% | 40% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | 3.95 (54.2) | 3.25 (61.0) |
Tampa Bay Rays late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Baker | 65 | 62.1 | 1.44 | 0.91 | 9.10 | 41 | 2 |
| Kevin Kelly | 71 | 73.2 | 2.44 | 0.90 | 7.70 | 4 | 33 |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 51 | 41.1 | 4.79 | 1.43 | 11.76 | 2 | 23 |
| Cole Sulser | 51 | 56.1 | 4.31 | 1.24 | 8.95 | 3 | 12 |
| Cam Booser | 42 | 41.0 | 1.98 | 0.76 | 9.88 | 0 | 13 |
Cleveland Guardians late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Smith | 69 | 74.0 | 1.95 | 0.96 | 13.01 | 41 | 1 |
| Hunter Gaddis | 68 | 60.1 | 2.98 | 1.28 | 8.50 | 1 | 32 |
| Erik Sabrowski | 60 | 48.1 | 2.61 | 1.18 | 14.15 | 1 | 28 |
| Tim Herrin | 67 | 56.2 | 3.02 | 1.31 | 8.58 | 0 | 16 |
| Colin Holderman | 54 | 52.2 | 2.73 | 1.04 | 8.54 | 1 | 11 |
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Mon, Oct 12 | 8:00 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: CLE 7, TB 3 |
| Game 2 | Tue, Oct 13 | 8:00 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: CLE 1, TB 3 |
| Game 3 | Thu, Oct 15 | 1:00 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB 2, CLE 3 |
| Game 4 | Sun, Oct 18 | 8:00 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB null, CLE null |
| Game 4 | Sat, Oct 17 | 8:08 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB 7, CLE 3 |
| Game 5 | Sun, Oct 18 | 5:08 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB 3, CLE 1 |
| Game 6 | Mon, Oct 19 | 8:08 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: CLE 3, TB 7 |
NLCS: (1) Milwaukee Brewers vs (2) Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular-season meetings: MIL 4-3 (runs 25-27). The Milwaukee Brewers have home field as the higher seed.
| Regular season | Milwaukee Brewers | Los Angeles Dodgers |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 1 | 2 |
| Record | 103-59 | 100-62 |
| Run differential | +214 | +201 |
| Home / road | 55-26 / 48-33 | 51-30 / 49-32 |
| Last 10 games | 8-2 | 8-2 |
| One-run games | 27-20 | 31-23 |
| Starters' ERA | 3.61 | 3.43 |
| Relief ERA | 3.40 | 3.74 |
| Relief WHIP | 1.23 | 1.23 |
| Relief K/9 · BB/9 | 8.95 · 3.64 | 9.99 · 3.77 |
| Saves / chances | 55/76 | 46/69 |
| Bullpen share of innings | 44% | 39% |
| Postseason relief ERA (IP) | 1.38 (65.0) | 3.52 (30.2) |
Milwaukee Brewers late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Megill | 63 | 61.2 | 2.63 | 0.89 | 10.07 | 30 | 7 |
| Abner Uribe | 61 | 59.1 | 1.97 | 1.03 | 9.40 | 6 | 23 |
| Aaron Ashby | 75 | 89.1 | 3.12 | 1.31 | 11.69 | 4 | 15 |
| Antonio Senzatela | 23 | 21.0 | 5.14 | 1.48 | 6.00 | 1 | 7 |
| DL Hall | 47 | 61.1 | 1.91 | 1.04 | 9.39 | 0 | 6 |
Los Angeles Dodgers late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Scott | 69 | 63.2 | 2.69 | 0.99 | 11.59 | 25 | 13 |
| Alex Vesia | 72 | 58.0 | 2.64 | 1.07 | 11.48 | 3 | 20 |
| Will Klein | 36 | 41.2 | 3.67 | 1.56 | 10.58 | 2 | 12 |
| Jack Dreyer | 67 | 64.2 | 3.20 | 1.10 | 10.16 | 2 | 11 |
| Edgardo Henriquez | 61 | 60.0 | 2.85 | 1.03 | 10.65 | 2 | 11 |
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sun, Oct 11 | 8:00 PM ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FOX / FOX ONE | Final: LAD 1, MIL 2 |
| Game 2 | Mon, Oct 12 | 5:00 PM ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FOX / FOX ONE | Final: LAD 4, MIL 7 |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 14 | 8:00 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FS1 / FOX ONE | Final: MIL 6, LAD 2 |
| Game 4 | Thu, Oct 15 | 8:00 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FS1 / FOX ONE | Final: MIL 6, LAD 4 |
Late-inning relievers of every team still alive
Each team's five relievers with the most saves and holds in the 2026 regular season (MLB Stats API). In October these arms pitch a larger share of the innings.
Milwaukee Brewers late-inning relievers
| Pitcher | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Megill | 63 | 61.2 | 2.63 | 0.89 | 10.07 | 30 | 7 |
| Abner Uribe | 61 | 59.1 | 1.97 | 1.03 | 9.40 | 6 | 23 |
| Aaron Ashby | 75 | 89.1 | 3.12 | 1.31 | 11.69 | 4 | 15 |
| Antonio Senzatela | 23 | 21.0 | 5.14 | 1.48 | 6.00 | 1 | 7 |
| DL Hall | 47 | 61.1 | 1.91 | 1.04 | 9.39 | 0 | 6 |
2026 ALCS and NLCS schedule
AL Championship Series
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Mon, Oct 12 | 8:00 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: CLE 7, TB 3 |
| Game 2 | Tue, Oct 13 | 8:00 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: CLE 1, TB 3 |
| Game 3 | Thu, Oct 15 | 1:00 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB 2, CLE 3 |
| Game 4 | Sun, Oct 18 | 8:00 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB null, CLE null |
| Game 4 | Sat, Oct 17 | 8:08 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB 7, CLE 3 |
| Game 5 | Sun, Oct 18 | 5:08 PM ET | Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: TB 3, CLE 1 |
| Game 6 | Mon, Oct 19 | 8:08 PM ET | Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | TBS / HBO MAX, TruTV | Final: CLE 3, TB 7 |
NL Championship Series
| Game | Date | First pitch | Matchup | Ballpark | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sun, Oct 11 | 8:00 PM ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FOX / FOX ONE | Final: LAD 1, MIL 2 |
| Game 2 | Mon, Oct 12 | 5:00 PM ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field | FOX / FOX ONE | Final: LAD 4, MIL 7 |
| Game 3 | Wed, Oct 14 | 8:00 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FS1 / FOX ONE | Final: MIL 6, LAD 2 |
| Game 4 | Thu, Oct 15 | 8:00 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers | UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium | FS1 / FOX ONE | Final: MIL 6, LAD 4 |
* If necessary. Times are Eastern; MLB sets them once each matchup is known.
Format
Seeding and byes
The two division winners with the best records are seeds 1 and 2 and skip the first round. The third division winner is seed 3 and the wild cards are seeds 4, 5 and 6 in order of record, so a wild card team can have a better record than the 3 seed and still be seeded below it.
League Championship Series (best of seven)
The two Division Series winners in each league meet for the pennant. The higher seed hosts games 1, 2, 6 and 7 (2-3-2).
FAQ
How many games are in the ALCS and NLCS?
Both League Championship Series are best of seven: the first team to four wins takes the pennant and goes to the World Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 and the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5 (2-3-2). Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if needed.
When does the 2026 ALCS and NLCS start?
The 2026 NLCS starts Sunday, October 11, with a possible Game 7 on Thursday, October 15. The ALCS starts Monday, October 12, with a possible Game 7 on Monday, October 19.
Who is playing in the 2026 ALCS?
The Tampa Bay Rays (1 seed, 98-64) host the Cleveland Guardians (2 seed, 85-77). The Tampa Bay Rays won the regular-season meetings 5-1, outscoring the Cleveland Guardians 20-8. Tampa Bay Rays won the series 4-2.
Who is playing in the 2026 NLCS?
The Milwaukee Brewers (1 seed, 103-59) host the Los Angeles Dodgers (2 seed, 100-62). The Milwaukee Brewers won the regular-season meetings 4-3, though the Los Angeles Dodgers outscored them 27-25. Milwaukee Brewers won the series 4-0.
What is the 2026 NLCS schedule?
Game 1 Sunday, October 11; Game 2 Monday, October 12; Game 3 Wednesday, October 14; Game 4 Thursday, October 15. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7; the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5.
What is the 2026 ALCS schedule?
Game 1 Monday, October 12; Game 2 Tuesday, October 13; Game 3 Thursday, October 15; Game 4 Sunday, October 18; Game 5 Saturday, October 17; Game 6 Sunday, October 18; Game 7 Monday, October 19. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 6 and 7; the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 5.
What channel is the 2026 ALCS and NLCS on?
ALCS: TBS / HBO MAX and TruTV. NLCS: FOX / FOX ONE and FS1 / FOX ONE. From the MLB Stats API schedule; assignments can change as series are decided.
What do ALCS and NLCS stand for?
American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series. The winners are the league champions (the pennant winners) and meet in the World Series.
Who has home field in the ALCS and NLCS?
The higher seed, whatever the regular-season records. Because the 1 and 2 seeds are the two best division winners, a wild card team that reaches the LCS is always the lower seed against a division winner, even with a better record.
More: full 2026 MLB playoff schedule & bracket · ALDS & NLDS · World Series · model series projections · standings · playoff format explained
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