The 2008 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 2008 season. The winners of the Division Series would move on to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.
In the American League, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim returned to the postseason for the fifth time in seven years, the Boston Red Sox returned for the fifth time in six years, the Chicago White Sox made their third appearance in the past nine years, and the Tampa Bay Rays made their postseason debut. This was the first postseason since 1993 to not feature the New York Yankees, who had previously made thirteen straight appearances from 1995 to 2007.
In the National League, the Chicago Cubs returned for the third time in six years, marking the first time since 1906 that both Chicago teams made the postseason. The Cubs had Lou Pinella leading them to the division title. The Philadelphia Phillies made their second straight appearance, the Los Angeles Dodgers made their third appearance in the past five years, and the Milwaukee Brewers made their first postseason appearance since 1982 (first as a member of the National League).
The postseason began on October 1, 2008, and ended on October 29, 2008, with the Phillies defeating the Rays in five games in the 2008 World Series. It was the first championship won by the Phillies since 1980.
Playoff seeds
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
American League
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – AL West champions, 100–62
Tampa Bay Rays – AL East champions, 97–65
Chicago White Sox – AL Central champions, 89–74
Boston Red Sox – AL Wild Card qualifier, 95–67
National League
Chicago Cubs – NL Central champions, 97–64
Philadelphia Phillies – NL East champions, 92–70
Los Angeles Dodgers – NL West champions, 84–78
Milwaukee Brewers – NL Wild Card qualifier, 90–72
Playoff bracket
Note: Two teams in the same division could not meet in the division series.
American League Division Series
(1) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. (4) Boston Red Sox
In a rematch of the previous year's ALDS, the Red Sox again defeated the Angels to advance to the ALCS for the second year in a row.
Jon Lester out-dueled John Lackey in Game 1 as the Red Sox prevailed by a 4-1 score. Game 2 was an offensive duel between both teams as the game was tied at 5 going into the top of the ninth, until J.D. Drew won the game for the Red Sox with a two-run home run. When the series shifted to Boston for Game 3, the Angels narrowly prevailed after a 12-inning duel thanks to a solo home run from Mike Napoli. The Angels' Game 3 win ended an 11-game postseason losing streak against the Red Sox that dated back to the 1986 ALCS, and a nine-game overall postseason skid that dated back to the 2005 ALCS. However, that would be all the Angels could do, as the Red Sox prevailed in Game 4 by a 3-2 score thanks to a walk-off single from Jed Lowrie.
The Angels would sweep the Red Sox in the ALDS the next year.
(2) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (3) Chicago White Sox
In their postseason debut, the Rays defeated the White Sox in four games to advance to the ALCS for the first time in franchise history.
The Rays would win Game 1 by a 6-4 score as they held off a late rally by the White Sox. Scott Kazmir and the Rays' bullpen would lead Tampa to victory in Game 2 by a 6-2 score despite the White Sox loading the bases in the top of the first. When the series shifted to Chicago, the White Sox would get on the board with a 5-3 victory as Bobby Jenks held off a late rally by the Rays. However, the Rays would win the series in Game 4, as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and didn't relinquish it, winning 6-2 to advance to their first-ever ALCS.
The White Sox would not return to the postseason again until 2020.
National League Division Series
(1) Chicago Cubs vs. (3) Los Angeles Dodgers
This was the first postseason meeting between the Cubs and Dodgers. The Dodgers swept the Cubs to return to the NLCS for the first time in two decades.
In Game 1, the Cubs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but it would be gone as James Loney hit a grand slam that put the Dodgers ahead for good as they won 7-2. In Game 2, the Dodgers got out to a big lead early and blew out the Cubs 10-3 to take a 2-0 series lead headed to Los Angeles. Hiroki Kuroda and the Dodgers' bullpen would then complete the sweep with a 3-1 victory in Game 3.
Both teams would meet again in the NLCS in 2016 (won by the Cubs), and 2017 (won by the Dodgers).