The 2020 National League Wild Card Series were four best-of-three-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine participating teams in the 2020 National League Division Series. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB expanded the postseason instead of holding the regular Wild Card Game for each league. All games for each series were played at the higher seeded team's home ballpark.
The matchups were: (1) Los Angeles Dodgers (West Division champions) vs. (8) Milwaukee Brewers (second wild card): Dodgers won series, 2–0 (2) Atlanta Braves (East Division champions) vs. (7) Cincinnati Reds (first wild card): Braves won series, 2–0 (3) Chicago Cubs (Central Division champions) vs. (6) Miami Marlins (East Division 2nd place): Marlins won series, 2–0 (4) San Diego Padres (West Division 2nd place) vs. (5) St. Louis Cardinals (Central Division 2nd place): Padres won series, 2–1
Because of the expanded postseason format, the National League Central became the first division in MLB history with four teams in the postseason in the same year. However, none of the four teams played each other, and all four lost their Wild Card Series, with each team losing its elimination game via a shutout.
Background
On September 15, 2020, MLB announced the playoff bracket for the 2020 season, which was shortened to 60 regular season games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The postseason will consist of eight teams from each league: The top two teams from each division, plus the teams from each league with the next two best records. The Wild Card Series will be a best-of-three series, as opposed to the play-in game format of the Wild Card Game from previous seasons, while the Division Series, League Championship Series, and World Series will be their normal lengths. The Wild Card Series games will be played at the home field of the higher seeded team.
Matchups
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles vs. Milwaukee
This is the second postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Brewers. The previous meeting took place in the 2018 National League Championship Series, in which the Dodgers won in seven games.
Game 1
Walker Buehler was matched for the Dodgers against Brent Suter of the Brewers. The Dodgers took no time to score runs on the Brewers. Mookie Betts hit a leadoff double. Corey Seager and Max Muncy each drew walks to set it up for Will Smith with one out. Four straight balls followed to draw a run in. Pollock later walked to score the second run. Betts hit a double in the next inning to make it 3-0. Orlando Arcia narrowed the lead to 3-2 with a home run in the fourth inning, but Seager closed the scoring with a home run in the seventh inning. Buehler was taken out after the inning for Julio Urias, who hurled three shutout innings as the first of three relievers and received the win while the Brewers toiled with five total pitchers.
Game 2
Clayton Kershaw was matched for the Dodgers against Brandon Woodruff. An eventful fifth inning proved all the scoring needed, with Kershaw striking out 13 batters in eight innings of scoreless ball. The Dodgers had two runners on base with A. J. Pollock and Chris Taylor but at the cost of two outs. With Austin Barnes at the plate, he hit a single to center to drive in a run and set up Mookie Betts. He his a double to left to score two further runs and make it 3-0 that drove Woodruff out of the game. Brusdar Graterol collected his first career save as a Dodger to close out the series. Kershaw's strikeout total was the most for a Dodger in the postseason since Sandy Koufax struck out 15 batters in the 1963 World Series.
Composite line score
2020 NLWC (2–0): Los Angeles Dodgers beat Milwaukee Brewers
Atlanta vs. Cincinnati
This is the second postseason meeting between the Braves and Reds. The previous meeting took place in the 1995 National League Championship Series, in which the Braves won in a four-game sweep.