National League Division Series
The National League Division Series (NLDS) is part of the play-offs in Major League Baseball . It determines which two teams of the National League (NL) compete against each other in the National League Championship Series , which in turn determines the representative of the NL in the World Series . The series consists of two best-of-five series, in which the winners of the three NL divisions and the winner of the wildcard play. The wildcard is given to the team that has the best ratio of wins and losses but was unable to win any of the NL (East, Central, West) divisions.
history
The Division Series was created in 1993 as a permanent part of the play-offs after the MLB had divided each of its two leagues ( American League and National League) into three divisions. However, due to the players' strike in 1994, the first edition did not take place until 1995. Previously, the 1981 strike had required a play-off series within the divisions. The winners of the Eastern Division at the time were the Montreal Expos , who beat the Philadelphia Phillies in three games. The Western Division was won by the Los Angeles Dodgers , who could also defeat the Houston Astros in three games. The Atlanta Braves currently have the most appearances in the Division Series. Only one team, the Pittsburgh Pirates , has not yet made it into the Division Series. The Washington Nationals only played as the Montreal Expos in the Division Series.
Determination of the fixtures
Since 1998, the team that won the wildcard has been playing against the division winner who achieved the highest percentage of wins outside of their own division. The other two division winners compete against each other in the second series. However, if the winner of the wild card and the division winner with the best win rate come from the same division, the wildcard team plays against the division winner with the second best win rate, while the two remaining teams play against each other. The winners of both series then play in the National League Championship Series and determine the winner of the NL in best-of-seven mode.
The participants in both series play two games in their own stadium (if a fourth game is required). If there is a fifth and decisive game, it will take place in the stadium of the team that has achieved the better win rate in the regular season. This so-called home field advantage (three instead of only two games in their own stadium) does not benefit the wildcard team.
Recurring encounters
| number | encounter | year |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Atlanta Braves versus Houston Astros | 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 |
| 3 | San Diego Padres versus St. Louis Cardinals | 1996, 2005, 2006 |
| 3 | St. Louis Cardinals versus Los Angeles Dodgers | 2004, 2009, 2014 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Dodgers versus Atlanta Braves | 1996, 2013 , 2018 |
| 2 | St. Louis Cardinals versus Arizona Diamondbacks | 2001, 2002 |
| 2 | Florida Marlins versus San Francisco Giants | 1997, 2003 |
| 2 | Chicago Cubs versus Atlanta Braves | 1998, 2003 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Phillies versus Colorado Rockies | 2007, 2009 |
| 2 | San Francisco Giants versus Atlanta Braves | 2002, 2010 |
| 2 | New York Mets versus Los Angeles Dodgers | 2006, 2015 |
| 2 | St. Louis Cardinals versus Atlanta Braves | 2000, 2019 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Dodgers versus Washington Nationals | 2016 , 2019 |
Results
Web links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Annual play-offs
- MLB.com - MLB's Division Series