MLB Playoffs Notes

Sep 30, 2013 8:12 AM

>>Cards Gear Up For Playoffs

(St. Louis, MO) -- With the regular season done, the Cardinals are gearing up for the postseason. With 97 wins, St. Louis has home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs. The Cardinals will open the NL Division Series Thursday at home against either the Reds or the Pirates. Cincinnati plays at Pittsburgh in the NL Wild Card game tomorrow.

>>Indians To Host Winner Of Rangers, Rays

(Undated) -- The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays are playing game 163 on Monday to determine the winner of the second American League Wild Card spot. The game will be played in Arlington at 7:07 p.m. local time. The winner will move on to play the Cleveland Indians in the AL Wild Card game on Wednesday. The victor of Wednesday's game advances to play the Boston Red Sox in the best-of-five ALDS starting on Friday. The Indians earned the top Wild Card position at 92-and-70 while Tampa Bay and Texas are tied at 91-and-71.

>>Rangers To Activate Cruz For Wild Card Tiebreaker

(Arlington, TX) -- The Texas Rangers will activate outfielder Nelson Cruz in time for Monday's American League tiebreaker game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Cruz will have completed his 50-game suspension for his involvement in baseball's Biogenesis scandal. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says the decision on whether or not Cruz is in the lineup for Monday's "Game 163" is entirely up to manager Ron Washington. Cruz had been playing in instructional leagues in Arizona while he served his suspension. Last season, the San Francisco Giants decided not to activate All-Star outfielder Melky Cabrera from a similar suspension for their eventual World Series run.