WRIGLEYVILLE — Along with the first sniff of an autumnal chill in the air comes a whisper of two of Wrigleyville's favorite words: October baseball.
It shouldn't be news to anyone in Chicago that last year's postseason ended in a historic World Series victory 108 years in the making for the Chicago Cubs. And the only way to top it? They'll have to win two.
But it's a long road to the championship, and on Tuesday, the league released the first glimpse of how October baseball will shape up for the loveable winners, should they make the cut.
Better pencil in the dates for the 2017 postseason on your Cubs-themed desk calendar — just in case.
The last games of the regular season will start at 3:05 p.m. Oct. 1, with tie breakers the next day.
The American League Wild Card game will kick off the postseason Oct. 4, followed by the National League's on Oct. 5. Whichever of the two top-ranked, non-division winners bests the other in the one-off series will advance to the National League Division Series with the three division winners.
The NLDS will begin Oct. 6, with games following on Oct. 7 and 9 in the best-of-five series. If needed, the final two games of each NLDS face-off will be played Oct. 10 and 12. Last year, as Cubs fans will recall, the Cubs clinched against the San Francisco Giants in four games and celebrated through the night for a great start to the 2016 postseason.
The two National League Division winners will face off in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series starting Oct. 14 for a chance at the World Series. Game 2 is set for Oct. 15, with Games 3 and 4 following on Oct. 17 and 18. As needed, Games 5, 6 and 7 are set for Oct. 19, 21 and 22.
A bedlam crowd at Wrigley Field erupted in celebration last year after the Cubs scored a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS, giving them a 4-2 NLCS triumph and their first shot at the World Series championship in 71 years.
Whichever team advances with the National League pennant will face the best team in the American League in up to seven games of the 2017 World Series, which begins Oct. 24 followed by Game 2 on Oct. 25. Games 3 and 4 will be Oct. 27 and 28 at the second team's ballpark, with remaining games as needed on Oct. 29 and 31 and Nov. 1.
The Cubs are currently leading a tight competition to clinch the Central Division, with the Milwaukee Brewers just 1½ games behind before the end of the Cubs vs. Giants game late Tuesday. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't far behind, either, and with two months of regular season baseball left, it's anyone's game.
If the Cubs don't come away as division winners come October, they'll need to qualify for the Wild Card game to have a shot at the postseason.
The Cubs and Wrigley Field are 95 percent owned by an entity controlled by a trust established for the benefit of the family of Joe Ricketts, owner and CEO of DNAinfo.com. Joe Ricketts has no direct involvement in the management of the iconic team.
