A.L. Gets Network Priority N.L. Playoff Games Mainly Will Be Carried Over Cable
National League fans better make sure their cable hookups are working.
Major league baseball released its schedule for the first round of the playoffs Monday, and only one N.L. game is to be telecast on Fox or NBC - Game 3 between the Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants on Friday at 5 p.m. PDT on NBC.
The American League is off that night, forcing NBC to choose an N.L. game. The other N.L. first-round games will all be shown on ESPN, either in the afternoon or at 8 p.m.
Fox and NBC, which choose the games they want, sided with the A.L., the New York market and the Juniors - Ken Griffey and Cal Ripken.
All five Yankees-Indians games will be broadcast on networks in prime time, starting with today’s opener at 5 p.m. PDT on Fox. Game 2 is 5 p.m. Thursday on Fox; Game 3 Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on NBC; Game 4 Sunday on Fox at 4:30; and Game 5 Monday on Fox at 5 p.m.
Game 1 of the Orioles-Mariners series is on NBC Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Game 3 will be on Fox at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The other three games will be shown at 1 p.m. on ESPN on Thursday, Sunday and Monday.
The Atlanta Braves, in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, will have their entire series with the Houston Astros shown on ESPN, beginning today at 10 a.m.
“Atlanta is Always a compelling story, because they are Always the favorite,” says ESPN announcer Jon Miller, who will be broadcasting the series. “The teams played close games all season, so I could see the Astros pulling off an upset. They don’t match up over 162 games, but in a short series they could.”
All ESPN games will be simulcast with over-the-air broadcasts in each club’s home market.
If either A.L. series ends in three games, the schedule for Sunday’s games could change. Also, if the Baltimore-Seattle series goes five games and the Cleveland-New York series has ended, Fox will broadcast the Orioles-Mariners Game 5 on Monday at 5 p.m.
The second round will be on networks, with NBC taking the N.L. and Fox the A.L. NBC will telecast the entire World Series beginning Saturday, Oct. 18, at 4:30 p.m.