The 2026 Major League Baseball postseason began with four day one matchups across the American and National Leagues. The Philadelphia Phillies, who secured their spot on the final day of the regular season, faced National League East rival Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta’s Chris Sale started Game one for the Braves, facing Phillies shortstop Trea Turner. Sale struck out Turner to begin the contest.

Sale enters the playoffs following a strong 2026 regular season. He posted a 2.16 ERA and recorded 200 strikeouts. Against Philadelphia specifically, Sale maintained a 2.08 ERA and a.808 WHIP across four starts, pitching 26 innings.

Turner acknowledged Sale's talent before the series. “More you see a pitcher is always beneficial,” Turner said. “But he’s so good. He’s probably going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer.”

Jesus Luzardo took the mound for the Phillies in Game one. Sale made his first postseason start with the Braves in the matchup at Truist Park.

The Phillies' Game one lineup included Trea Turner at shortstop, Kyle Schwarber as designated hitter, and Bryce Harper in right field. Alec Bohm played first base, Derek Hill center field, and Bryan De La Cruz left field. Bryson Stott was at second base, Edmundo Sosa at third base, and J.T. Realmuto caught.

For the Braves, Drake Baldwin started at catcher, Ronald Acuna Jr. in right field, and Matt Olson at first base. Mauricio Dubon played left field, Michael Harris II center field, and Ozzie Albies second base. Austin Riley was at third base, Mike Yastrzemski served as designated hitter, and Ha-Seong Kim played shortstop.

In another National League matchup, the Chicago Cubs squared off against the San Diego Padres. Matthew Boyd started for the Cubs, opposing Michael King for the Padres.

The American League slate began with the Chicago White Sox taking on the Houston Astros at 5 p.m. EDT. Hagen Smith started for the White Sox, with AJ Blubaugh pitching for the Astros.

The White Sox lineup featured Sam Antonacci in left field, Kyle Teel at catcher, and Miguel Vargas at third base. Munetaka Murakami played first base, Andrew Benintendi was designated hitter, and Tristan Peters played center field. Braden Montgomery started in right field, Chase Meidroth at second base, and Colson Montgomery at shortstop.

The Astros countered with Jeremy Peña at shortstop, Yordan Alvarez as designated hitter, and Isaac Paredes at third base. Jose Altuve played second base, Yainer Diaz caught, and Christian Walker was at first base. Lucas Spence played center field, Cam Smith right field, and Taylor Trammell left field.

The final AL matchup was a rivalry showdown between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Payton Tolle started for Boston against Cam Schlittler for New York.

Game one of the Phillies-Braves Wild Card Series was broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Spanish language audio coverage was available on Universo for television and Univision Radio. ESPN Radio provided live national coverage for all 2026 MLB postseason games, starting with the Wild Card Series.