ALDS Schedule 2014: Complete Viewing Info and Preview

Well, if the first game of the postseason was an indication of what's to come, then we're in store for one of the greatest Octobers in the history of baseball.

That seems like hyperbole, but Tuesday's Wild Card play-in game between the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics was an instant classic. Ned Yost's squad erased a 7-3 deficit with four runs in the eighth and ninth innings, and then scored two more in the bottom of the 12th to cap a second comeback and a roller-coaster 9-8 victory.

"This will go down as the craziest game I ever played," Eric Hosmer said simply after the game, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

We can only hope the American League Division Series features a fraction of the entertainment from Kauffman Stadium Tuesday night, but baseball in the fall typically finds a way to exceed even the loftiest expectations. Let's take a look at when and how to see it all.

Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV Info
Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV Info
1	KC at LAA	Thurs., Oct. 2	9 p.m.	TBS
2	KC at LAA	Fri., Oct. 3	9:30 p.m.	TBS
3	LAA at KC	Sun., Oct. 5	7:30 p.m.	TBS
4*	LAA at KC	Mon., Oct. 6	TBD	TBS
5*	KC at LAA	Wed., Oct. 8	TBD	TBS
1	DET at BAL	Thurs., Oct. 2	5:30 p.m.	TBS
2	DET at BAL	Fri., Oct. 3	TBD	TBS
3	BAL at DET	Sun., Oct. 5	3:30 p.m.	TBS
4*	BAL at DET	Mon., Oct. 6	TBD	TBS
5*	DET at BAL	Wed., Oct. 8	TBD	TBS

Note: Live stream for all games can be watched at TBS.com. 

The Royals are riding high right now, and after a 28-year dry spell from the playoffs, they showed why they will be dangerous in October. They don't have a pitching staff full of big-name aces, and they aren't going to smash a lot of home runs, but the bullpen is rock-solid, and the combination of speed and timely hitting can win a lot of ballgames.

Lorenzo Cain, per The Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough, is feeling extremely confident:

There's only one problem. Awaiting the Royals in the ALDS are the Los Angeles Angels, the team with the best record in baseball.

The Halos are without Garrett Richards, and stud rookie Matt Shoemaker is dealing with an oblique injury, so starting-pitching depth behind Jered Weaver could be a problem. Still, with the weapons this team has at the plate, that may not matter.

Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, David Freese, Howie Kendrick, Kole Calhoun and Chris Iannetta make up one of the most formidable lineups in the league, while the return of a healthy Josh Hamilton could pay massive dividends.

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

"I don't know what attention I'm getting, but I know one thing: I'm having fun watching those guys doing what they're doing," said hitting coach Don Baylor about his team, which is fifth in the majors in slugging percentage, as reported by the Associated Press' Greg Beacham.  "Guys believe in each other, and guys have worked real hard to get to this spot."

The American League's other matchup features the Detroit Tigers and the Baltimore Orioles, a tantalizing battle that could very easily turn into a slugfest.

While Detroit has the electric arms of Max Scherzer, David Price, Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander to shut teams out on any given night, the numbers of the pitching staff aren't anything to write home about. At the plate, however, they finished the season second in both slugging percentage and OPS.

The Orioles, even with Chris Davis in a season-long slump, Matt Wieters missing almost the entire year and Manny Machado playing just 82 games, are third and sixth in those categories, respectively.

Miguel Cabrera. Victor Martinez. J.D. Martinez. Nelson Cruz. Adam Jones. Steve Pearce. Get ready for fireworks.