NL Wild Card Game 2019: Brewers vs. Nationals Date, Time, TV Info, Live Stream

No one expected the Washington Nationals to be hosting the National League Wild Card Game after their 19-31 start. 

Milwaukee's postseason spot was in question as well when it lost Christian Yelich for the season, but it rallied and finished with a 19-7 September record. 

On Tuesday, the two sides square off at Nationals Park for the right to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. 

The Brewers are hunting for a return to the NLCS after coming up one game short of the World Series in 2018, while the Nationals are hoping to avoid an elimination before the NLCS for the fifth time since 2012. 

NL Wild-Card Game Information

Date: Tuesday, October 1

Start Time: 8:08 p.m. ET

TV: TBS 

Live Stream: TBS.com

Runs may be hard to come by at Nationals Park. 

Three of the last four NL Wild-Card Games have featured fewer than five runs, including the 13-inning thriller between Colorado and the Chicago Cubs in 2018. 

Milwaukee sends Brandon Woodruff to the mound, and the Brewers are 18-4 in his starts. They also beat Washington in May, per Mike Vassallo of the team's media relations department: 

Woodruff will be making his third appearance since a two-month injury layoff. He lasted two innings against San Diego and Pittsburgh and is going to last as long as he can Tuesday, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. 

"It's that time of year where you just get out there and get after it," he said. "It's going to be a team effort. Obviously, I probably won't be able to go six, seven innings, but I'll be ready to go as long as I can until they take me out." 

Once the 26-year-old is taken out, the Brewers will rely on a handful of pitchers to finish out the contest. Milwaukee benefited from using an opener in a few postseason games a year ago, so it should have no problem relying on that strategy again. 

Although Milwaukee struggled in Colorado to end the regular season, Washington manager Dave Martinez expects a fight from his opponent, per MLB,com's Jamal Collier. 

“I've said it all along: It takes 25 guys on the active roster, and they proved that,” he said. “One of [the Brewers'] best players went down, and all the guys stepped up and filled the void. They've been playing really well.”

The bats in Craig Counsell's lineup may have trouble connecting against Max Scherzer and the hurlers who follow him. 

On May 6, Scherzer conceded one earned run on six hits while striking out 10 at Miller Park. Stephen Strasburg, who could follow the 35-year-old, fanned 11 and gave up four earned runs the next day. 

The Nationals enter in the better form, after they reeled off eight straight wins at home over Philadelphia and Cleveland. 

Earning home field Tuesday is significant because the Nats are 50-31 in Washington, D.C., while Milwaukee is 40-41 on its travels and was swept at Coors Field over the weekend. 

However, NL Wild Card Game history favors the away side, as five road teams have moved on from the No. 4 versus No. 5 clash. Pittsburgh in 2013 and Arizona in 2017 are the only home squads to advance. 

The results from the past three seasons suggest Tuesday's victor could be in line for an early NLDS exit. San Francisco, Arizona and Colorado combined to win one NLDS game after triumphing in the Wild Card Game. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.