MLB Playoff Bracket 2019: AL, NL Wild-Card TV Schedule, Live Stream and Picks

Two teams will leave the MLB postseason heartbroken after one contest. 

Milwaukee and Washington kick off the 48-hour elimination-game frenzy Tuesday at Nationals Park, while Oakland plays host to Tampa Bay on Wednesday. 

In the seven years of wild-card games, the American League matchup has been the higher-scoring affair with an average of 8.2 runs. The National League contests average 7.7 runs, but that total is inflated from an 11-8 result in 2017. 

The Brewers and Nationals are making their first appearance in this round. Tampa Bay won in 2013, and Oakland is 0-2 after road losses in 2014 and 2018. 

The AL winner achieved more recent success with two ALCS appearances in the last three seasons. The NL victor has won one NLDS game since 2016. 

Wild-Card Schedule

Tuesday, October 1

Milwaukee at Washington (8:08 p.m. ET, TBS, TBS.com) 

Wednesday, October 2

Tampa Bay at Oakland (8:09 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN.com) 

Picks

Washington over Milwaukee

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Max Scherzer has been efficient in his 16 postseason appearances, as he has given up more than four earned runs just twice. 

In his last two playoff starts, the 35-year-old limited opponents to six hits and two earned runs while striking out 14 batters. At Nationals Park in 2016, he walked two batters in a pair of matchups with the Dodgers and retired 12 batters on strikes. 

Scherzer is prepared to throw an extended outing Tuesday since he tested his arm to go over 100 pitches in his previous two starts, per MASN's Mark Zuckerman. 

"I've put myself in this position to be able to give whatever I need to give to the team tomorrow," he said. "I've been up to 100 pitches a couple times now. My arm has responded. I feel like I can pitch. I can execute pitches that deep in the game."

While the Nationals will rely on a starter to go the distance, the Brewers are set to employ a platoon, with Brandon Woodruff starting off. 

The 26-year-old's splits are worse on the road in four fewer starts than at Miller Park. He possesses a 3.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has only fanned 50 batters in those nine away games. On six occasions, Woodruff has been tagged for four or more earned runs, with a quartet of those occurrences on the road. 

Despite those numbers, the Brewers are confident in their pitching staff after a successful September, as pitching coach Chris Hook noted, per MLB.com's Jamal Collier and Adam McCalvy.

"I think we're in a really good position to maximize everybody's skills," Hook said. "That's what September did for us, and I think [manager Craig] Counsell did a really nice job of that. I think we did it all year long. But in September we had more resources to lock it in even more."

Milwaukee has experience using an opener, but its approach may not be enough to slow down Washington's bats. 

During their eight-game winning streak, the Nationals averaged 6.75 runs and put up 26 to close the regular season versus Cleveland.

Tampa Bay over Oakland

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The home side has won four of the last five AL wild-card matchups, but that trend could end Wednesday. 

Tampa Bay won seven of eight games down the stretch to secure its postseason berth, and travel will not be an issue since it had an extra day to get to Oakland. 

Charlie Morton's success versus the Athletics bolsters Tampa Bay's hopes, as he conceded one earned run in 13.1 innings in June. 

The 2017 World Series champion with Houston limited opponents to three runs or fewer in his last five starts, and he boasts a pair of Game 7 victories from two years ago. 

As a whole, the Rays staff enters in good form, as it held teams to four runs or fewer in six of seven wins from September 18-27.

"The way our pitchers have been going lately, I'll just say I'm so glad I'm wearing the same name across the front of my chest because, as a hitter, you don't want any part of them," outfielder Kevin Kiermaier told John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times. 

Oakland closed with three wins in its last five contests, but it faced only one playoff team after September 3. 

Its offense did not click in the final week, failing to eclipse three runs after a 12-run outburst September 21. 

Six of the seven regular-season contests between the two sides were decided by two runs or less, so the A's are expecting another tight affair, per MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. 

"Two good bullpens. Two good offenses. Two good starting rotations," Oakland reliever Liam Hendriks said. "They've got a good ballclub over there, and all our games have been really close. Especially with a couple of guys that I've played with on their team, it always adds a little extra."

If Morton thrives for a third time versus Oakland and Tampa Bay continues to score more than the A's, like they did in the last week of the regular season, the Rays should move on to an ALDS showdown with Houston. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.