Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 1.99 ERA) starts Game 2 following a successful first season with Chicago. Chris Bassitt, drafted by the White Sox before being traded to Oakland in December 2014, pitches for the A’s.

Manager Don Mattingly and his Miami team make a most unexpected playoff appearance, on the road against the Cubs. This will be the first time the Marlins have been in the postseason since 2003 — they won the World Series that year, spurred by a stirring rally in Game 6 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field when a fan tried to catch a foul ball.

Kyle Hendricks starts the opener for Chicago. He was third in the majors in innings and particularly sharp down the stretch, with a 1.45 ERA in five outings in September.

Sandy Alcantara starts for Miami, which lost an NL-high 105 times last year and was decimated by a virus outbreak early this season.

MLB didn’t wait for the expiration of its agreement with the minor leagues Wednesday to start making major changes, announcing Tuesday that the Rookie-level Appalachian League would be converted into a college summer circuit. The 10-team league will give top freshmen and sophomores access to professional instruction, technology for evaluation and a platform to boost their draft stock. It could also spark a competition with the Cape Cod League for players.