<P> Even though one of the stated purposes of the Wild Card game was to create disadvantages for Wild Card teams in the postseason, Wild Card Game winners have won six of the first twelve Division Series played under the new format . Of the best - of - five Division Series lost by Wild Card Game winners, three lost in five games, two lost in four games, and only one team has been swept . The 2014 postseason featured the first Series sweeps involving Wild Card Game winners, but they were both in favor of the AL Wild Card Kansas City Royals who swept both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Baltimore Orioles en route to the second World Series featuring both NL and AL Wild Card Game winners, with the San Francisco Giants defeating the Royals in seven games . The first all Wild Card World Series also involved the Giants, but they were on the losing end, losing the 2002 World Series to the then Anaheim Angels in seven games . </P> <P> The one - game, win - or - go - home Wild Card format favors teams with at least one dominant pitcher . In the twelve games played since the new Wild Card system began in 2012, five have been shutouts . In four of the seven others, the losing team scored 3 or fewer runs . Only the 2014 AL Wild Card game between the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics and the 2017 NL Wild Card game between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks featured high scoring by both teams, with the Royals eventually winning 9 - 8 in 12 innings and the Diamondbacks winning 11 - 8 with the most runs scored in a Wild Card game . The margin of victory has been four runs or more in six of the twelve games played, and one run only twice--in the 2014 Royals - Athletics game and the 2018 Rockies - Cubs game . </P> <Table> Key <Tr> <Td> bold </Td> <Td> Wild Card Game winner </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ↓ </Td> <Td> Lost tie - breaker game to reach Wild Card Game (arrow links to game) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ↑ </Td> <Td> Won tie - breaker game to reach Wild Card Game (arrow links to game) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Reached League Championship Series </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Reached World Series </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Won World Series </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> bold </Td> <Td> Wild Card Game winner </Td> </Tr>

Baseball's world series matchups 2 teams against each other