What time will Game 1 of NLDS start for Phillies? Here are the possibilities

As the Phillies wait for some of the details about the National League Division Series to shake out before they host Game 1 on Saturday, they now have an idea of when the action will begin at Citizens Bank Park against either the Reds or the Dodgers.

On Wednesday morning, Major League Baseball announced two possibilities for when the first pitch of Saturday’s Game 1 will be, depending on how the rest of the postseason bracket takes form. Currently, the Red Sox and Yankees are playing in the American League Wild Card Series, with Boston taking the first game on Tuesday night. If the Red Sox advance to take on the Blue Jays in the ALDS, the Phillies will start at 6:08 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. If the Yankees bounce back and move on to the second round, Game 1 in Philadelphia will start at 6:38 p.m. local time.

Game 1 of the Phillies’ series will air on TBS, TruTV and HBO Max. The start time for Monday’s Game 2 and the rest of the NLDS will be determined at a later date.

Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia’s Game 1 starter, and the Phillies will go against either the Reds or the Dodgers, two clubs going head-to-head in the NL Wild Card Series. Los Angeles won Game 1 of that matchup on Tuesday behind five home runs, including two from Shohei Ohtani. The star-studded Dodgers have the upper hand at this point, but anything can happen in a three-game series. The Phillies will know their opponent by Thursday night at the latest.

With nearly a full week off after securing a first-round bye, the Phillies are hosting a seven-inning intrasquad game at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. to help prepare for the NLDS. They played a similar scrimmage last year, but it was not open to the public. This time, the club sold tickets for $10 apiece with the proceeds going to Phillies Charities. The team announced that its released tickets sold out, with over 31,000 fans expected to attend the intrasquad game.