San Diego's Fernando Tatis Jr. is congratulated by Manny Machado, left, after hitting two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning of the second game of a doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
SAN DIEGO — Whether it’s the brevity of the series, the size of the roster for the series, the isolation during the series, the format of the series, or the designated hitter appearing in a National League series, everything about the Cardinals’ first-round postseason series is foreign to them.
Even the opponent.
For the first time since Major League Baseball expanded its playoffs beyond the World Series, the Cardinals will face a team in the first round they did not play in the regular season.