Programming note: For complete coverage of the Giants' matchup with Pittsburgh, watch Giants Postgame Live today at 4:00 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants can book their tickets to Pittsburgh.
Their NL wild card opponent will be the Pirates, who were eliminated from the NL Central race with a 4-1 loss at Cincinnati on Sunday.
Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto collected the tiebreaking hit against Pittsburgh in the eighth inning, thus setting himself up to win his 20th game of the season.
It will be the first postseason meeting between the Pirates and Giants since 1971, when Pittsburgh won three of four before defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
First pitch at PNC Park is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. PDT on Wednesday.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez is expected to face the Giants in the knockout game, opposing left-hander Madison Bumgarner.
[BAGGARLY: Giants notes: Wild Card roster, travel plans take shape]
Volquez, 31, has been the Pirates’ hottest pitcher down the stretch, posting a 1.10 ERA and .170 opponent’s average in a six-start stretch that began Aug. 29.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Volquez, who was entirely hittable last season with the Padres and Dodgers while combining for a 5.71 ERA last season and leading the NL with 108 earned runs.
The year before that, he led the league with 105 walks. He's still prone to uncork one; he leads the NL with 15 wild pitches this season, and that's with catcher Russell Martin's adept skills behind the plate.
With the Pirates’ loss, the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL Central barely 15 minutes before taking the field at Arizona. The Los Angeles Dodgers will play host to the Cardinals in one NL Division Series, while the Washington Nationals – who are celebrating Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter on Sunday – await either the Pirates or Giants in the other NLDS.
Game 1 of both NL Division Series is scheduled for Friday.
