Wild-card series down, Division Series here we come. MLB's 12-team postseason bracket has already been whittled down to eight contenders. Now, the top two seeds from each league are set to join the fray. After advancing directly to their ALDS and NLDS slots via byes, the Astros, Yankees, Dodgers and Braves will take on challengers.

That means aces on the mound. The day begins with Max Fried for the Braves, continues with AL Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander taking the hill in Houston and Gerrit Cole starting for the Yankees, and concludes with NL ERA leader Julio Urias getting the ball for the Dodgers. Their opponents, fresh off hard-fought wild-card wins, will be using No. 3 starters and hoping to get the ball rolling toward upset victories.

All four series started Tuesday in a busy day of baseball.

Dodgers jump to early lead, hang on vs. Padres

Baseball's best team didn't look rusty after all. The 111-win Dodgers raced out to a five-run lead against the division rival Padres and kept the challengers at bay to take NLDS Game 1, 5-3.

Trea Turner started the scoring with a first-inning homer for Los Angeles, and the rest of the lineup piled on in the third. NL ERA champ Julio Urias started and allowed three runs across five innings to get the win. Relief ace Evan Phillips escaped the stickiest situation by inducing a double play off the bat of Wil Myers in the sixth inning, when the Padres had the tying run on base.