league's divisions would reach the postseason, along with one wild card team from each league (the latter being the second-place finisher with the best regular-season record). However, this expanded playoff format did not return until the following year, because a players' strike, which began on August 12, 1994, led to the cancellation of that season's playoffs and World Series (and caused the 1995 regular season to have 18 fewer games for each team than the standard 162 [for a total of 144 games]). 1995–1997: Pre-arranged seeding Throughout its existence, the Division Series has been best-of-five; however, both the method of awarding home-field advantage in the series and which games the team getting the advantage would host were changed in 1998. Originally, the East, Central, and West Division champions rotated home-site priority, with two division winners getting the extra home game, and third one not having the extra game along with the wild-card team, who never have it. The 2–3 format was used in which the team with the disadvantage hosted the first two games and the team with the advantage hosting the remaining game(s). This made it impossible for the disadvantaged team to clinch the series at home. A similar format had been used for the League Championship Series from 1969 to 1984. It also allowed the disadvantaged teams the unusual luxury of starting a series at home, and a guarantee that they play two games at home. 1998–2011 The two division champions with the best regular-season records have been accorded with the home-field advantage, forcing the worst division winner to play an extra road game. Also, the format changed to a 2–2–1 layout with the team having home-field advantage hosting Games 1, 2, and (if necessary) 5. In both the AL and the NL, the three division champions were automatically given the top three seeds, seeded 1-3 based on record, and the wild-card was given the 4th seed regardless of record. In both the AL and the NL, the 1 seed played the 4 seed and the 2 seed played the 3 seed, unless the 1 and 4 seed were in the same division. Because teams from the same division couldn't play each other in the first round, if the normal matchups would cause this, then the 1 seed played the 3 seed, and the 2 seed played the 4 seed. In all cases, the top two seeds had