Viewership on the rise for first four LCS games

The first four games of League Championship Series play have provided plenty of drama and no shortage of television viewers.

An average of 6.2 million people have tuned into FOX for the National League Championship Series between the Cardinals and Giants and TBS for the American League Championship Series between the Tigers and Yankees, according to data from Nielsen. That represents an increase of 29 percent over the first four LCS games in 2011.

Viewership was particularly strong in St. Louis, which has produced a local rating of 38.9 in watching the Cardinals and Giants split Games 1 and 2 in San Francisco. That is the highest two-game average of the eight NLCS in which the Cardinals have participated since 1996.

While that series will not resume until Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET, the ALCS will return to action tonight at 8 p.m.on TBS, with the teams playing Game 3 in Detroit.