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A pair of American League Division Series begin on Thursday, with best-of-five matchups starting at Minute Maid Park in Houston and Progressive Field in Cleveland.
The opener on Thursday is Game 1 of the ALDS between the AL West champion Houston Astrosand AL East champion Boston Red Sox (4 p.m. ET, MLB Network). The opener in Houston features a great pitching matchup, with Justin Verlander on the mound for Houston and Chris Sale toeing the rubber for Boston.
Thursday’s nightcap features the red-hot Cleveland Indians, winners of 33 of their final 37 regular season games, opening up their American League pennant defense at home against the New York Yankees (7:30 p.m., FS1), winners of Tuesday night’s AL Wild Card Game in New York.
Cleveland beat the Yankees in five of their seven games in 2017, though the two clubs split a four-game series at Progressive Field from Aug. 3-6.
Trevor Bauer starts Game 1 for Cleveland, facing off against Sonny Gray for New York.
Thursday MLB playoff schedule
ALDS Game 1 | Red Sox at Astros
4:08 p.m. ET | Minute Maid Park, Houston
TV: MLB Network | Announcers: Bob Costas, Jim Kaat, Jon Paul Morosi
Streaming: MLB.tv
ALDS Game 1 | Yankees at Indians
7:38 p.m. ET | Progressive Field, Cleveland
TV: FS1 | Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz, Tom Verducci
Streaming: Fox Sports Go