MLB Playoff Schedule 2017: Live Stream, Predictions for Friday's AL, NL Matchups

The American League and National League divisional rounds are nearly both underway, and Friday provides the first chance to watch all four matchups in one day.

As with any playoff series, exceptional pitching is set to be on display, as arguably the game's top two pitchers in Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians will take the hill. Yet, that has not seemed to matter at times this postseason. In the wild-card round, for instance, a starting foursome that included aces like Zack Greinke and Luis Severino combined to pitch just 7.1 innings.

How can you watch this full day of top-notch baseball? Check out the viewing schedule for Game 2s in the AL and Game 1s in the NL.

Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros

When: Friday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. ET

Television: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians

When: Friday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. ET

Television: MLB Network

Live Stream: MLB.tv

Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals

When: Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Television: TBS

Live Stream: TBS Live, MLB.tv

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers

When: Friday, Oct. 6 at 10:30 p.m. ET

Television: TBS

Live Stream: TBS Live, MLB.tv

Houston vs. Boston Preview

The Boston Red Sox threw their ace in Game 1, and it did not go well.

Chris Sale was tattooed for seven runs and nine hits in just five innings as the Houston Astros easily took the contest 8-2. The Red Sox will now turn to Drew Pomeranz to tie the series before it heads back to Boston.

Pomeranz turned in an excellent season, going 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA. He also threw his best against baseball's top teams, per the Red Sox Notes statistics profile:

He will need to be just as stout on Friday against an Astros lineup littered with dangerous bats. Houston led MLB with 896 runs and a .282 team average in the regular season, and the offense is still rolling after battering Sale. 

Besides Thursday's hero Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, Pomeranz does have a solid history against the Astros lineup, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle:

This should make it a low-scoring affair, especially since Houston is throwing 2015 Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. 

The lefty was great again this season with a 14-5 mark and 2.90 ERA, but he has not faced this Boston lineup too often. Other than Rajai Davis and Mitch Moreland, both of whom are hitting below .100 lifetime, no Red Sox hitter has more than 10 career at-bats against Keuchel.

Such a tight pitching matchup makes this game a toss-up on paper, but Houston's dynamite offense and rowdy home crowd should give them a slight advantage. Look for the Astros to squeeze a run or two home to walk out with a narrow win.

Cleveland vs. New York Preview

If one thought the Red Sox were in trouble after Game 1, take a look at the New York Yankees' ominous position.

After using their bullpen for 8.2 innings in the wild-card round, the Yankees got just 3.1 frames out of starter Sonny Gray on Thursday. New York relievers still allowed just two hits and a run the rest of the night, but a dominant bullpen is being stretched out early.

It will be up to 37-year-old CC Sabathia to right the ship and give New York a quality outing. He has been the man for the job in 2017 after a Yankees loss, per Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News:

Sabathia has gone seven or more innings only three times this season, but New York should have Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson available again after their long wild-card stints. The Yankees should be set up to win on the hill, except for one major problem.

No pitcher was as dominant this season, especially in the AL, as Kluber. He went 18-4 on the year with a sparkling 2.25 ERA, which will likely win him the Cy Young. He has also been fantastic against the Yankees this season, posting a 2-0 record with three runs allowed in 17 innings. Lifetime, only Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting above .250 among the current Yankees.

With a rested bullpen and possibly the best pitcher in baseball, Cleveland should be favored here. This is truly an elite team that has already flexed its muscles in this series. Expect a 2-0 Indians lead going back to the Bronx.

Chicago vs. Washington Preview

After a slow start, the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs got back on track to win the NL Central and enter October as a title contender.

After the All-Star break, Chicago led MLB with 423 runs and were second with a .273 team batting average. Kris Bryant, 29 homers and 73 RBI, and Anthony Rizzo, 32 homers and 109 RBI, returned to form again in 2017, as Chicago had six players smack at least 20 dingers for the year.

The Cubs will need that offense going against a red-hot Stephen Strasburg, who finished the year with a 15-4 record and 2.52 ERA. He ended his season on an absolute tear over five starts, per the Washington Nationals team Twitter account:

With Trea Turner coming back from injury, this is the best Nationals team ever on paper, especially with Ryan Zimmerman going off for 36 homers and 108 RBI on the year. This makes them the favorite for the series and Game 1.

Strasburg should perform very well if he continues his recent play, and that will be the key to this game. Washington ranked a lowly 23rd in MLB with a bullpen ERA of 4.41, so this will be the weakness for Chicago to exploit.

Against any other Washington starter besides Max Scherzer, this would give the Cubs a pretty solid chance to pull out a win. However, expect Strasburg, who was 7-2 at home this season, to lead the Nationals to an early series lead.

Arizona vs. Los Angeles Preview

Another year, another example of Kershaw's otherworldly talents.

After putting up an 18-4 record and 2.31 ERA in 2017, Kershaw continued to lower his career numbers, per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian:

There is no question Kershaw is likely the top pitcher of his generation, but his postseason numbers have not matched his regular-season dominance. He sports 4.55 ERA in 14 career starts, and he is coming off of a shaky 2016 playoff run in which he allowed 12 runs in 24.1 innings despite his excessive use.

He will start another chance to possibly pitch in a World Series on Friday against an Arizona team that has given him some trouble. In seven starts over the last three years prior to 2017, Kershaw allowed 19 runs in 42 innings against the Diamondbacks. Yet, he bounced back this season with a ridiculous 0.59 ERA against Arizona in two starts.

He has handled Arizona star Paul Goldschmidt pretty well over the years. Goldschmidt is hitting just .227 in 44 at-bats, including 17 strikeouts. The Diamondbacks are going to need some offense in Game 1 to help out starter Taijuan Walker against a loaded Los Angeles Dodgers lineup that has routinely batted players like Yasiel Puig seventh or eighth.

Puig, by the way, hit 28 homers this season. 

Picking against Kershaw is never a smart bet, and as long he even closely resembles his typical self, the Dodgers should be able to generate enough runs to get the Game 1 win.

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.