ALDS Bracket 2018: TV Times, Live Stream for Friday's Schedule

Major League Baseball's preeminent rivalry takes center stage for the first time in 14 years as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox meet in the American League Division Series.

The Yankees, who finished eight games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, pounded the the Oakland A's 7-2 in the Wild-Card game Wednesday night. That gives the Yankees the opportunity to challenge the Red Sox yet again.

The Yankees jumped on the A's in the first inning on Aaron Judge's two-run homer, and they kept the visitors from mounting a convincing rally because pitchers Luis Severino and Dellin Betances held them in check.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

"We wanted Boston, that’s who’s next, right?" Betances said, per Erik Boland of New York Newsday. "We were trying to win this game to get them. Obviously they’re a tremendous team, we’ve battled them all year. I think everybody in baseball wants this matchup, and so do we."

The Red Sox won the season series between the two teams by a slim 10-9 margin and have  powerful offense led by Mookie Betts (32 home runs, 30 stolen bases) and J.D. Martinez (43 home runs, 130 RBI).

However, the key for the Red Sox may be ace starting pitcher Chris Sale, who has returned from shoulder issues in the second half of the season but was not hitting his accustomed velocity in his last start.

When Sale is on his game, he can shut down any lineup. However, if his arm is not healthy and he is not hitting his spots with his slider and fastball, the advantage could swing to the Yankees.

Sale will start Game 1 for the Red Sox, while the Yankeees have not announced their starter. Sale had a 12-4 record with a 2.11 earned-run average and 237 strikeouts in 158.0 innings this season.

The series gets underway Friday night at Fenway Park, while the Cleveland Indians and the Houston Astros meet in the other ALDS.

ALDS
Friday, October 5, Indians at Astros, Game 1, TBS, 2:05 p.m.
Friday, October 5, Yankees at Red Sox, Game 1, TBS, 7:32 p.m.
Saturday, October 6, Indians at Astros, Game 2, TBS, 4:37 p.m.
Saturday, October 6 Yankees at Red Sox, Game 2, TBS, 8:15 p.m.
Monday, October 8, Red Sox at Yankees, Game 3, TBS, TBD
Monday, October 8, Astros at Indians, Game 3, TBS, TBD
Tuesday, October 9, Red Sox at Yankees, Game 4*, TBS, TBD
Tuesday, October 9, Astros at Indians, Game 4*, TBS, TBD
Thursday, October 11, Yankees at Red Sox, Game 5*, TBS, TBD
Thursday, October 11, Indians at Astros, Game 5*, TBS, TBD
*If necessary

All postseason games can be live-streamed at MLB.TV.

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Tom E. Puskar/Associated Press

In nearly any other season, the Cleveland-Houston matchup would headline the start of the postseason.

These two teams represented the American League in the last two World Series, and both are loaded with talent.

Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Edwin Encarnacion anchor the middle of the formidable Cleveland lineup, as they combined for 109 home runs this season. In addition to that trio, the Indians added third baseman Josh Donaldson at the trade deadline. While his season was devastated by injuries and he played just 16 games, he appears healthy now and his home run power could be a key factor in the series.

Cleveland ace Corey Kluber had a brilliant season with a 20-7 record, 222 strikeouts and a 2.89 earned-run average, and fellow starters Mike Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer are solid. 

The Astros were not as dominant in the regular season as they were in 2017, but the defending World Series champions have a relentless lineup led by Alex Bregman (31 home runs), George Springer (102 runs scored) and Jose Altuve (.315 batting average and 84 runs scored).

Justin Verlander is the ace of the Houston pitching staff, but Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton give this team excellent depth among the starters. Verlander had a 16-9 record, 290 strikeouts and a 2.52 ERA during the regular season.

Kluber and Verlander will matchup in Game 1 of the series.

The postseason almost inevitably builds to a crescendo in the World Series, but it may be hard to top the quality of the teams in the two American League Division Series.