The revamped Boston Red Sox host the star-laden Detroit Tigers in a compelling ALCS matchup, beginning with Saturday’s Game 1. Here, Bleacher Report presents the keys for each team to come away with a victory.
Don’t underestimate the importance of series openers. Dan Hirsch, creator of The Baseball Gauge, tweeted about the historical consequences of their outcomes in best-of-seven battles like this one, saying the home team takes the series the majority of the time.
These division winners met barely a month ago, but so much has changed since then. The rosters have been trimmed and fortified with previously injured and underrated players.
Once the fun begins from Fenway Park, you’ll observe the following factors influencing the final score.
*Stats provided by Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.