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Thursday’s Game 1s in the American League, which featured some of the most potent offenses in all of MLB, didn’t lack the firepower we’ve come to expect from the the teams that have been doing it all year. The Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians grabbed 1-0 series leads over the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox, respectively, with frightening combinations of quality pitching and overwhelming power at the plate. 

The series between Toronto and Texas is a rematch of the 2015 American League Division Series. A year ago, the Blue Jays dropped the first two games in the best-of-five series at home before heading to Texas. Toronto won both games on the road to force a decisive Game 5, which it would win at home.

The 2016 division series began differently for Toronto, which secured its date with the Rangers by sinking the Baltimore Orioles at home on Tuesday following a walk-off, three-run home run in the 11th inning from Edwin Encarnacion. 

Despite embarrassing the Rangers at their home park on Thursday by a score of 10-1, the Blue Jays know all too well that there is an arduous road ahead that leads to the American League Championship Series and continues at 1 p.m. ET on Friday. 

Neither the Red Sox nor the Indians were participants in the 2015 postseason—Cleveland won 81 games a year ago, while Boston claimed just 78 victories. Each team’s story was substantially different in 2016, with both teams winning more than 90 games. 

Cleveland edged out Boston by one game over the course of 162, and the Tribe took Thursday’s Game 1 at home 5-4. The two teams combined to jolt six solo home runs, but it was Jason Kipnis’ RBI single in the fifth inning that made the difference.

After one game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this series go the full five games. However, Cleveland and Boston cannot look past Game 2 on Friday at 4:30 p.m ET. 

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Given the quality of starting pitching in the National League this season, both National League Division Series openers, which will see three of the four teams’ aces on the mound, should be high on excitement.

Don’t expect high-scoring affairs. But do expect every ground ball, relay throw and double play to matter.

Such is the case in playoff baseball, where everything is scrutinized. But while every stat will be dissected heading into these games, can you guess what’s most important to each team’s success?

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Clayton Kershaw, David Price and Jon Lester are scheduled to headline a star-studded day of pitching Friday as the two American League Division Series roll on and both National League Division Series get underway after an entertaining first few days of playoff action.

Runs will likely be hard to come by throughout Friday’s action, with Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber and Yu Darvish among the other starting pitchers slated to take the mound. Expect to see plenty of tactics from managers with an eye toward scratching out two or three runs, knowing that could be enough.

Let’s check out the important information for all of the day’s contests. That’s followed by a quick preview and prediction for each game on tap.

Friday’s MLB Playoff Schedule

Game Predictions

Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers

If the Texas Rangers are going to make a World Series run, Darvish must be the X-factor. While he made only 17 starts during the regular season, he finished with a flurry when healthy, giving up just one run with 21 strikeouts over 13 innings in his final two starts.

The 30-year-old is also one of the few pitchers to tame the high-powered Blue Jays offense over the past three years. He’s racked up a microscopic 1.88 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 28.2 innings against Toronto during that span.

That’s not a promising sign for a Blue Jays offense that sputtered down the stretch. The typically reliable lineup generated just 100 runs in September, which ranked 29th in MLB. A major resurgence is necessary to turn Toronto back into contenders.

Prediction: Rangers win, 6-2.

Boston Red Sox at Cleveland Indians

Earlier this year, Peyton Manning capped a Hall of Fame career by winning the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. Now, Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz is trying to complete a similar storybook ending after a remarkable final regular season in which he posted 38 homers and 127 RBI.

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe noted the Red Sox are doing everything possible, including embracing superstitions, to send Big Papi out as a champion:

Although the designated hitter is crucial to the team’s success, the Red Sox also need Price to pitch like an ace during their playoff run. They signed him to a massive contract in the offseason, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype, finishing with a 3.99 ERA in the regular season, the second-highest mark of his career.

Friday’s start is not only important for the series, but it could also say a lot about how dangerous he will be in the playoffs. Shutting down a Cleveland Indians offense that ranked fifth in runs during the regular season would be a major statement.

Prediction: Red Sox win, 3-2.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are best equipped to challenge the Chicago Cubs in the NL. They ranked second in starters’ ERA during the regular season and scored the fourth-most runs in the NL. Surviving a five-game series in which they likely have to face Kershaw twice won’t be easy, though.

The 28-year-old left-hander made only 21 starts, but he was as dominant as ever when healthy. It’s almost hard to comprehend his 1.69 ERA and 0.72 WHIP, especially in a year with a historically high home run rate.

Washington can still win its series against the Los Angeles Dodgers without beating Kershaw, but the margin for error in that scenario is razor-thin. The Nats will have to hope Scherzer can match him frame for frame long enough to steal at least one of his starts.

Prediction: Dodgers win, 4-1.

San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs

This is one of those “if not now, when?” situations for the Cubs. The team, which is attempting to break a World Series drought dating back to 1908, won 103 games during the regular season, eight more than any other club, and accumulated a tremendous plus-252 run differential.

Chicago’s rotation is stacked, its bullpen is reliable and its offense ranked third in runs during the regular season. Despite the seemingly large advantages all over the field, manager Joe Maddon stressed the importance of overcoming adversity, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.

“You have to be able to maintain your focus,” Maddon said. “When things are going well, it’s easy. We all can do that. I just want to remind them to be able to maintain our focus, maintain our methods, even if something goes awry.”

On the flip side, there’s something about the San Francisco Giants and even-numbered years. They won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 while missing the playoffs in 2011, 2013 and 2015. There’s no direct correlation, but any mental edge can help at this time of the year.

It’s going to take a special effort to upset the Cubs, though. Chicago has taken a steady approach to rebuilding the organization under president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, and it’s starting to pay off in a massive way.

Prediction: Cubs win, 3-0.

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The Cleveland Indians are attempting to match the Cavaliers by bringing a championship to their city in 2016.

They took the first step Thursday at Progressive Field with a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Home runs by Roberto Perez, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor and a stellar performance from their bullpen powered the win. All three long balls came in the third inning, while an RBI single by Kipnis drove in what proved to be the winning run in the fifth.

Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer lasted just 4.2 innings for Cleveland, allowing three earned runs and six hits. But the combination of Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen allowed just one more run for the rest of the game. Miller was particularly impressive with four strikeouts in two clutch middle innings, and Allen earned a 1.2-inning save with four punchouts of his own.

ESPN Stats & Info noted it was Allen’s first five-out save of the season, while T.J. Zuppe of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland underscored how important the bullpen was Thursday:

Allen ended the night by striking out Dustin Pedroia, who failed to check his swing on a full count:

Boston starting pitcher Rick Porcello allowed five earned runs and six hits in 4.1 innings. Its bullpen was also effective, as Drew Pomeranz, Joe Kelly and Koji Uehara didn’t allow an earned run in 3.2 combined frames.

The Red Sox offense, which led MLB in runs scored, wasted little time jumping on Bauer. Pedroia doubled to lead things off and moved to third on Brock Holt’s single. They each appeared to score on Hanley Ramirez’s double, but Holt was eventually called out after a replay review.

Daren Willman of MLB.com praised the efficiency of Cleveland’s relay:

The Indians responded in the second, when Jose Ramirez doubled and scored on Lonnie Chisenhall’s single. Another review called Chisenhall out after he attempted to reach second base, but he did enough to drive in Cleveland’s first postseason run since 2007.

The offense continued in the third, but from unexpected sources. Each team’s No. 9 hitter drilled a solo home run. Andrew Benintendi gave Boston a brief lead in his first postseason at-bat, and Perez answered with a dinger of his own.

Cleveland was far from done. Kipnis and Lindor drilled back-to-back homers, and Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal pointed out how rare the feat was against Porcello:

The Indians noted it wasn’t the first time they had connected with three home runs in a playoff inning:

Sandy Leon continued the power surge with a long ball in the fifth to trim Boston’s deficit to 4-3. Bauer couldn’t finish the inning, and manager Terry Francona didn’t hesitate to give the ball to Miller. The southpaw allowed a double to Holt and walked Mookie Betts, but he struck out David Ortiz in a pressure-packed moment.

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe described why Ortiz was overmatched in the showdown:

Porcello didn’t last through the fifth, either, as Boston manager John Farrell inserted Pomeranz. He failed to strand Porcello’s runner, immediately allowing an RBI single to Kipnis. It would have been worse, but Mike Napoli’s drive down the line bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, forcing Kipnis to hold at third.

Chisenhall struck out with the bases loaded two batters later.

Miller and Pomeranz each settled in and kept the game at 5-3. Miller struck out two in the sixth and one in the seventh, while Pomeranz struck out the side in the sixth and recorded one strikeout in the seventh. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com pointed out Miller’s outing wasn’t all good news for Cleveland:

The Indians missed Miller in the eighth, when Shaw gave up a solo home run to Holt, who was just a triple short of the cycle. Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander noticed there was a pattern at Progressive Field:

Allen kept it in the ballpark in relief of Shaw, although he allowed a double to Ortiz. He escaped the jam by inducing a groundout from Ramirez and striking out Xander Bogaerts.

Allen didn’t appear fatigued when he took the mound in the ninth and struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. and Leon before Benintendi delivered a single to keep Boston alive. However, Allen struck out Pedroia to close out the victory. MacPherson noted the second baseman was “livid” with the call, as he was already on his way to first base because he thought he had checked his swing and earned a walk.

What’s Next?

Game 2 is Friday in Cleveland.

While the Indians earned the early lead in the series, the Red Sox are still one victory away from being in ideal position. Boston can steal home-field advantage with a Game 2 win before things shift to Fenway Park, but Cleveland could seize a commanding lead before it even leaves home with a win Friday.

Game 2 will be a showdown of aces, with David Price toeing the rubber for Boston and Corey Kluber doing the same for Cleveland.

Price faced Cleveland just once this season, allowing two earned runs and striking out 10 in six innings. Kluber faced Boston twice with mixed results. He gave up four earned runs and nine hits in 5.1 innings April 5, but he was better May 20, allowing only two earned runs and five hits in seven innings.

Postgame Reaction

Bauer said, “That was the coolest experience of my life,” when asked about the atmosphere, per Zuppe.

Zuppe shared more of the starting pitcher’s thoughts after the win:

Allen praised the Red Sox after the hard-fought save, per MacPherson: “They’re so relentless. … They put up professional at-bats after professional at-bats.”

On the other side, Pedroia talked about the umpire who called him out on the check swing, per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald: “I’ll apologize to Phil [Cuzzi] tomorrow for yelling at him.”

Ortiz had a positive outlook even after the defeat, per McAdam: “Hey, listen this is not over yet…I’m gonna bring my best tomorrow, and I’m sure my teammates will too. See you all manana.”

If the Red Sox do that, this series will be tied as it moves to Boston.

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From the way it was being billed, the American League Division Series showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers sounded less like a baseball affair and more like a prizefight.

If that’s how it is, I’m compelled to say the Blue Jays have scored a first-round knockdown.

There was plenty of energy in Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, at the outset of Game 1 on Thursday afternoon—rightfully so in light of the still-fresh memory of Rougned Odor punching Jose Bautista, not to mention the roots of said punch in last year’s ALDS showdown. With that backdrop in place, how could anything other than a brutal back-and-forth ensue?

Well, how about a 10-1 drubbing in favor of the invading villains instead?

None other than Bautista provided the exclamation point with a three-run homer in the ninth inning, but the life had been sucked out of the stadium long before that. In fact, the win expectancy chart from FanGraphs makes no secret of where that happened:

That five-run third inning featured an RBI double by Josh Donaldson, an RBI single by Bautista and a groan-inducing, base-clearing triple by Troy Tulowitzki. It took Cole Hamels more than 40 pitches to get through it all, and boy did it feel like it had gone from a 50-50 game to one the Blue Jays had roughly a 90 percent chance of winning.

“We’re baseball players, not UFC fighters,” Bautista told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, “And we come here to play ballgames.”

All the Blue Jays needed to hang on was for Marco Estrada not to pull a Hamels and have a meltdown of his own. It wasn’t much of a challenge—granted—but he accepted it all the same.

Estrada did give up the Rangers’ lone run, but it came in the ninth inning after he had already hurled eight dominant frames. In all, he pitched 8.1 innings, struck out six with no walks and allowed only four hits.

As good as that line makes his performance sound, it was somehow even better than that. Case in point: One of the hits Estrada gave up was a soft trickler to first base off the bat of Adrian Beltre that had the characteristics of a batted ball that otherwise goes for a .000 batting average, according to Baseball Savant.

The Rangers needed more lucky hits like that, and Estrada just didn’t allow them. He was locating his fastball and keeping Texas hitters off balance with his ball-on-string changeup. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet would know when Estrada has a good changeup, so we should take his word for it that it was especially good in Game 1:

Estrada isn’t the most impressive name in a Blue Jays rotation that also features 20-game winner J.A. Happ, American League ERA champ Aaron Sanchez and fan favorite Marcus Stroman. But his Game 1 performance is a good reminder of how capable he’s been in his two years with the team. He led the AL in hits per nine innings for a second straight season in 2016, and his ERA only regressed to 3.48 from 3.13 in 2015.

Indeed, the fact that Estrada isn’t the most impressive name in Toronto’s starting rotation is a reminder of how strong the unit is. Blue Jays starters led the American League with a 3.64 ERA, and John Gibbons will tell you they’re ready to keep that up in October.

“If you keep them in line, we feel good about them all,” the Blue Jays manager said before the series began, per Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. “That’s a big part of our strength is our starting rotation. And we’ve managed the last couple of months to keep them all rested.”

As for Toronto’s offense, what was lost amid the excitement (and confusion over Zach Britton’s absence) of Edwin Encarnacion’s walk-off home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card Game was that Blue Jays hitters struggled for most of the evening. Right up until Encarnacion took his parrot for a stroll, they still seemed mired in the slump that dragged the team to a 13-16 showing in September and October.

But Thursday? Thursday was more like it.

The presence of Donaldson, Bautista and Encarnacion gives Toronto’s offense the image of a parade of home run hitters. But while they do hit their share of dingers, what Blue Jays hitters really excelled at in 2016 was being tough outs. They saw the most pitches per plate appearance of any team in 2016, a notable departure from their more aggressive style in 2015.

Especially in that big third inning, the Blue Jays looked more like themselves in Game 1. They gave Hamels no quarter, forcing him to throw perfect pitches that he just didn’t have. Facing an offense that can do that is just as demoralizing as facing one that’s a threat for a dinger at any moment.

Of course, it must be said that Hamels is easier prey these days than his reputation suggests. He pitched well for most of 2016 but fell on hard times with a 4.28 ERA in his last 11 starts. Hard contact (37.2 Hard%) became a big problem, an indication that something is up with the Rangers ace.

Still, this is no time to balk about how the Blue Jays walked into Arlington and stole Game 1.

No, sir. They made the Rangers, they of the American League’s best regular-season record, look overmatched. The Blue Jays did it with the same ingredients that made them a good team in their own right for most of 2016. And with Happ set to take the mound opposite Yu Darvish, who had issues of his own at the end of the year, they could well do it again in Game 2 on Friday.

The Blue Jays still need two more wins before we can call the fight in their favor. But with their opponent reeling and them not even sweating, they have to like their chances.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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The Toronto Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the 2016 American League Division Series with a 10-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday in Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. 

Marco Estrada pitched a gem for the Blue Jays. He stymied the Rangers offense over 8.1 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out six batters.

Former MLB reliever LaTroy Hawkins thought Estrada’s changeup was particularly effective:

Rangers ace Cole Hamels had one of his worst starts of the 2016 season, going 3.1 innings and allowing seven runs—six earned—on six hits. Hamels’ command was an issue throughout his outing. He walked three batters and threw 82 pitches.

MLB.com’s Richard Justice noted how poor the start was:

Hamels was one out away from getting out of the third inning before the game unraveled for the Rangers.

Josh Donaldson got the Blue Jays on the board with a double to left field. The line drive narrowly evaded Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, who got a glove on the ball but couldn’t react in time to make the catch. Jose Bautista then doubled Toronto’s lead with a single to center.

A walk to Edwin Encarnacion loaded the bases, and Troy Tulowitzki emptied them with a triple to right-center field to put the Blue Jays ahead 5-0.

Rangers center fielder Ian Desmond has largely exceeded expectations following his transition to the outfield. Tulowitzki’s three-run triple, however, highlighted Desmond’s relative inexperience at the position. As he was tracking the ball, Desmond—bracing for an impact with the outfield wall—pulled up well before he needed to, allowing Tulowitzki’s hit to fall in.

Sports Illustrated‘s Jonah Keri didn’t hold back with his criticism of Desmond:

Vice Sports’ Dave Lozo thought the play would have at least made Roger Dorn of Major League proud:

ESPN.com’s Keith Law was seemingly surprised how quickly the Blue Jays took control of the game:

Melvin Upton Jr. began the top of the fourth with a solo home run to left field to give the Blue Jays a 6-0 lead.

Donaldson then knocked Hamels out of the game after singling home Devon Travis.

Bautista piled further misery on the Rangers with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth, putting Toronto ahead 10-0. According to the Toronto Star‘s Bruce Arthur, the right-handed slugger made sure not to anger any Rangers players with another bat flip:

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball thought the 35-year-old helped himself with free agency on the horizon:

FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan tweeted that Bautista’s home run meant Texas has now allowed more runs than it has scored in 2016.

Dropping the first game is far from a decisive blow to the Rangers in the ALDS. Texas took a 2-0 lead over the Blue Jays in last year’s ALDS before ultimately losing the series.

Still, getting a win in Game 2 will be critical for the Rangers. They won’t want to be in a 2-0 hole when the series shifts to the raucous Rogers Centre. Texas finished only three games over .500 on the road this year.

The good news for the Rangers is that they’ll have their best pitcher on the mound to even the series. Yu Darvish went 7-5 and posted a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts. His 3.09 FIP was lowest among the team’s starters, though, per Baseball-Reference.com.

J.A. Happ will get the nod for Toronto. He went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA during the regular season. On May 5, the veteran lefty went seven innings and allowed one run in a 12-2 win over the Rangers.

If Happ delivers a similar outing, then Toronto will have one foot in the American League Championship Series for the second year in a row.

Postgame Reaction

Rangers manager Jeff Banister doesn’t think Thursday’s defeat will have a residual impact on his team over the rest of the series, according the Canadian Press’ Neil Davidson (via the Vancouver Sun):

Given how our club has played all year long, and we’ve been in these type of situations before, look, we’ve come back and played well after these type of games. And with the veteran group that we have in there, I don’t worry about the collateral damage in a game like this. Obviously we would have liked to have played a lot more competitively. But the other thing that you’ve got to look at, too, is Estrada threw a heck of a game.

After the game, Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin had high praise for Estrada, saying he has “little hints of [Greg] Maddux” in his game, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

Estrada wasn’t disappointed that he couldn’t go the full nine innings, per Nicholson-Smith: “Who cares? We won. That’s all that matters.”

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FINAL SCORE:  Indians 5, Red Sox 4, Cleveland leads the series, 1-0

The Cleveland Indians belted three home runs in the bottom of the third inning against Red Sox starter Rick Porcello, and defeated the Red Sox in the opener of the American League Division Series.

The Red Sox scored a run in the eighth inning on a Brock Holt home run, and had the tying run at third later that inning and on base again in the ninth but they could not push the tying run home.

Cody Allen struck out Dustin Pedroia on a breaking ball to end the game.

While Allen got the save, the key move of the game came when Cleveland manager Terry Francona took out starter Trevor Bauer and replaced him with left-handed ace Andrew Miller in the fifth inning. Miller shut down the powerful Red Sox for two full innings, and that allowed the Indians to hold the lead and maintain momentum.

Roberto Perez, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor all homered for the Indians, while Andrew Benintendi, Sandy Leon and Brock Holt homered for the Red Sox.

The two teams will meet in Game 2 on Friday afternoon.

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Two thrilling Wild Card Games are in the books, and we’re set to begin the division series, with action kicking off on the American League side as the Texas Rangers host the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays advanced to the ALDS with a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Game. Edwin Encarnacion delivered the big blow with a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Meanwhile, the Rangers posted the best record in the AL at 95-67 en route to winning the AL West title by nine games over the Seattle Mariners.

Cole Hamels (15-5, 3.32 ERA, 200 K) gets the Game 1 start for the Rangers, while the Blue Jays made the somewhat surprising decision to go with Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48 ERA, 165 K) out of the gate.

Who will come out on top in Game 1 of this exciting ALDS matchup?

Keep it right here for live updates on all of today’s action.

FINAL: Blue Jays 10, Rangers 1

W: Marco Estrada (1-0), L: Cole Hamels (0-1)

SCORING PLAYS

Top 3: Josh Donaldson RBI double (1-0)

Top 3: Jose Bautista RBI single (2-0)

Top 3: Troy Tulowitzki 3-RBI triple (5-0)

Top 4: Melvin Upton Jr. solo home run (6-0)

Top 4: Josh Donaldson RBI single (7-0)

Top 9: Jose Bautista 3-RBI home run (10-0)

Bot 9: Shin-Soo Choo RBI groundout (10-1)

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With the Wild Card Games now complete, the 2016 American League Division Series is set to begin Thursday, with the league’s final four teams vying for the AL pennant.

Each contest will have its own spotlight, as the Game 1 slate features an afternoon showdown followed by a nightcap. Regardless, Thursday should yield some spectacular baseball, as both sets of teams appear evenly matched.

Take a look at Thursday’s start times below, as well as the television and live-streaming schedules. The full 2016 MLB playoff schedule is available at MLB.com.

The most newsworthy AL series is between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. These two teams do not like each other after a hostile series last postseason, and the bad blood carried over into this past regular season with a brawl in May.

Both teams are downplaying the rocky relationship ahead of the series, but it remains to be seen if cool heads will prevail when the intensity ramps up at game time. Texas’ Rougned Odor, a key figure in the feud, said Wednesday that his team is just focused on the game, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi: “That’s over already; we’re just trying to win this series and win how we play.”

Toronto’s Jose Bautista echoed this sentiment, per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith:

In Game 1, Cole Hamels will get the start for the Rangers against Marco Estrada in a matchup that appears slightly uneven on the surface. Hamels turned in a stout season with a 15-5 record and a 3.32 ERA. On the other hand, Estrada struggled in the win department in 2016 with a 9-9 mark, but he did sport a solid 3.48 ERA.

Pitching in the National League for the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Hamels does not have a ton of history against Toronto’s lineup, as he has yet to face Josh Donaldson in the majors. Furthermore, key Blue Jays such as Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki have fared well against Hamels in their careers, per ESPN.com:

On the other side, Estrada has a relatively favorable history against some of Texas’ top hitters:

Hamels has more playoff experience with 15 career starts for a 7-5 record and 3.03 ERA, but Estrada has been good under the bright lights, too. He is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in seven appearances. Regardless, Game 1 will be crucial, as each team will want to earn an early lead in a five-game series, and the numbers indicate that it could go in either squad’s favor.

In the other ALDS showdown, it figures to be an offensive battle between two teams with potent lineups.

The Boston Red Sox led the majors by a sizable margin in scoring with 878 runs and team batting average at .282. The Red Sox boast a slew of dangerous bats, including three studs in the middle of the lineup, as noted by MLB.com:  

Meanwhile the Cleveland Indians finished fifth with 777 runs and sixth with a .262 average. The Indians feature a deep order that may not overwhelm with power, but they possess four guys (Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana) who finished the regular season with an on-base percentage over .340.

Cleveland does have a slight pitching advantage, though, as the Indians sport a 3.84 team ERA compared to Boston’s 4.00 mark. The Indians also have a stellar bullpen led by Cody Allen, Andrew Miller and Danny Otero.

Rick Porcello will take the hill for Boston after posting a 22-win regular season, but he has not been as good in the postseason during his career. Porcello has a 4.41 ERA in only 16.1 innings pitched but is taking on Cleveland hurler Trevor Bauer, who has never started a playoff game. 

With that in mind, Thursday’s uncertain pitching factors could lead to a high-scoring affair in Game 1.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

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The National League is the Chicago Cubs’ to lose.

There are no locks in MLB‘s postseason, especially during the best-of-five division stage. Yet there’s no argument over which club is best positioned to reach the World Series.

During a dominant season, the 103-58 Cubs outscored opponents by 252 runs led by rightful NL MVP favorite Kris Bryant. Only the Boston Red Sox and Coors Field-fueled Colorado Rockies scored more runs. The Cubs also allowed an MLB-low 3.4 runs per game with help from a deep rotation and baseball’s best defense.

They will open their postseason Friday night against the San Francisco Giants, who rode ace Madison Bumgarner in Wednesday’s 3-0 Wild Card Game victory over the New York Mets. A heavy favorite to run the table, per Odds Shark, Chicago gets a San Francisco squad that crawled to the finish line after a strong first half.

If the Cubs take care of business, they would then challenge the winner of the Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers series. Although that National League Division Series matchup is much more even, the Nationals are hobbling into the playoffs without at least two key contributors.

After we look at the NLDS schedule and updated World Series odds, let’s take a deeper dive into the Dodgers-Nationals slate.

NLDS Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals

This isn’t going to be a fun series for hitters.

Then again, we could say the same about the entire National League bracket. All five postseason participants finished 2016 atop MLB’s team-ERA leaderboard:

The Dodgers’ pitching also registered a record-setting 1,510 strikeouts this season. Second on the all-time ledger? The 2016 Nationals, who collected 1,476 behind Max Scherzer’s MLB-high 284.

Some young pitchers are sacrificing longevity for whiffs. Not Scherzer, who sported a 0.97 WHIP through 228.1 innings. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noted the historical significance of the Nationals ace’s stat line:

He should take the mound in Friday’s opening game. In an interview on ESPN Radio’s McNabb & Custer, via ESPN.com, Nationals manager Dusty Baker ruled out Stephen Strasburg in the NLDS due to a strained flexor mass in his pitching elbow.

Even though Strasburg coughed up six runs to the Dodgers in their only encounter of the season, his absence is a huge blow for Washington. Gio Gonzalez relinquished 19 runs in September, putting the rotation in doubt after Scherzer and likely Game 2 starter Tanner Roark.

It doesn’t help that the Dodgers will counter Scherzer with Clayton Kershaw.

Missing over two months didn’t stop the Dodgers ace from tying Noah Syndergaard for the highest WAR (6.5) among all pitchers. If not for his back injury, he would unanimously win the NL Cy Young Award with one of the greatest lines of all time.

For those who were worried about how he would return, he’s the same old Kershaw. In five starts off the disabled list, the star southpaw has a 1.29 ERA with 27 strikeouts and two walks over 28 innings.

Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt praised his ace to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick:

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