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Following the AL and NL Wild Card wins by the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, respectively, the MLB playoff bracket is officially set, and both the ALDS and NLDS are about to kick off and begin the road to the World Series.

There are intriguing matchups galore on both sides of the bracket, such as the continuation of the rivalry between the Blue Jays and Texas Rangers, as well as Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona facing his former team in the Boston Red Sox. Also, the favored Chicago Cubs will look to hold off a Giants team that is seemingly unbeatable in October.

The 2016 MLB playoffs have already been filled with drama, and they have all the makings of a classic postseason. Before the start of the ALDS and NLDS, here is a look at the full bracket and predictions for how each series will play out.

MLB Playoff Bracket (via MLB Network)

Blue Jays vs. Rangers

There is no shortage of history and bad blood between the Blue Jays and Rangers, dating back to last year’s ALDS when Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista’s bat flip after a key home run in Game 5 led to a war of words and dust-up between the two teams.

That carried over to the 2016 regular season when Bautista and Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor fought after Bautista slid hard into the bag, as seen in this photo courtesy of SportsCenter:

Despite the obvious issues between the teams, Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre insisted the Blue Jays don’t get under Texas’ skin and that the main focus is to simply beat Toronto and advance to the ALCS, according to Scott MacArthur of TSN:

They don’t frustrate us. I don’t care how other people or teams act. Our job is to find a way to beat them. That’s the bottom line. They’re a really good team, there’s no doubt about that but I don’t think we care about how they act and the swagger they have.

I think sometimes we go back to it because you guys ask and you guys make a big deal out of it. These guys over here, obviously we know what happened. There’s no denying that. There was an altercation. It’s in the past and our job is to make sure all those guys in the clubhouse are thinking about finding a way to beat those guys.

While the Rangers came close to knocking off the Blue Jays last season, they may be even better equipped to do so this year.

Toronto boasts a remarkable lineup headlined by Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson, but Texas has as good of a one-two pitching punch as anyone in the playoffs with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish.

Darvish wasn’t available for the Rangers last postseason, but he could be the X-factor this time around, especially since he may pitch two games should it go the distance.

Great pitching tends to beat great hitting in the playoffs, which is why the Rangers have the advantage and will reach the ALCS.

Red Sox vs. Indians

The Indians once appeared built to make a run to the World Series, but due to key injuries in their starting rotation, they enter their series with the Red Sox as underdogs.

Neither Carlos Carrasco nor Danny Salazar are available due to injury, which shifts the pressure toward Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber to carry the team on their backs from a pitching perspective.

Bauer will be the Game 1 starter, and Francona believes the former reliever is very much up to the task, according to MLB.com’s Jason Beck:

Kluber is the undisputed ace of our staff. Everybody knows what he’s been through, and it’s easier for him to pitch in Game 2. I don’t think anybody has any trepidation about letting Trevor pitch in Game 1. I think he’s been waiting for this his whole life. And we also think he can bounce back and pitch on short rest and do just fine.

Bauer struggled after the All-Star break and had an ERA of 6.39 in September and October. He has also been dominated by the Red Sox over the course of his career, going 0-2 with a 12.91 ERA in two starts and three appearances overall.

Unless Cleveland manages to sweep the Red Sox, it will most likely need Bauer to pitch twice, which doesn’t seem to be a recipe for success against Boston’s dominant lineup.

The Red Sox wear out pitchers with the likes of David Ortiz, Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts, and their merciless approach at the plate will take them one step closer to the World Series.

Giants vs. Cubs

The Giants and Cubs will essentially be a clash of opposites, as San Francisco has won three World Series since 2010, while Chicago hasn’t done so since 1908.

Although the Cubbies were Major League Baseball’s best team during the regular season and enter the playoffs as the prohibitive favorites to win it all, there is reason for concern regarding the Giants’ recent history of playoff success.

As pointed out by Jim Rome of CBS Sports Radio, San Francisco has a penchant for coming through on the biggest stage:

Even so, the Cubs may have an advantage due to the fact that the Giants had to use ace Madison Bumgarner in the NL Wild Card Game. That means he won’t be available for Game 1 of the NLDS.

The Cubs have great pitching in their own right with a rotation that features Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey. That type of depth is hard to come by, and it ensures that Chicago will have a legitimate chance to win every game.

In addition to that, Cubs pitching handled Giants hitting without much of an issue during the regular season, per MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat:

The Cubs also have a clear advantage in terms of their lineup, as big hitters such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell come at opposing pitchers in waves.

Chicago is the definition of a complete team, and even though the Giants have postseason magic on their side, it won’t be enough to overcome the Cubs’ top-to-bottom excellence.

Dodgers vs. Nationals

The NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals is perhaps the most overlooked series of the playoffs, but everything is in place to make a highly competitive affair that could go the distance.

With Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer set to clash in Game 1, pitching will undoubtedly be the talk of the series. As pointed out by Eric Stephen of True Blue LA, no two pitching staffs dominated opposing hitters more than L.A. and Washington during the regular season:

Both teams are fairly evenly matched in the pitching department, but the depth of the Nats lineup is what could set them apart and decide the series.

The loss of catcher Wilson Ramos due to injury hurts, but Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner are a tough run of hitters to handle, even for a rotation as solid as what the Dodgers boast.

Murphy essentially put the Mets offense on his back last postseason and carried them to the World Series, and while a repeat performance isn’t likely, look for his heroics to be the biggest difference in a Washington win.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers are sure to keep things civil in a friendly American League Division Series rematch that won’t fester any animosity on either side.

Just kidding. Tensions are sure to brew in this bitter rivalry.

Last year, Toronto survived a memorable five-game ALDS over Texas in a bizarre, ugly Game 5 during which fans littered the field with trash after a controversial, yet accurately called play. Texas’ players, however, were more upset over Jose Bautista brashly discarding his bat after ending their season with a game-winning home run.

That animosity boiled into the 2016 season, when he slid past the second-base bag into Rougned Odor in May. The Rangers infielder retaliated by punching him in the jaw. Think both teams will remember that?

Let’s not get too bogged down in their bad blood. Lost in all the craziness, the Blue Jays and Rangers competed in an enthralling series last fall. While the Rangers won an AL-best 95 games in 2016, they did so with a mild plus-eight run differential. Sporting a plus-93 run margin, the 89-73 Blue Jays have a legitimate case for entering as favorites on the road.

Then again, Texas’ offense is rolling into Thursday’s Game 1 with help from some key midseason acquisitions. Let’s run down each position to see which squad has the edge.

Begin Slideshow

The waiting is just about over for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. The Toronto Blue Jays just want to pick it up from where they left off Tuesday night.

The Blue Jays won their Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles when Edwin Encarnacion launched an Ubaldo Jimenez pitch into the second deck in left field with two runners on in the bottom of the 11th inning at the Rogers Centre, giving the Blue Jays a 5-2 walk-off victory.

Toronto at Texas

The Blue Jays go to Texas Thursday night, where the Rangers will send Cole Hamels to the mound to face Marco Estrada.

These two teams met in last year’s ALDS, and Toronto had the home-field advantage and won the series in five games.

This year, the Rangers have the home-field edge, and they will get to play the fifth game in the best-of-five series in Texas if the series goes that far. The two teams engaged in a memorable confrontation in May when the Rangers’ Rougned Odor punched Toronto’s Jose Bautista.

The Blue Jays would love to get the jump in the series and win Game 1 on the road. For that to happen, they may need to get to Hamels early. The left-handed Hamels had a 15-5 record for the Rangers this year with a 3.32 earned run average.

His WHIP was a vulnerable 1.306, but he struck out 200 batters in 200.2 innings. They need to get to Hamels early because he is their No. 1 pitcher, and his momentum will build the longer he holds the free-swinging Blue Jays in check. However, Hamels was more effective on the road this season, where he recorded a 10-3 record and opposing batters hit .216 off him. 

Hamels was 5-2 at home, and batters were much more successful, hitting .274 off of him.

The Rangers were comfortable playing at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. They were 53-28 at home this year, and they were at their best in close games. Texas had a remarkable 36-11 in one-run games, and that was by far the best record in the majors.

Obviously, manager Jeff Banister would love to see his Rangers get off to a big lead in Game 1 and roll to an easy win, but the Rangers are comfortable in close games. 

Estrada went 9-9 during the regular season with a 3.48 ERA, and he finished even stronger, with only two runs allowed over his final 19 innings pitched, with 19 strikeouts across those three games.

Toronto Key: Get to Hamels early and make the Rangers fight from behind.

Texas Key: Keep the game close and depend on the home-field edge and the ability to win close games.

Boston at Cleveland

Boston won 11 games in a row in September, and that winning streak allowed the Red Sox to gain control of what had been a tight American League East race. They were able to clinch the title with several days to spare.

The Indians have been in control of the American League Central for most of the season. They depended on strong pitching and the clutch hitting of Mike Napoli (34 HR and 101 RBI) and Carlos Santana (34 HR and 87 RBI) to gain control and put away the Detroit Tigers and the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals.

While the Indians had sensational starting pitching at one point this season, they are at a disadvantage as the players get underway. While they have Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer in their rotation, Carlos Carrasco (fractured bone in hand) and Danny Salazar (forearm) are both injured and will not be available for manager Terry Francona. 

As a result, Bauer will get the ball in Game 1 for the Indians. He had a respectable 12-8 record, but his 4.26 ERA and 1.311 WHIP means he may be in over his head against a slugging team like the Red Sox.

Boston manager John Farrell will counter with Rick Porcello, who is a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate after going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.009 WHIP.

Porcello did a remarkable job on the road for the Red Sox, going 9-3 and holding batters to a .219 average.

Bauer would seem to have a difficult job in holding a Red Sox lineup that includes Dustin Pedroia (.318 batting average, 201 hits), Mookie Betts (31 HR, 113 RBI, 26 stolen bases), David Ortiz (38, 127 RBI) and Hanley Ramirez (30 HR, 111 RBI) in check.

Boston key: Make Bauer work hard by getting deep in the count and lashing the ball all over Progressive Field.

Cleveland key: Don’t get frustrated if Boston gets off to a lead. Keep attacking Porcello and don’t try to pull every pitch. Get clutch hits from Napoli and Santana. 

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It’s October! Let’s all go down to the pumpkin patch and see which appears first, the Great Pumpkin or Zach Britton…

1. Standing in the Shadows of October

They’ve won Cy Young awards. They’re earning hundreds of millions of dollars.

But will Boston’s David Price and Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw dominate in one of these postseasons the way they’ve dominated in the regular season?

The spotlight will burn hotter on these two than anybody else this month for a similar reason: Heroes are made during the regular season, but immortals emerge in October.

Price, whom Boston signed for $217 million last winter, comes into this month with a career postseason record of 2-7 and a 5.12 ERA in 14 appearances (eight starts). He will start Game 2 of the American League Division Series against Cleveland. The Red Sox are going with the hotter hand, Rick Porcello, in Game 1.

Kershaw, who is in the midst of a seven-year, $215 million deal and missed two-and-a-half months with a back injury this summer, checks in with a record of 2-6 with a 4.59 ERA in 13 career postseason appearances (10 starts). He will start Game 1 against the Nationals.

“I think in Kershaw’s case, a lot of it’s been, if you just went six innings with him, his postseasons would look so much different,” one major league executive told Bleacher Report. “It’s the seventh and eighth innings that have skewed his numbers. I think Kershaw will be fine.”

Indeed, scan Kershaw’s postseason history, and you can point to a handful of instances that stand out like random auto accidents.

Take Game 6 of the 2013 National League Championship Series when the St. Louis Cardinals ambushed Kershaw for seven runs and 10 hits in four innings. Or Game 1 of the 2014 division series against the Cardinals when he gave up a 6-2 lead in the seventh.   

Then there was St. Louis’ Matt Adams slamming a three-run homer against Kershaw in Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS that erased the Dodgers’ 2-0 lead and led them to another elimination.

In the first six innings of his 10 postseason starts, Kershaw hasn’t exactly been untouchable, but he’s been fine: He has a 3.81 ERA in those instances, according to the scouting service Inside Edge.

As for Price, it is hard to argue with Boston manager John Farrell for choosing Porcello in Game 1 simply because the right-hander has been the Red Sox’s best pitcher all season.

“And, maybe by starting Game 2, Price will relax more,” the executive said. “Of course, if the Sox lose Game 1, he’ll have plenty of pressure on him. But I think he’ll handle it. He’s professional.”

2. Best Matchups

Are you crazy? That one is easy:

Toronto vs. Texas: This is a cage match. These two teams hate each other. Jose Bautista’s bat still hasn’t come down after that epic flip following his home run in Game 5 of the division series with Texas last year.

The beer that Toronto fan fired at Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim during the Wild Card Game the other night? It was only last year when a Jays fan heaved a water bottle onto the field during the ALDS against Texas in that emotional Game 5, a scene that turned really ugly.

This May, when the Blue Jays were in Texas, the battle continued. Texas reliever Matt Bush drilled Bautista in the ribs, Bautista slid hard and late into second base, and then Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor popped him in the jaw. Odor is no stranger to fighting, as we told you in-depth here.

During the AL Wild Card Game Tuesday night, one fan in Toronto held up a sign reading, “We Want Odor.” You bet they do, and if we get through this division series without a bench-clearing incident or four, it will be the upset of the century. Gentlemen, lace up your boxing gloves, er, play ball. The only thing missing will be the ring girls.

Dodgers vs. Nationals: This is a battle between two clubs that have disappointed far more often than not over the past five years. The Dodgers only made it past the first round once in the last three postseasons. 

The Nationals produced baseball’s best record in 2012 but then were eliminated in the division series by St. Louis. They returned to the playoffs in ’14 but were cuffed in the division series by San Francisco. One of these two has to advance to the NLCS this year. Added bonus: Nationals skipper Dusty Baker continues trying to win his first World Series by getting through the team for whom he played much of his big league career, the Dodgers.

Red Sox vs. Indians: The spotlight is on the managers in this one. Cleveland skipper Terry Francona managed Boston to World Series titles in ’04 and ’07, and Red Sox pilot Farrell was Francona’s pitching coach in ’07. Before that, Farrell spent five years as Cleveland’s director of player development (2001-2006).

3. Worst Matchup for the Cubs

Look out, it’s coming right away: The San Francisco Giants, who defeated the New York Mets in Wednesday night’s NL Wild Card Game.

Though the Giants did not play well in the second half of the season, they present a tough combination: rotation depth and postseason experience. Madison Bumgarner will not be available until Game 3, but Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore are capable of pushing storm clouds into Chicago’s sunny season.

“I know one thing,” a veteran scout told B/R before the NL Wild Card Game. “If I’m the Cubs, I don’t want to face the Giants. If the Giants win, look out. They’ve been there, done that so many times in October.

“Bruce Bochy, Hunter Pence and Buster Posey are still there, they’ve got leadership and they’ve got starting pitching. I’m not ruling out the Giants at all.”

The Cubs won four of the seven regular-season games against the Giants, going 3-1 in Wrigley Field and 1-2 in San Francisco. They’re going to need every bit of their A-game in this series.

Added intrigue: Jon Lester, the Cubs’ Game 1 starter, was San Francisco’s No. 1 target on the free-agent market two winters ago before Lester finally picked the Cubs (six years, $155 million) over the Giants and Red Sox. San Francisco sent a recruiting contingent to Lester’s Georgia home that included Bochy, general manager Bobby Evans and Posey.

4. Best Potential World Series Matchups

Cubs vs. Red Sox: Where do we start? With Theo Epstein, of course. He was the architect who whipped The Curse of the Bambino and put together Boston’s first World Series champion team in 86 years in ’04. Now, he’s built these Cubs, and if they end their 108-year drought against anybody, Epstein will go straight to the Hall of Fame. But if they end it against Boston? Whoa.

Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer and farm director Jason McLeod all once worked in Boston. Cubs ace Jon Lester helped Boston win the ’07 and ’13 World Series, and Chicago beat out Boston for him on the free-agent market two winters ago. Cubs pitcher John Lackey has “Red Sox” on the back of his baseball card. Boston slugger David Ortiz would be playing in his final games before retirement.

Bonus: two of the most picturesque parks in the majors for your viewing pleasure, Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.

Dodgers vs. Red Sox: Dave Roberts’ iconic stolen base in Game 3 in ’04 helped turn that ALCS around and send the Red Sox storming toward their first World Series title since 1918. To this day, he continues to get fan mail from Red Sox fans. But now he’s managing the Dodgers, and if they meet Boston in the World Series…well, you can bet that fan mail will slow down this month.

Cubs vs. Indians: You don’t have to be Bill Murray or John Cusack to know that the Cubs have the longest-running World Series drought in existence, not having won since 1908. But did you know that Cleveland ranks second at 67 years? The Indians haven’t won since the glory days of Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Larry Doby. Bet ya Drew Carey knows that.

Nationals vs. Rangers: Really, the Nationals vs. anybody qualifies here. The last time there was a World Series in the District of Columbia, it was 1933. Yeah, it’s been a while, eh? The reason the Rangers would present a cool matchup: The club moved to Texas from Washington, D.C., in 1972. Plus, the Rangers’ 55-year World Series drought ranks as baseball’s third longest, behind the Cubs and Indians. The Rangers organization has never won a title since coming into the majors as the Washington Senators in 1961.

5. It Only Hurts When I Smile, Doc

Suddenly, an overwhelming story of the postseason involves ice, Ace bandages, cortisone shots and old-school tears: injuries.

One month ago, I would have told you Cleveland is the team to beat in the AL. As you know, the postseason is all about pitching, and the Indians had the best starting rotation in the game. But then right-hander Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 3.32 ERA) suffered a fractured hand and right-hander Danny Salazar (11-6, 3.87) suffered a forearm strain. And making matters even worse, right-hander Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14) suffered a quad strain.

Bottom line: Carrasco is out for the season, Salazar will not pitch against Boston but may be available as a reliever if the Indians advance to the ALCS, and Kluber will start Game 2. Francona is left seeking rabbits to pull out of his cap.

In Toronto, easy to lose in the excitement of the thrilling AL Wild Card Game, was the fact that Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna left in the 10th inning with shoulder fatigue. His status going forward is important, especially because Toronto also is without veteran setup man Joaquin Benoit, who suffered a torn calf muscle while running in from the bullpen to join a brawl with the Yankees during the last week of the season.

In Washington, ace Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.60) is out for the division series against the Dodgers and questionable after that. Catcher Wilson Ramos (knee) is done for the season. And second baseman Daniel Murphy is hampered (upper leg) but expected to be ready for Game 1.

6. The Irony of the Dodgers

While many other teams suddenly are fighting the battle of attrition, Los Angeles is mostly healthy. This after the Dodgers set disabled-list records during the year.

It’s true: A total of 28 different Dodgers spent time on the disabled list this summer, the most of any MLB club in 30 years. The Dodgers used a total of 55 players to win their fourth consecutive NL West title, including 31 different pitchers and 15 different starting pitchers.

All are Dodgers club records.

Take left-handed hitting outfielder Andre Ethier, for example. Because of a fractured leg, he played in just 16 games this season and had 24 plate appearances (.208/.269/.375, one homer, two RBI). Yet, he’s back, and the Dodgers will have him available off their bench because they like his experience.

Kershaw is healthy and dealing. Slugger Adrian Gonzalez, who started slowly because of neck soreness, received an epidural injection during the season’s first week and steadily improved. And for now, Rich Hill’s blister issues are under control, and he will start Game 2 against Washington.

7. One Key Player (Mostly) for Each Team

B/R polled a handful of scouts and…

Boston: Koji Uehara, setup man. Closer Craig Kimbrel has had an uncomfortable relationship with the strike zone lately, which should make all of New England nervous. Earlier in the season, the Sox were having difficulty even getting the ball to Kimbrel. Hello, Koji. Scout: “He’s had a nice last month, but he’s been up and down this season.”

Cleveland: Trevor Bauer, starting pitcher. With Kluber coming back from a strained quad and the team being down Carrasco and Salazar, the Indians’ fourth starter gets the Game 1 nod against Boston. Scout: “He’s got to pitch well. There’s no way you think of him as a No. 1 starter, and he’s going to have to pitch twice in this series.”

Texas: Sam Dyson, closer. Dyson (38 saves this year) has just 3.2 innings of postseason experience (all last year). Also, it was Dyson who served up the home run that sparked Bautista’s Bat Flip Heard ‘Round the World last fall. Scout: “There’s a lot of pressure on him. He’s never been in the spotlight before, and they’re going to need him pitching well in the ninth innings of close games.”

Toronto: Roberto Osuna, closer. He was removed from the AL Wild Card Game in the 10th inning with what the Jays called “shoulder fatigue.” Scout: “The status of Osuna is a…tell-all, end-all. If he’s not able to pitch, the Blue Jays’ chances are diminished immediately. Joaquin Benoit is hurt. Jason Grilli had a chance to save a game last week (Sept. 26), and he gave up four runs.”

Chicago Cubs: Setup men Pedro Strop, Travis Wood and Hector Rondon. Scout: “They’re loaded. I think their one Achilles’ heel is their setup guys getting the ball to Aroldis Chapman.”

Los Angeles: Rich Hill, lefty starter. At the age of 36, Hill (12-5, 2.12 ERA) experienced an awakening this summer. He also battled a blister on one of his pitching fingers that limited his innings and caused his removal during a perfect game last month after seven innings and just 89 pitches. Scout: “There’s a lot of uncertainty around him. He needs to come up big, no doubt.”

Washington: Trea Turner, center field. Turner hit .342/.370/.937 in 73 games with the Nationals this season, transitioning from shortstop to center field in the majors when the club developed a need. He swiped 33 bases in 39 attempts and was named the NL Rookie of the Month for both August and September/October. Scout: “People don’t do anything anymore. Nobody hits and runs. Trea Turner is the one guy in the league who runs. He could make a big difference.”

San Francisco: Sergio Romo, closer. The Giants led the majors with 30 blown saves, and beleaguered, deposed closer Santiago Casilla helped lead the charge. Romo must excel in the ninth, and Casilla as a setup man. Scout: “This time of year, it’s the closers, man. They’re going to make the difference. Every team is going to have to get tough outs in pressure situations, and if you can’t, you’re in trouble.”

8. Weekly Power Rankings

1. Wild-Card Format: Do not change it. Starting the postseason with a pair of Game 7s (essentially) is terrific. Turning the series into best-two-of-three would make division winners sit around too long. And teams not winning their division should be handicapped.

2. Rick Renteria: Manager who was squeezed by Cubs for Joe Maddon gets a second chance in same city with the White Sox. Priceless. You go, Rick.

3. Wrigley Field/Fenway Park: Never before have these two iconic parks been featured in the same World Series. This year?

4. NL West: The Dodgers and Giants must be rolling on the floor and giggling in their executive offices: The Padres general manager is serving a 30-day suspension. The Diamondbacks whacked GM Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale, and Arizona, including interim GMs, has had seven GMs in the past 11 years and counting. And in Colorado, Walt Weiss flees as manager after the relationship between him and arrogant GM Jeff Bridich reached the point of no return. Cue The Three Stooges theme.

5. Korn Ferry: The executive search firm whose motto might as well be: “We place young executives from the Cleveland Indians wherever we can, even if the Indians haven’t won a damned thing since 1948 and there are far better candidates elsewhere.” Ugh. The latest: Minnesota Twins hire Derek Falvey, 32, as chief baseball officer, even though Falvey has never run a department before.

9. One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by Long Ball

Look out, Cleveland. The Red Sox are coming! The Red Sox are coming!

Two of the past three times the Indians have gotten past the AL Wild Card Game, Boston has knocked them out (2007 ALCS, 1999 AL Division Series). And with a crippled rotation, John Farrell’s club presents a big challenge for the Indians.

“Their lineup is a tough lineup to navigate,” one admiring AL scout said. “They take such good at-bats from top to bottom.”

Not only did these Red Sox lead the majors with 878 runs scored, but their total was 101 runs more than the AL’s next-highest club, Cleveland at 777. The Red Sox, behind MVP candidate Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Co., also led the majors in batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.348), OPS (.810), extra-base hits (576) and doubles (343).

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Red Sox are the first club to go from last place in its division to first place twice in a five-year span. Not exactly a badge of honor, except the last time the Sox did it they won the World Series in 2013.

10. Welcome Back to October, Young Cubs

Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Javier Baez and all of you other young Cubs, here’s what you do on Friday before Game 1: step onto the Wrigley Field grass. Inhale the breeze from Lake Michigan. Maybe Snapchat someone a photo of the ivy. And enjoy. Because if you look at the all-time list of those who played the most games in major league history without ever having set foot in the postseason, here’s a brief snapshot of the rankings:

1. Ernie Banks, Cubs, 2,528 career games over 19 seasons (1953-1971).

5. Ron Santo, Cubs, 2,243 career games over 15 seasons (1960-1974).

11. Don Kessinger, Cubs for most of his career, 2,078 career games over 16 seasons (1964-1979).

11. Bringing the Heat in Texas

The Rangers might be the most battle-tested club in the postseason. Their 49 come-from-behind wins led the majors and were three more than the next closest, the Dodgers (46). The Rangers were 36-11 in one-run games, the highest win percentage in one-run games of any team in the modern era (1901-2016).

12. Matching Up in October

We’re not just talking about Snickers vs. Kit Kats on the trick-or-treating trails…

These numbers of postseason note are from the Inside Edge scouting service:

• Lefties Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper will be keys against the Dodgers in the first round, especially against Clayton Kershaw in Game 1: Lefty hitters have an OPS of just .150 against Kershaw this season, according to Inside Edge. The league average is .327, and Kershaw ranks first.

• Boston’s Mookie Betts has not struck out in his past 78 plate appearances, the longest streak in the majors.

• Washington’s Max Scherzer, lined up to face Kershaw in Game 1 of the NLDS, has a strikeout percentage of 37.8 percent against right-handed hitters this year, which ranks second among qualifiers. The league average is 20.6 percent.

• Cleveland’s challenge will be to get the ball to closer Andrew Miller. Opponents have fanned 123 times in 275 plate appearances against him (44.7 percent). Yes, Miller ranks first in the majors among qualified relievers. The league average is 22.7 percent.

• Washington lefty Gio Gonzalez, who will start Game 2 against the Dodgers’ Rich Hill, will be a key in the series: The Dodgers have struggled against left-handed pitching this season, going 22-24 against lefty starters.

13. Moneyball: Playoff Payrolls

What’s the range of this year’s postseason teams? Right here, according to USA Today‘s MLB payroll database:

14. So Who’s Going to Win?

Being that I went with the Chicago Cubs in my season preview coming out of spring training, I have to stick with them. They clearly were the best team over 162 games, both the strongest overall and the least flawed. Their pitching is built for the playoffs: Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey. Their lineup is potent and versatile with Kris Bryant playing third base, left field, right field and first base, allowing defensive whiz Javier Baez to slide in at third base (look for him there during Game 1 against the Giants when Lester starts). And they have a prime-time closer in Aroldis Chapman.

So whom do they play? Well, the other part of my World Series prediction coming out of spring training wasn’t so good: the Houston Astros. So looking at the AL field now, I’m going to go with the Boston Red Sox. Their lineup is relentless, and they’re pitching better now than they did during the first part of the year.

So book it: Cubs over Red Sox in six games.

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball.

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The Boston Red Sox were remarkable in the month of September and took control of what had been a tight American League East when they won 11 games in a row.

That streak enabled them to get the best of the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, and while they lost five of their final six games, they still won the division comfortably.

The Red Sox open the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians on the road, but they appear to have an edge over their hosts because of the powerful lineup that manager John Farrell has to unload.

The Red Sox scored an MLB-high 878 runs, and they have a powerful lineup that features Dustin Pedroia (201 hits; .318 batting average), David Ortiz (38 home runs), Mookie Betts (214 hits; 113 RBI) and Hanley Ramirez (30 HR; 111 RBI).

The Indians feature the slugging of former Red Sox Mike Napoli (34 home runs) and Carlos Santana (34 home runs), but it will be difficult for manager Terry Francona’s team to match Boston’s production.

Rick Porcello will start for the Red Sox, and the 22-game winner has an edge over 12-game winner Trevor Bauer. The Cleveland starter had a 4.26 earned run average, and he was hit hard by the Red Sox during the regular season—10 hits and six earned runs in six innings.

Prediction: The Red Sox are battle-tested and have won three World Series in the Ortiz era. With Big Papi retiring, the Red Sox should play their best baseball in October. It should be good enough to overcome Cleveland in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers

With one swing of Edwin Encarnacion’s powerful bat in the bottom of the 11th inning, the Toronto Blue Jays wiped out the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night and advanced to the ALDS against the American League West champion Texas Rangers.

These two teams have a colorful recent history. The Blue Jays eliminated the Rangers in last year’s ALDS in five games. Earlier this season, the Rangers’ Rougned Odor landed a right-hand punch to the jaw of Jose Bautista. That May brawl is a leading storyline of the series, as CBS Sports MLB noted:

Bautista had memorably flipped his bat after hammering the series-winning home run in the seventh inning of the final game of the 2015 ALDS.

There should be several gallons of bad blood along with two excellent teams competing in this series.

With Cole Hamels on the mound for the Rangers, the Blue Jays are going to have a difficult time trying to scratch out a win on the road. Hamels was 15-5 this year, and the Rangers were 53-28 at home with a remarkable 36-11 record in one-run games.

While Toronto manager John Gibbons has not named his starter as of Wednesday night, 20-game winner J.A. Happ is likely to get the call.

Prediction: The Blue Jays will make this an excellent series, but the Rangers are strong at home, and they will take Game 1 by jumping out to an early lead and building on it.

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NEW YORK — If the Chicago Cubs are the team that wants to spend this month rewriting their history, the San Francisco Giants are the team that can spend October embracing theirs.

This is the team that knows no October disappointment, at least since their run of championship baseball began six years ago this month. This is the team that expects every big game to go the way Wednesday night’s Wild Card Game went at Citi Field, when Madison Bumgarner pitched a four-hit shutout and Conor Gillaspie hit a ninth-inning home run and the Giants beat the New York Mets, 3-0.

The Giants expected this, and no matter how many times anyone says this is finally the Cubs’ year, the Giants will expect to go into Wrigley Field and win there, too, starting Friday night in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

“When it comes to playoff baseball,” Brandon Belt said Wednesday, “we feel we’re the best team.”

They were the best team Wednesday, no matter how good Noah Syndergaard looked. “Dominating” and “unhittable” were the words the Giants used to describe the Mets’ ace, but they never said “unbeatable.”

Syndergaard didn’t give up a run in the seven innings he pitched. He only allowed two hits. He struck out 10.

He doesn’t get an “L” next to his name in the box score, but he lost this battle of aces with Bumgarner simply because seven shutout innings isn’t as good as nine shutout innings.

“If I had a choice of one pitcher I’d want on my side in the postseason, it would definitely be him,” Giants center fielder Denard Span said of Bumgarner.

The best news for the Cubs is that Bumgarner won’t be on the mound Friday or Saturday at Wrigley. He’ll pitch just once in the Division Series. Then again, that’s exactly the situation the Giants faced two years ago, when Bumgarner threw a four-hit shutout in the Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh and the Giants headed to Washington to play the Division Series against the team with the league’s best record.

Sound familiar?

Span remembers it well. He played for that Washington Nationals team.

“I was like, ‘We’re going to crush this team,'” he said. “I’m being honest.”

The Nationals actually beat Bumgarner in Game 3. It was the only game he lost in six postseason starts that year. It was also the only game the Nationals won in that best-of-five series.

They went down, just as the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers did in 2010, just as the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers did in 2012, just as the Cardinals and Kansas City Royals did later in that October 2014.

The Cubs are good, but are they better than all those teams that went in thinking they were going to crush—or at least beat—the Giants?

“I know how good they are,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You just want a shot. We’ll be ready.”

As interesting as it might have been to see the Mets and Cubs play in a rematch of the 2015 National League Championship Series, Giants-Cubs was always the matchup that posed a greater threat in the Cubs’ pursuit of history. While the injury-riddled Mets would have had to begin the series with some combination of Bartolo Colon, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman in Games 1 and 2, Bochy can pitch Johnny Cueto against Jon Lester in Game 1, then pick between Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore for Game 2 against Kyle Hendricks.

The Mets were the defending National League champs, but with so many guys hurt, they should be celebrated for even getting this far. The Giants, in contrast, are the team that reached the All-Star break with the best record in baseball.

Yes, better than the Cubs.

It’s true that the Giants were nothing like that for most of the second half, when they had one of the worst records in the major leagues. But it’s also true that sometime during the final week of the regular season, that team from the first half seemed to magically reappear.

“This team plays well when it matters the most,” pitcher Jake Peavy said. “I think it showed.”

They kept telling each other that they still controlled their own destiny, that they only had to find a way to start winning and keep winning. A week ago Wednesday, they were a game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final National League playoff spot.

The Cardinals didn’t lose again, but neither did the Giants.

“It seems like it took getting our backs against the wall to see that team [from the first half of the season] come back,” Belt said. “It’s not the way you want it to happen, but right now, we’ve got all the confidence in the world.”

They had it Wednesday, helped by having the best postseason pitcher in recent memory on the mound. But you’d better believe they’ll have it again when they show up at Wrigley Field.

They might not beat the Cubs, whose 103 wins are deserving of their status as favorites. But after all the big October wins in those years since 2010—yes, in all the even-numbered years—would it really surprise you if they did?

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Danny on Twitter and talk baseball.

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The San Francisco Giants’ even-year magic continued Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets in the National League Wild Card Game.

Madison Bumgarner thwarted the Mets lineup with a complete-game shutout, and Conor Gillaspie shared the glory with a three-run homer in the ninth inning against New York’s closer, Jeurys Familia. San Francisco is attempting to add another World Series title to its resume after championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and the win in Citi Field was the first step.

Next up is a showdown with the Chicago Cubs in the Division Series.

Bumgarner already has a World Series MVP trophy to his name, and he added to his postseason legacy by outdueling Noah Syndergaard in a showdown between aces. Syndergaard went seven innings and didn’t allow a single run, but his 10 strikeouts drove up his pitch count to 108. He was forced to turn the ball over to the bullpen, and it didn’t deliver in the pressure-packed moment.

The Giants star finished what he started and allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out six. Trey Wingo of ESPN noted how incredible he has been in the playoffs:

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted the fact the Giants are nearly unstoppable with their backs against the wall:

Even though Bumgarner was brilliant, he needed some run support. Gillaspie had just six home runs all season, but Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball said unheralded players who come through in the clutch are nothing new for this team:

The game was billed as a pitcher’s duel, and that is exactly how it started. Bumgarner and Syndergaard combined to retire the first 12 batters through two innings, but Jon Tayler of Sports Illustrated noted the Mets were failing in their early aggression: 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was a career start for the San Francisco southpaw:

Bumgarner lost his perfect game when Rene Rivera singled to lead off the third, but he induced a double play from James Loney in the next at-bat. Syndergaard’s perfect bid ended in the fourth when he walked Denard Span, but Span was thrown out stealing during the next San Francisco at-bat.

While it appeared as if Span beat the throw, the out stood even after replay review. Ryan Baker of CBS Chicago reacted to the questionable call:

New York went scoreless in the bottom half of the frame, but it at least made Bumgarner work with 28 pitches after he threw 21 pitches in the first three innings combined.

The Mets again rallied in the fifth, but it was to no avail. T.J. Rivera doubled to lead things off, but Bumgarner escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a groundout. Syndergaard had the chance to help himself with two runners on and two outs, but he struck out to end the inning.

He helped himself on the mound with another scoreless frame in the sixth, but he lost his no-hitter when Span singled with two outs. He nearly lost the shutout on a towering drive from Brandon Belt after Span stole second, but Curtis Granderson made a spectacular catch as he ran into the center-field wall.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com underscored the play’s importance:

San Francisco threatened again in the seventh and put two runners on with a Brandon Crawford walk and infield single from Angel Pagan. However, Syndergaard induced a groundout from Joe Panik to escape trouble and maintain the scoreless tie.

As unhittable as he was, Syndergaard was lifted for Addison Reed to start the eighth. Inside Edge pointed out just how overpowering the fireballer was before exiting:

The first bullpen inning was filled with drama, as San Francisco loaded the bases with a Gillaspie single and walks from Belt and Buster Posey. Belt’s walk included a handful of borderline pitches that left Dallas Braden of ESPN suggesting there were four or five strikes in the at-bat, but Reed emerged unscathed with a strikeout of Hunter Pence.

Bumgarner threw another shutout inning in the eighth, and the Giants finally did some offensive damage in the ninth. Crawford doubled off Familia to start things off, and Panik drew a walk. That’s when Gillaspie drilled his home run and sent the Citi Field crowd into stunned silence. 

Jon Morosi of MLB Network pointed out how unlikely a journey it was for Gillaspie:

Bumgarner finished it from there and sent the Giants to the Division Series.

What’s Next?

Next up for the Giants is a clash with the 103-58 Cubs, who finished with the best record in all of baseball. 

Chicago does have something of a leg up in the starting pitching matchups because Bumgarner threw a complete game Wednesday. Cy Young candidates Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester anchor the staff alongside last year’s Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta, and will prove a formidable foe for San Francisco.

The Giants will also have to deal with a powerful lineup that includes potential NL MVP Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. If they do so successfully, they will be on track to win yet another World Series title in an even year.

As for the Mets, they will begin a long offseason after failing to live up to expectations following their 2015 National League pennant. Injuries were an issue, as they lost Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz for the season, so returning to health will be a priority. So will bringing back Yoenis Cespedes, who has a player opt-out clause in his contract, per Spotrac. 

Postgame Reaction

Syndergaard said, “Right now, it kind of stings,” when talking about the loss, per Marc Carig of Newsday.

Mets outfielder Jay Bruce put things in perspective despite the narrow defeat, per Carig: “That epitomized playoff baseball.”

The Giants shared footage of the team greeting Gillaspie in celebratory fashion:

Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area noted Span “said [the] game plan against Syndergaard became to get his pitch count up because he was ‘literally unhittable.’”

That plan worked, and Bumgarner delivered on the mound. Journalist Andrew Baggarly noted pitcher Jake Peavy “said [Bumgarner] was calm in a crazy dugout after [the] Gillaspie HR. [Bumgarner] simply walked up and said, ‘Conor, I appreciate the hell out of that.’”

Posey described his pitcher’s outing, per SportsCenter: “He’s got a focus that is hard to describe. To me, this ranks right up there with his postseason performances.”

The Giants will need that focus as they prepare for the Cubs, but they earned the right to celebrate Wednesday.

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The American League Wild Card Game will be a tough act to follow, but a top-flight pitching matchup is on tap as the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets square off on the National League side of things Wednesday night.

Both teams have their respective aces on the mound with the season on the line, as Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 2.79 ERA, 251 K) takes the ball for San Francisco and Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA, 218 K) toes the rubber for New York.

Who will come out on top in tonight’s NL Wild Card Game and move on to face the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS?

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

FINAL SCORE: Giants 3, Mets 0

W: Madison Bumgarner
L: Jeurys Familia

HR: Conor Gillaspie
RBI: Conor Gillaspie (3)

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If the MLB postseason follows the same course the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles traveled Tuesday night, October will be a month to remember.

The Blue Jays picked up a 5-2 win in the one-game American League Wild Card Round at the Rogers Centre when slugger Edwin Encarnacion slammed a three-run homer off Ubaldo Jimenez in the bottom of the 11th inning, sending the home team into the American League Division Series against the AL West champion Texas Rangers.

That best-of-five series will get underway Thursday in Texas, with the Rangers holding home-field advantage.

The other American League series will feature the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians. The Red Sox won the AL East, outlasting the Blue Jays and Orioles thanks to an 11-game winning streak in September that saw them leave their two competitors behind.

The Indians gained control of the AL Central in the middle of the season thanks to a solid pitching staff and the sharp managing of Terry Francona. The Indians have home-field advantage in the series that also gets underway Thursday.

The two ALDS winners will meet in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series in mid-October, and the winner of that series will represent the Junior Circuit in the World Series.

The American League representative will have home-field advantage in the World Series, thanks to the American League’s 4-2 victory in the All-Star Game in July.

The National League Wild Card Game has a chance to join the American League game as a true classic. The San Francisco Giants may have slumped throughout the second half of the season, but they survived and will face the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York Wednesday night.

The Giants will send postseason ace Madison Bumgarner to the mound against Noah Syndergaard, and this should turn into a pitcher’s duel of epic proportions. 

But it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes a classic pitcher’s duel becomes a slugfest, and that could happen if neither pitcher is at his best.

The winner will earn the right to play the powerful Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series.

The Cubs won 103 regular-season games, and this is supposed to be their year. However, the best regular-season team doesn’t always win, and when a team carries the burden of not having won a World Series since 1908, it may not be an easy run to the title that long-suffering Cubs fans are waiting to see.

The other National League series will feature the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Washington Nationals. Manager Dusty Baker’s Nats have home-field advantage in that one.

If the Cubs beat the wild-card winner, they will host the National League Championship Series against the Nats or Dodgers. If the Cubs fall short, the Los Angeles-Washington winner will have the home-field edge against the wild-card winner.

Prediction

The Red Sox had an indifferent final week of the season that saw them lose five of their final six games, which cost them home field against the Indians.

However, the Red Sox have the much more potent lineup, and they also have the healthier starting pitching. Look for Mookie Betts, David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia to lead the Red Sox to a four-game win over the Indians.

The Blue Jays and Rangers engaged in a nasty playoff series a year ago, with the Blue Jays emerging victorious in five games. Look for the Rangers to win the series this year, also in five games.

The Red Sox will outlast Texas in six games in the ALCS, as Ortiz and Betts outslug the dangerous Rangers.

In the National League, the Giants and Bumgarner will outduel the Mets and Syndergaard. That will give San Francisco a chance to exercise its postseason muscle against the Cubs, but after Chicago nervously loses the first two games of the series at home, manager Joe Maddon’s team finds its stride and wins three straight.

The Dodgers will use their pitching edge to punish the Nats and win that series in four games. The Dodgers will push the Cubs hard, but Chicago will overcome past demons and win the NL pennant in seven games.

That will lead to a classic World Series between the Red Sox and the Cubs. The Red Sox used to be the team that couldn’t win the big one, but that has changed with three World Series titles since 2004.

They will use the motivation of Big Papi’s last stand to win the World Series in seven games and break hearts all over Chicago.

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The 2016 MLB playoffs commenced in grand fashion Tuesday when the Toronto Blue Jays knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in extra innings in the American League Wild Card Game, but there are several more intriguing matchups on tap moving forward.

On Wednesday, it will be decided who advances to the National League Division Series when the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets clash in what promises to be a pitchers’ duel. Also, the AL Division Series is set, with the Blue Jays taking on the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox meeting the Cleveland Indians.

Ahead of the NL Wild Card Game and the start of the ALDS, here is a full rundown of the schedule and a look at where you can view every game.

NL Wild Card and ALDS Schedule

Giants vs. Mets

Following an AL Wild Card Game between the Jays and Orioles that went down to the wire, expectations are high for Wednesday night’s battle between the Giants and Mets.

The Mets reached the World Series in surprising fashion last season, while the Giants tend to win the World Series every other year, and the calendar suggests they are due in 2016.

While timely hitting will be key, the main matchup to watch is undoubtedly that of Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard attempting to go pitch for pitch at Citi Field.

Bumgarner and Syndergaard were two of the National League’s best hurlers during the regular season, and hits figure to be difficult to come by with them on the mound.

While Syndergaard had a better ERA this season than Bumgarner (2.60 compared to 2.74), Bumgarner seemingly has the advantage because of his incredible playoff success.

Bumgarner was named the World Series MVP in 2014, and as Mike Puma of the New York Post pointed out, his recent postseason numbers and career numbers at Citi Field are astounding:

At the same time, Bumgarner isn’t in ideal form entering the playoffs, according to Jerry Recco of WFAN:

Neither Bumgarner nor Syndergaard makes many mistakes, so Wednesday’s game figures to come down to which offense is able to take advantage of the few opportunities it receives. 

Syndergaard proved last year that the postseason stage wasn’t too big for him, but Bumgarner has been nearly unhittable in that atmosphere, which is why San Francisco enters the game with a leg up.

Blue Jays vs. Rangers

Perhaps no rivalry in baseball has been more intense than that of the Blue Jays and Rangers over the past year, so it was undoubtedly fitting when Toronto dispatched the Orioles in the AL Wild Card Game by virtue of a walk-off home run by Edwin Encarnacion.

That set the stage for an ALDS rematch from last season that saw Toronto outlast Texas in five games. Plenty of bad blood was produced in that series, most notably because of Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista‘s demonstrative bat flip.

The tension carried over to 2016, as Bautista and Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor engaged in a brawl after Bautista slid hard into second base during the regular season.

CBS Sports provided a reminder of the incident on Twitter:

Despite the obvious tension between the two teams, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels doesn’t expect anything out of the ordinary with regard to the upcoming series, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

It’ll be talked about a ton. I think it’ll dominate or at least be one of the top story lines nationally and locally. I think that the fan bases will be loud and the crowd. Beyond that, I don’t expect much.

I think this time of year everybody’s so focused on what they want to do, everybody wants to win so badly. … I don’t think you’re going to see any silly stuff because teams have too much to lose this time of year. I expect our fans will boo their guys and their fans will boo our guys and the game will go on.

Even if the Blue Jays and Rangers players decide to keep it clean, the respective fanbases promise to create raucous environments perfect for postseason baseball.

In terms of entertainment value, the Jays and Rangers figure to offer plenty of bang for the buck because of the hatred between them and the fact that they are among the most explosive offensive teams baseball has to offer.

Red Sox vs. Indians

Terry Francona will always have a special place in Red Sox history, as he managed them to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, but the ALDS will see him attempting to stop Boston in its tracks as manager of the Indians.

Francona is in the midst of his fourth season as Cleveland’s manager, and he has the team in the ALDS for the first time as the No. 2 seed in the American League.

While his tenure with the Red Sox didn’t end on ideal terms in 2011, Francona harbors no ill will toward the organization, especially since Red Sox manager John Farrell is his close friend, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com: “I’m extremely proud of what John has done this year. And it’s tough to compete against one of your best friends. That’s actually kind of hard, but I’m so proud and happy for him, what he’s accomplished. I kind of consider it an honor to actually compete against him.”

In addition to the storyline of Francona going up against the Sox, the ALDS marks what could be the final postseason series of Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz’s illustrious career.

While Big Papi is 40 years of age, he is coming off a regular season that saw him hit .315 with 38 home runs and 127 RBI. Because of that, Francona joked that he wished Ortiz would step away a bit sooner than planned, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian:

Both the Red Sox and Indians are well-equipped to make a World Series run. Boston boasts the deepest and most dangerous lineup in baseball, while Cleveland has the type of pitching needed for postseason success.

While the Chicago Cubs are the favorites to win it all, the winner of the ALDS between the Sox and Tribe could potentially stake claim to that distinction.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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