ALDS Cheat Sheet
2017 Head-to-Head Matchups (Houston 4-3, Under 4-2)
Houston vs. Boston (Minute Maid Park)
June 16 - Red Sox 2 Astros 1 (Under 9)
June 17 - Astros 7 Red Sox 1 (Under 9)
June 18 - Red Sox 6 Astros 5 (Over 9)
Boston vs. Houston (Fenway Park)
Sept. 28 - Astros 12 Red Sox 2 (Over 9)
Sept. 29 - Astros 3 Red Sox 2 (Under 10)
Sept. 30 - Red Sox 6 Astros 3 (Over 8.5)
Oct. 1 - Astros 4 Red Sox 3 (Under 9)
The Red Sox and Astros are meeting in the postseason for the first time ever in the American League Divisional Series. Boston (93-69) is back in the playoffs for the second straight season as the Sox tries to erase last year’s memory of getting swept by Cleveland in the opening round. Following the retirement of future of Hall of Famer David Ortiz, the Red Sox started 2017 with a subpar 21-21 record. However, Boston turned things around to close the first half at 50-39, while going 8-1 in the final nine games away from Fenway Park.
Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA) is one of the AL’s top contenders to capture the Cy Young award in his first season with Boston. The slender southpaw led the AL in strikeouts (308) and innings pitched (214.1), while finishing second in ERA and WHIP as will get the ball in the series opener. Sale’s numbers on the road compared to home were similar, even though he made 19 starts away from Fenway and only 13 home starts. The former Chicago fireballer won 10 decisions on the highway, while Boston riding an 11-4 run in his past 15 road starts. Sale didn’t face the Astros this season, but beat Houston twice last season as a member of the White Sox.
Fellow southpaw Drew Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32 ERA) is slated to start Game 2 in Houston as he set a career-high in victories with 17. Pomeranz has jumped last season’s Cy Young winner Rick Porcello and David Price for the number two spot in the Boston rotation as the Sox posted a solid 22-10 mark in his 32 starts. Boston compiled an impressive 7-1 record in Pomeranz's eight starts as a road underdog, including a 2-1 victory at Minute Maid Park as a +115 ‘dog in mid-June.
Houston (101-61) broke the 100-win barrier for only the second time in franchise history (1998) as the Astros stormed out to a 60-29 record by the All-Star break. Although Houston struggled in August and was displaced temporarily due to Hurricane Harvey, the Astros turned it on late by winning 21 of their final 29 games, including taking three of four from the Red Sox at Fenway Park in the last series of the season.
The Astros made one of the biggest splashes late in the season by acquiring former MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander from the Tigers. Verlander (15-8, 3.36 ERA) has been perfect on the mound since moving to Houston in September by going 5-0 in five starts, while allowing only four earned runs in 34 innings of work. Verlander picked up a pair of no-decisions against the Red Sox this season as a member of the Tigers, but scattered three hits and allowed one run in seven innings of a 2-1 win at Comerica Park in April opposite Sale.
Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90 ERA) missed nearly two months with a neck injury, as the 2015 Cy Young winner had his ups and downs in the second half of the season. Keuchel was unbeaten in his first 12 starts of the season, but the Astros put together a 3-4 record in his final seven outings. The left-hander posted three consecutive quality starts to finish the campaign, while allowing a total of four earned runs in that stretch. Keuchel won both his playoff starts in 2015, including as a -170 home favorite over the Royals in the ALDS, 4-2.
2017 Head-to-Head Matchups (Cleveland 5-2, Over 3-3-1)
Cleveland vs. New York (Progressive Field)
Aug. 3 - Indians 5 Yankees 1 (Under 8 )
Aug. 4 - Indians 7 Yankees 2 (Push 9)
Aug. 5 - Yankees 2 Indians 1 (Under 8.5)
Aug. 6 - Yankees 8 Indians 1 (Over 7.5)
New York vs. Cleveland (Yankee Stadium)
Aug. 28 - Indians 6 Yankees 2 (Over 6.5)
Aug. 30 - Indians 2 Yankees 1 (Under 8.5)
Aug. 30 - Indians 9 Yankees 4 (Over 9)
The Yankees and Indians haven’t hooked up in the playoffs since 2007 as New York looks to eliminate the defending AL Champions. The Bronx Bombers dug themselves a 3-0 hole against the Twins in Tuesday’s Wild Card matchup, but the Yankees stormed back by knocking out Minnesota, 8-4 as -255 favorites.
New York (91-71) hung with Boston all season long inside the AL East, while winning 16 of their final 22 regular season contests. The Yankees never showcased a true ace of their pitching staff, but turned to right-hander Luis Severino in the winner-take-all Wild Card game. Severino (14-6, 2.98 ERA) recorded only one out and allowed three earned runs, but was bailed out when the Yankees tied the game in the bottom of the first. Severino will look to regroup when he takes the mound in this series, as the right-hander split a pair of starts against Cleveland, including dominating the Indians in an 8-1 rout at Progressive Field in August by scattering two hits in 6.2 innings, while striking out nine.
Mid-season pickup Sonny Gray (10-12, 3.54 ERA) hasn’t had much luck in pinstripes by going 4-7 with New York, including a 2-4 mark at home. Gray faced the Indians in his Yankees’ debut on August 3 as he lost, 5-1 as a +170 underdog, giving up four runs (two earned) in six innings of work. Masahiro Tanaka (13-12, 4.74 ERA) was knocked around in his first two starts of the season, but rebounded with five straight wins, while concluding the regular season with a 15-strikeout performance in seven scoreless innings of a 4-0 triumph over the Blue Jays.
Cleveland (102-60) tries to defend its pennant and win the franchise’s first World Series title since 1948. The Indians began the season at 31-31, but ran off six consecutive wins to start the momentum going in the right direction. The Tribe led the Twins by 2 ½ games in the AL Central at the All-Star break, but went backwards by dropping five of six contests at Oakland and San Francisco to start the second half. Terry Francona’s squad won nine straight games to regain control of the division, while breaking the AL record by putting together a 22-game winning streak from late August through mid-September.
Staff ace Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25 ERA) is the AL front-runner to capture his second Cy Young award in four seasons, but won’t take the mound until Game 2 of the series. Kluber closed the season by allowing two earned runs or less in 11 of his last 12 starts, while the Indians won 12 of his final 14 outings. The right-hander dominated the Yankees twice by yielding three earned runs in 17 innings of work, while striking out 18 batters in two victories. In last season’s playoffs, Kluber put together a 4-1 mark in six starts, while not allowing a run in three outings as a home favorite.
Trevor Bauer (17-9, 4.19 ERA) established a career-high in victories for Cleveland, as he will take the ball in the series opener. Bauer’s wake-up call came in a 7-3 defeat at Oakland on July 16 in which he recorded two outs and gave up four earned runs. Since that loss, the Indians own a 10-3 record in his last 13 starts, including two wins over the Yankees. Bauer made four postseason starts for Cleveland last season, but failed to pitch past the fifth inning each time, while each appearance came as an underdog.