The set-up: Cleveland's strong finish (highlighted by the team's 22-game winning streak) was enough to allow the Indians to edge past the Houston Astros (102-to-101 wins) for the American League's best overall record. That means Houston will host the third-seeded AL East champion Boston Red Sox (93-69) in Game 1 of this ALDS late Thursday afternoon. The Astros took four of seven from the Red Sox during the regular season and went 48-33 at Minute Maid Park, while the Red Sox went 41-35 away from Fenway. Boston's 4.85 RPG ranked 10th-best and the team's ERA of 3.72 was 4th-best among all teams. As for Houston, the Astros own MLB's best offense, ranking first in runs scored (5.53 per), team BA (.282) and OPS (.823), while finishing with the second-most HRs (238) of any team. Houston's pitching was more mediocre, as the team's staff ERA was 4.12 (ranks 11th).

The pitching matchup: It's a "big-time" showdown in Game 1, as Chris Sale (17-8 & 2.90 ERA) squares off against Justin Verlander (15-8 & 3.36 ERA). Sale was one of MLB's best pitchers for most of the season but struggled over his final eight starts, going 3-4 with a 4.30 ERA (team was 4-4). This marks Sale's first career postseason start, after 260 regular-season games. However, it comes vs. a team he's had great success against, going 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA in six career starts against Houston with 65 strikeouts against only five walks over 48 innings. "I'm 28 years old, so I've been waiting for this about 23 years," Sale told reporters. "This has been a long time coming. A lot of hard work went into this. It's a long season. We had a lot of guys put everything they had on the field the entire season. To have this opportunity right here, it's the best." Verlander's 15 wins don't tell the whole story, as the former MVP and Cy Young winner has gone 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts since joining the Astros. He allowed four runs (three earned) in 12 innings over two starts against Boston earlier this season, though he did not factor in either decision (Tigers were 1-1). Verlander owns a solid 2.77 ERA vs. Boston over 18 career starts (just 5-6), while the Tigers were only 8-10 in all starts.

The pick: "You can't get prepared for it," Verlander told reporters of starting in the postseason. "You have to experience it by being out there and feeling the adrenaline, and experiencing it for yourself." Verlander has had good success in the postseason, save his 0-3 record (7.20 ERA) in three World Series starts. However, he and Houston are two series wins away from a World Series appearance. Have to like Verlander's excellent performance since coming to Houston and his 2.77 ERA in 18 career starts vs. the Red Sox. As for Sale, he's dominated Houston teams in the past and while he struggled down the stretch in 2017, his 2.90 ERA was the second-best among all AL qualifiers plus he owned an 0.97 WHIP, had 308 Ks and opponents batted just .208 against him on the season. Make the Under a 10*