Two playoff games to follow today!
The Wild Card Games are complete, and the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers advanced while the 2021 postseason field was trimmed to eight teams. Now it’s on to the Divisional Series Round, and Thursday brings the beginning of the two ALDS matchups.
First up, the AL West champion Houston Astros host the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. The two clubs will each joust with a starting pitcher named Lance, as the Astros call on Lance McCullers Jr and the Pale Hose turn to Lance Lynn, the latter of whom should get some Cy Young votes after the season. McCullers beat Chicago twice this season, while Lynn got roughed up by Houston in his only appearance against them.
Astros lineup (home)
- 2B Jose Altuve (R)
- LF Michael Brantley (L)
- 3B Alex Bregman (R)
- DH Yordan Alvarez (L)
- 1B Yuli Gurriel (R)
- SS Carlos Correa (R)
- RF Kyle Tucker (L)
- CF Jake Meyers (R)
- C Martin Maldonado (R)
- RHP Lance McCullers Jr
White Sox lineup (away)
- SS Tim Anderson (R)
- 3B Yoan Moncada (S)
- DH Jose Abreu (R)
- C Yasmani Grandal (S)
- CF Luis Robert (R)
- LF Eloy Jimenez (R)
- 1B Gavin Sheets (L)
- RF Adam Engel (R)
- 2B Leury Garcia (S)
- RHP Lance Lynn
How To Watch
- Date: Thursday, October 7
- Time: 1:07 p.m. PT
- TV (local): FS1
The evening game features the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Wild Card Game winners, the Red Sox, at Tropicana Field. A pair of lefties face off, with Shane McClanahan for the Rays and Eduardo Rodriguez for the Sox. The hard-throwing McClanahan had a nice rookie year and was good in two of three tries against Boston. Rodriguez had a shaky ERA but a great FIP and strikeout rate, and was effective two out of three times against Tampa Bay.
Rays lineup (home)
- LF Randy Arozarena (R)
- SS Wander Franco (S)
- 2B Brandon Lowe (L)
- DH Nelson Cruz (R)
- 3B Yandy Diaz (R)
- 1B Jordan Luplow (R)
- RF Manuel Margot (R)
- C Mike Zunino (R)
- CF Kevin Kiermaier (L)
- LHP Shane McClanahan
Red Sox lineup (away)
- CF Enrique Hernandez (R)
- DH Kyle Schwarber (L)
- SS Xander Bogaerts (R)
- 3B Rafael Devers (L)
- RF Hunter Renfroe (R)
- LF Alex Verdugo (L)
- 1B Bobby Dalbec (R)
- C Christian Vazquez (R)
- 2B Christian Arroyo (R)
- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
How To Watch
- Date: Thursday, October 7
- Time: 5:07 p.m. PT
- TV (local): FS1