Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon (4 p.m. ET, MLB Network) gives us a pitching duel of the highest order, with Chris Sale facing off against Justin Verlander at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
Red Sox vs. Astros 2017 live stream: Time, TV channel, and how to watch ALDS Game 1 online
Verlander vs. Sale in the Division Series opener.
Sale, acquired in the offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox, was magnificent in his first season in Boston. The left-hander was 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA with a league-leading 214⅓ innings and 308 strikeouts, just the second pitcher in the last 15 years to strike out 300 in a season.
The left-hander has finished in the top six in AL Cy Young Award voting for five consecutive seasons and will likely finish at least in the top two in 2017. Verlander was the runner-up in 2016 and has five top-five finishes in his career, including winning the award in 2011, the same year he was named American League MVP.
Houston acquired the 34-year-old Verlander from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 31, and the veteran has found the fountain of youth with his new team. In five September starts for the Astros, Verlander allowed a total of four runs. He was 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA since joining Houston, with 43 strikeouts and five walks in 34 innings.
Thursday will be the 17th postseason start for Verlander, who was 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA in his five playoff trips with Detroit. Sale in Game 1 will be making his first playoff appearance.
These two teams should be quite familiar with one another since they finished off the regular season with a four-game series at Fenway Park. Houston won three of those four games and four of the seven against the Red Sox in 2017.
ALDS Game 1 time, TV and streaming info
- Teams: Red Sox (93-69) at Astros (101-61)
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
- First pitch: 4:08 p.m.
- Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
- TV: MLB Network
- Streaming: MLB.tv
- Announcers: Bob Costas, Jim Kaat and Jon Paul Morosi
Astros vs. Red Sox news & notes
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve won his third batting title in four years, hitting .346/.410/.547, and is among the leading candidates to win American League MVP. From Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press:
“This is the first time I’ve won a batting title and the team’s going to go to the playoffs,” said Altuve, who is also among the favorites for the AL MVP.
“I think every single player in the big leagues, after they win a World Series, would like to win an MVP. That would make me really proud. But to me we’re still in the middle of the season and haven’t done what we want to do.”
Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts overcame a hand injury earlier in the season to hit .284/.393/.411 in September. Over the Monster thinks Bogaerts could be an X-factor in the postseason for Boston:
So what has changed in September? Outside of being hit on the elbow twice, and being in visible pain in Tampa, again, Xander Bogaerts has hit profoundly well, and had a great single month snapshot of profiles. He’d finally put it all together for 2017. He is hitting the ball hard. He is hitting the ball to all fields. He’s putting the ball in the air, even if he could still do more on this front.
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