American League Division Series/National League Division Series Game 1s
Rangers at Orioles, Twins at Astros, Phillies at Braves, Diamondbacks at Dodgers
The postseason field has quickly narrowed down from 12 teams to eight after all four Wild Card Series ended in a sweep. There are four different Division Series games hitting your screens today, and look no further because we’ve got all the details for you!
The Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles will kick off the next round with the ALDS Game 1 at 1:15 p.m. CT. The Lone Stars swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Series.
Texas is sending Andrew Heaney to the bump over former White Sox hurler Dane Dunning, who likely steps up as a long reliever today. Heaney signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Rangers last offseason, but was dropped down in the starting rotation to start the year and moved to the pen after acquiring Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline. The 32-year-old Heaney last pitched in a crucial regular season game against the Seattle Mariners on September 30, where he pitched 4 1⁄3 innings of no-run ball.
The well-rested Orioles will send top starter Kyle Bradish to the mound. The 27-year-old had a fantastic season as the ace of the young O’s team, going 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA in 30 starts. The righty was lights-out for the win in his last appearance on October 1, when he pitched eight innings of three-hit ball.
You can watch the broadcast at 12:03 p.m. CT on Fox Sports 1.
Next up at 3:35 p.m. in the ALDS are the Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros. The Twinkies swept the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday in the Wild Card round.
Minnesota is hanging their hopes on Bailey Ober, who was solid in 16 starts for them this season. The righthander is a homegrown talent, selected in Round 12 of the 2017 MLB Draft (overall No. 346), and debuting for the Twins in 2021. Injuries hampered Ober in 2022, and he started 2023 in Triple-A St. Paul. Ober wasted no time proving what he could do in the minors, and returned to the big league club in late April. He went 8-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 26 starts this year.
The defending world champion Astros are sending out consummate veteran Justin Verlander. The 40-year-old last pitched on September 30 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In that game, Verlander earned the win and surrendered no runs on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts over five innings. The righty is more than comfortable in the postseason, as he’s pitched in 35 playoff games throughout his 19-year career.
You can watch the broadcast at 3:35 p.m. CT on Fox Sports 1.
The first evening matchup finds the Philadelphia Phillies taking on the Atlanta Braves in Truist Park at 5:00 p.m. CT. The Phillies destroyed the Miami Marlins in the Wild Card series.
The Phillies are hoping Ranger Suárez can help them steal a road win. The lefty began the season late due to a left elbow strain and struggled with a right hamstring issue this fall. He still started 22 games, and pitched 125 innings with a record of 4-6 and a 4.18 ERA.
Spencer Strider gets the ball for the Braves. The 24-year-old has anchored the Atlanta staff all season. The ace posted a 20-5 record with a 1.09 WHIP in 32 starts. He will likely be in the NL Cy Young discussion, although his September stats did not help his cause, as he had a 5.60 ERA on the month.
You can watch the broadcast at 5:00 p.m. CT on TBS.
The prime-time contest will be the Arizona Diamondbacks facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The underdog Diamondbacks took two road wins and the Wild Card series from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Arizona is giving the ball to Merrill Kelly and counting on him to overcome his issues with the Dodgers in tonight’s game. During the regular season, Merrill was 0-2 in four starts against Los Angeles. The 34-year-old has also never pitched in a playoff game, and didn’t even make his big league debut until age 30 on April 1, 2019. Overall, though, the righty had a solid season, going 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA over 177 2⁄3 innings. Kelly took a hard defeat in his last outing of the year, losing to the Houston Astros despite giving up only one run on five hits in seven innings.
At some point, one would think Clayton Kershaw would show his age, right? Not this season. It was another outstanding year on the books for the veteran, who posted a record of 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA over 24 starts and 131 2⁄3 innings. A lifelong member of the Blue Crew, the 35-year-old will make the start tonight, and it will be his 38th postseason appearance for the Dodgers.
You can watch the broadcast at 8:20 p.m. CT on TBS.