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Two 100-win teams meeting in the ALDS? Yes, please. And those same two teams make up one of the most heated rivalries in all of sports? May as well just make this an 11-game series.
Game 1 of one of the most anticipated ALDS matchups in postseason history is scheduled to start Friday at 7:32 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TBS. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
TBS is one of 85 channels included in the main Fubo bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch the game up to three days after it airs even if you forgot to record it or signed up late.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including TBS. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
TBS is included in both the “Sling Orange” and the “Sling Blue” channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of either, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
Preview
Whenever the Yankees and Red Sox clash, it’s a big deal. But add in the intrigue of a playoff matchup, which has only happened three times before (and never in the ALDS), and the dial gets cranked up a little bit. Then throw in the fact that both teams cracked the 100-win mark this season, and the dial gets broken off the hinge.
This is unprecedented territory for already one of the most storied rivalries in sports.
In Game 1, the 108-win Red Sox will hand the ball to their ace, Chris Sale. Before a shoulder injury sidelined him for a month in August and early September, he was cruising towards the Cy Young, going 12-4 with a 1.97 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 219 strikeouts in just 146.0 innings (13.5 K/9). And he was somehow getting even more effective, allowing a ridiculous five earned runs in the 65.0 innings (0.69 ERA) leading up to the injury.
In the four limited starts since his return, Sale worked just 12 total innings, working his pitch count out. He gave up a very human-esque five earned runs (3.75 ERA) during that stretch, and his velocity was down, leading some to believe he wasn’t fully recovered, but the Sox aren’t concerned.
“He’s been going through his progress the right way,” manager Alex Cora said. “It’s nothing compared to the first time he went on the DL and the days after Baltimore (when Sale couldn’t recover and was placed back on the DL). So that’s why I’m 100 percent sure he’s healthy and he’s gonna be fine.”
Sale faced the Yankees twice this season, going 2-0 with 19 K’s and just one earned run over 13.0 innings.
New York, who used Luis Severino in the AL Wild Card game win over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, will turn to veteran left-hander J.A. Happ.
Since coming over from the Blue Jays in a July trade, Happ has been excellent with his new team, going 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He faced Boston in two of his last three starts, giving up eight hits, five walks and four earned runs over 12 innings (3.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP). The Yankees won both games.
All-in-all, it’s a compelling start to what stands to be yet another legendary chapter in this rivalry.