The American League Division Series kicks off today at Minute Maid Park and I like Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox to take game 1 over Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros. This won’t be easy for Boston with Verlander on the hill. The veteran has been down this road before. Verlander is 15-8 on the season, with an ERA of 3.36, and since joining the Astros from Detroit, he is 5-0, with an ERA of just 1.06. The southpaw, Chris Sale, has enjoyed success against Houston, going 5-1 with an ERA of 1.31 in 6 career starts. Sale is 17-8 on the season, with a 2.90 ERA, and the Red Sox are 7-2 in his last 9 road starts. Houston led the American League in hitting with an average of .282 but they are 6-13 in their last 19 games against lefties. Road dog today.
TODAY’S PICK: BOSTON RED SOX