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The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros benefited from home-field advantage and strong starting pitching to take the first games of their respective American League Division Series.Boston fended off a late challenge from the New York Yankees after jumping out to a five-run lead in the first three innings.Houston hit a quartet of home runs http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , chased Corey Kluber before the end of the fifth inning and its bullpen threw 3.2 scoreless innings.David Price and Gerrit Cole will be tasked with securing 2-0 leads for their respective sides in an attempt to match the advantages held by the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League. Saturday ALDS ScheduleGame 2:Cleveland +135 (bet $100 to win $135) at Houston -145 (bet $145 to win $100): 4:37 p.m. ET, TBSGame 2:New York Yankees +110 at Boston -120: 8:15 p.m. ET, TBSOddsvia OddsShark. Indians Need More Production Out of LineupIn their 7-2 to loss to the Houston Astros, the Cleveland Indians recorded three hits, two of which came from the top two hitters in the order.In order to leave Minute Maid Park with a victory, the Indians must receive more production out of their entire order.Jose Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson combined to go 0-for-11 at the plate and left six runners on base.In contrast, the heart of the Houston order went 4-for-9, drove in two runs and only left three runners on base.Stringing together hits won't be an easy task against Cole, who was 8-2 in 96.1 innings at home in the regular season.G Fiume/Getty ImagesCole is coming off a strong September in which he conceded three runs or fewer in each of his past five starts.Cleveland wasn't the most explosive offense during the stretch run of the regular season, as it only put double digits on the board twice after September 16.The key for the Indians lies at the top of the order, as Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley must get on base in their first or second at-bat.If that occurs, the power hitters in the Cleveland order should be able to take a few runs off Cole and provide Carlos Carrasco with the necessary run support to get into a rhythm on the mound.However, that strategy will be harder to implement on the diamond as Cole turns in a similar performance to Justin Verlander's from Friday.Prediction:Houston 6, Cleveland 3Red Sox Relying On Price to Open Up 2-0 LeadAfter holding on to win Game 1 by way of a gritty bullpen effort, the Boston Red Sox turn to Price to open up a two-game series lead over the New York Yankees.Price has usually been used as a starter in the postseason, but he's also thrown in a variety of relief roles, including two appearances out of the bullpen in the ALDS against the Astros in 2017.Although he won two of his past three regular-season starts, Price wasn't perfect against the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles to close the campaign.Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesIn his September 19 loss to the Yankees, Price gave up six runs on five hits, and the Boston bullpen went on to concede four more runs.Three of the scoring plays in Price's most recent meeting with the Yankees were home runs. Two of those came off Luke Voit's bat Joc Pederson Jersey , while Miguel Andujar produced the other.Voit and Aaron Judge were the only two Yankees to record multiple hits in Game 1, and Judge hit a ninth-inning home run off Craig Kimbrel.If Voit and Judge thrive at the plate, it will put more pressure on a Boston lineup that received seven of its eight Game 1 hits from hitters No. 1 through No. 5.The Yankees might have to outhit the Red Sox in Game 2 if they are to achieve success against Price since Alex Cora's team scored at least four runsagainst Masahiro Tanaka in three of the four regular-season meetings with New York's Game 2 starter.Prediction:Boston 7, New York 4 Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference and MLB.com.Follow Joe on Twitter,JTansey90. GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Dan Otero is a man of words. Not just because the steady reliever fills out crossword puzzles, but because he chooses words carefully, as in politely noting the operative word for the Indians‘ bullpen status is “reconfiguration” as opposed to “rebuild.”Following an injury-plagued, sub-par 2018 performance and the loss of career saves leader Cody Allen and left-handed virtuoso Andrew Miller to free agency, the three-time defending AL Central champions are intent on improving the back end of their bullpen.Cleveland relievers had a 4.60 ERA last season, a substantial drop from a successful run — 2.89 in 2017, 3.45 in 2016, and 3.12 in 2015 and 2014.Otero is confident the corps can return to past form.“We have all the pieces here to be a successful bullpen,” he said Thursday in the clubhouse on a rare rainy day at camp. “And most, if not everyone, was here last year at some point and in some capacity. And everyone has had prominent success in the big leagues, maybe not sustained as much as we like, but everybody has had prominent success.”That number includes former two-time All-Star Tyler Clippard, who agreed Wednesday to sign a minor league deal, pending a physical. Clippard’s expected arrival boosts the non-roster pitcher number to 12, nine of whom have MLB relief experience.“Any time you get a chance to get a major league pitcher … it’s kind of hard to not want to bring him in http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey ,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “We’re really excited to bring him in and get a look at him and see where it could go. He’ll go right into that mix of that group competing for bullpen spots.”With 15 more relievers on the 40-man camp roster, evaluating the best bullpen candidates before the March 28 season opener at Minnesota will be incredibly challenging for Francona, beginning his seventh season with Cleveland.“You can make some really bad mistakes with looking at ERAs, things like that,” he said. “For guys that have track records, it is a little easier because you can go back and say, ‘Is this the same guy? Is his velocity down?'”Francona used Otero as an example. In spring training 2016, his ERA was over 6.0, but “every groundball found its way through the infield,” Francona said. “But we thought he pitched very well.”Otero wound up with 1.53 ERA, the best in the ‘pen.The skipper also pointed out that in spring training games, the late-inning batters — facing Francona’s bullpen candidates — are often long shots to make rosters.“They’re facing No. 99; we don’t know who they are,” Francona said. “That might be the biggest at-bat of their life. They’re going to call home after that at-bat and tell mom and dad that they faced Tyler Clippard. It’s hard. You try to see who can pitch to a scouting report.”As for combining the eye test with spin rates from data collecting technology Francona said, “it’s just another way of getting to the answer; you try not to guess. There is really good technology out there that we use and believe in.”The human element is always part of the equation, as players who are more comfortable tend to perform better. That might be the case for Adam Cimber and closer Brad Hand, who were acquired last July from San Diego.“It’s human nature, you’re not introducing yourself to people, you are reacquainting yourself,” Francona said.As Hand revealed, he made a quick adjustment, in part http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , because he’s changed teams previously, from the Marlins to San Diego in 2016. In contrast, Cimber had only known the Padres.“When you leave your first team, that’s as close to family as you are ever going to get in a professional setting,” Francona said. “So, the first time it can be a little challenging, especially in the middle of the year.”While Allen and Miller left massive holes, Francona does have some reliable arms coming back he knows he can count on.Veteran left-hander Oliver Perez was solid during most of his 51 appearances last season after he signed in June following his release while in the minors with the Yankees. Nick Goody and Tyler Olson, two dominant relievers from 2017, might factor in with bounce back years, and Jon Edwards showed promise in brief appearances late last season.Edwards said he is focusing on spin efficiency, among other aspects, in spring training. Certainly, Indians relievers seek a return to past dominance.“There’s an eagerness among guys, including myself, to pick that up and show we can help the team win and be a stabilizer at the back part of the game,” Edwards said.