ALCS AT A GLANCE

■ Teams: Boston Red Sox (AL wild card) vs. Houston Astros (AL West champion)

■ Schedule: Game 1, Friday, at Houston, 5:07 p.m. (Fox); Game 2, Saturday, at Houston, 1:20 p.m. (Fox and FS1); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 18, at Boston, 5:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 19, at Boston, TBD (Fox); x-game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Boston, TBD (Fox); x-game 6, Friday, Oct. 22, at Houston, TBD (Fox); x-game 7, Saturday, Oct. 23, at Houston, TBD (Fox or FS1). x-if necessary.

■ Season Series: Astros won 5-2.

■ Records: Red Sox 92-70; Astros 95-67.

■ Managers: Red Sox, Alex Cora (third season; two stints); Astros, Dusty Baker (second season).

■ Red Sox projected rotation: LHP Chris Sale (5-1, 3.16 ERA, 52 Ks, 422/3 IP in 9 starts after return from Tommy John surgery), RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75, 195 Ks in 1821/3 IP), LHP Eduardo Rodríguez (13-8, 4.74), RHP Nick Pivetta (9-8, 4.53).

■ Astros projected rotation: LHP Framber Valdez (11-6, 3.14 ERA, 125 Ks), RHP Luis Garcia (11-8, 3.30, 167 Ks as rookie), RHP Lance Mccullers Jr. (13-5, 3.16, 185 Ks, Mlb-high 76 walks), RHP José Urquidy (8-3, 3.62 in 20 starts).

■ Notes: Boston took down top-seeded and AL East champion Rays 3-1 in best-of-five ALDS, joining Minnesota Twins (1991 World Series) as only teams to clinch a postseason series with consecutive walk-off wins, according to STATS. Red Sox batted .341 with 9 homers and .915

OPS in the series. … Heavyhitting Astros are third team in baseball history to reach five straight League Championship Series. Looking to return to World Series for second time in three seasons and earn second championship overall, after 2017 crown was tainted by electronic cheating scheme.