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The No. 3 Minnesota Twins will take on the AL West champion Houston Astros in Game 1 of this ALDS on Saturday, October 7, from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Twins advanced to the Division Series with a two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Astros were the second-best division winner, so they were awarded the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. Righty Bailey Ober will get the start over Joe Ryan for the Twins, while the Astros counter with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.
Houston enters as a -155 favorite on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Minnesota at +130. The run total is set at 7.5.
The Astros have released their lineup for today’s game, so let’s take a look at how they’ll line up against Ober.
Astros starting lineup, ALDS Game 1, October 7
The Astros against Bailey Ober: Altuve 4, Bregman 5, Tucker 9, Alvarez DH, Abreu 3, Brantley 7, McCormick 8, Peña 6, Maldonado 2
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 7, 2023
Verlander RHP
The top four here are exactly as expected, with Altuve-Bregman-Tucker-Alvarez powering Houston all year long. Jose Abreu slides into the fifth spot after a strong close to the season, while Michael Brantley gets a start in left field and Chas McCormick gets the start in center.