Minnesota at Houston 4:45 ET
Twins over Astros- ‘break-up the Twins...after going 19 years and 17 consecutive playoffs games without a win Minnesota has posted back-to-back victories over Toronto and took the series 2-0. The Twins will hand the ball to right-hander Bailey Ober (8-6, 3.43 ERA) in Game 1, marking his postseason debut. It's a tall task for Ober, who faced the Astros twice in 2021 and allowed five runs on 14 hits and two walks over 10 innings in a pair of no-decisions. Minnesota won four of six against Houston this season by taking a home series in early April and another on the road in late May. The Astros will counter with veteran Justin Verlander (13-8, 3.22 ERA), who will make his 35th career postseason start. Verlander was instrumental in helping Houston secure the AL West title on the final day of the regular season, going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA during a 5-1 season-ending road trip that enabled the Astros to run down and bypass the Texas Rangers. None of that will matter because the Twins have their mojo working and their is nothing Houston can do about it. Take MINNESOTA!