The 2018 MLB playoffs roll on into Friday Andrew Chafin Jersey , with four games on the slate to keep baseball fanatics glued to their screens throughout the day.The National League Division Series opened Thursday, with the Milwaukee Brewers toppling the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Mike Moustakas' walk-off single in the 10th. The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, slugged their way to a6-0win over the Atlanta Braves.The American League Division Series gets going Friday, when the Cleveland Indians host the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox welcome their longtime rival New York Yankees.Friday Playoff ScheduleIndians (+130) at Astros (-140), 2:05 p.m. ET on TBSRockies (+141) at Brewers (-151), 4:15 p.m. ET on FS1Yankees (+165) at Red Sox (-180), 7:32 p.m. ET on TBSBraves (+195) at Dodgers (-238), 9:37 p.m. ET on FS1Odds according toOddsShark.Cleveland Indians at Houston AstrosPatrick McDermott/Getty ImagesYes, the Houston Astros are defending champions. And yes, they paced the entire league with a plus-263 run differential. But don't let that fool you into thinking Houston will automatically steamroll the Cleveland Indians.The Indians aren't perfect, but they are trending the right direction. The midseason move to acquire Brad Hand and Adam Cimber shored up a bullpen that encountered some uncharacteristic rough patches, and the lineup has a former MVP as a wild card in August acquisition Josh Donaldson.None of this will scare the Astros, who are both seasoned and statistically dominant. They finished fifth in the AL in runs scored and OPS, first in ERA (by a mile) and first in OBP against (.282, the AL'sonly sub-.300 mark).Game 1 starters Corey Kluber and Justin Verlander might both rank among the five best pitchers in baseball, so there's not much of an advantage either way. Most hitting categories favor Cleveland, but the difference is minimal鈥?1 more runs, 11 more home runs and four extra batting average points.When it's this close to call, it might be safest to lean toward the home team, especially when said ballclub was the last to claim the crown.Prediction:Astros 3 Darryl Strawberry Jersey , Indians 2Colorado Rockies at Milwaukee BrewersDylan Buell/Getty ImagesWhile the Brewers and Rockies combined for five runs in 10 innings to start the series, a repeat performance feels unlikely. Given the collective firepower between them, there is plenty of potential for a noisier Game 2.Colorado starter Tyler Anderson had a losing record (7-9) and a forgettable ERA (4.55) in the regular season. That said, he had some of his best starts down the stretch. In five September outings, he pitched to a strong 3.25 ERA with more than three times as many strikeouts (24 in 27.2 innings) as walks (seven).Milwaukee counters with Jhoulys Chacin, who steered them through Monday's NL Central tiebreaker with 5.2 innings of one-hit, one-run ball. On the season, he sported a strong 15-8 record with a solid 3.50 ERA, the second-lowest in the rotation and his best mark since 2013 (minimum five starts).The pitchers seem unlikely to be the focal point of this contest, though. The Brewers and Rockies respectively finished second and third in home runs in the NL, and each roster includes a legitimate MVP candidate鈥擟hristian Yelich and Nolan Arenado, who both drove in 110 runs, scored 100-plus runs and clubbed at least 36 homers.The Brewers should be riding high after Thursday's thrilling victory, and when that energy is combined with a raucous home crowd, that sounds like the formula for a 2-0 series lead.Prediction:Brewers 8, Rockies 5 New York Yankees at Boston Red SoxFrank Franklin II/Associated PressConsidering the rich history of this rivalry, this matchup feels like a gift from the baseball gods. The stat sheet, though, tells a different story.The New York Yankees are really good鈥攖hey were one of only three teams to crack triple digits in wins. But the Boston Red Sox might be historically great.Boston's 108 wins were the most recorded since 2001. Its hitters were the AL's best in runs, hits, doubles http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-jacob-degrom-jersey , RBI, batting average and slugging percentage. Its pitching staff ranked third in ERA and strikeouts. Its defense tied for fourth in fielding percentage. Its baserunners were third in steals.The Red Sox have the AL MVP favorite鈥攁nd it's not J.D. Martinez, who blasted 43 homers and drove in 130 runs. Rather, it's batting champ Mookie Betts, who hit .346, homered 32 times, scored 129 runs and stole 30 bases.The Game 1 matchup of Chris Sale and J.A. Happ feels like another lopsided advantage for the home team, provided the former can overcome a troubling bout of shoulder inflammation. Sale made just five starts after July and didn't go longer than five innings in any of them. His typically electric stuff has also suffered from a steepdrop in velocity.If Sale isn't all the way right, the Yankees have the power to jump all over him. They not only led the majors with 267 home runs, but they also paced the category by 32 dingers (a bigger gap than the one between Nos. 2 and 11).But it's hard to bet against this Boston team.Prediction:Red Sox 6, Yankees 3 Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles DodgersLachlan Cunningham/Getty ImagesHaving Clayton Kershaw pitch Game 2 speaks to the Dodgers' absurd depth in the rotation. L.A. had six different starters win at least seven games and post winning records, four of whom had ERAs of 3.02 or lower.Kershaw might not have beenKERSHAW!this season, but the three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP remains plenty filthy. This was his 10th straight campaign with a sub-3.00 ERA, and he tallied 155 strikeouts against only 29 walks.Atlanta has handed the starting duties to Anibal Sanchez, who was among this season's most pleasant surprises. Unceremoniously dumped by the Minnesota Twins in March, he went on to give the Braves a 2.83 ERA over 136.2 innings.Sanchez will need to be razor-sharp, though, as the Dodgers were the NL leaders in runs and home runs. They canmash, as they did with three long balls Thursday.The Braves' rise feels a tad ahead of schedule, though that's what can happen when sub-25-year-olds like Ronald Acuna Jr. (26 homers, 16 steals) Nolan Ryan Jersey , Ozzie Albies (24 homers, 14 steals) and Johan Camargo (19 homers, 76 RBI) simultaneously enjoy a rapid rise. Tack on the likes of Freddie Freeman (23 homers, 98 RBI), Nick Markakis (93 RBI) and Ender Inciarte (28 steals), and Atlanta isn't short on offensive weaponry.The question is whether that will matter with Kershaw on the mound. He was relatively hittable late in the season (3.89 ERA in September), although his track record suggests he can catch fire at any minute.If you were asked for a preseason prediction about a Kershaw-Sanchez playoff matchup, you would have dismissed the question with uproarious laughter. The gap between them might not be comical anymore, but it's wide enough for us to predict a Friday sweep for the home teams.Prediction:Dodgers 5, Braves 1Statistics used courtesy ofMLB.comandESPN.com.鈥 MIAMI (AP) — Stephen Strasburg matched his season-high with 11 strikeouts and Bryce Harper tied a season high with five walks as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 4-2 Tuesday night.Anthony Rendon drove in two runs for the Nationals (77-75), who moved to within 6 ½ games of the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, who lost 8-1 to St. Louis.Strasburg (9-7) pitched six innings and allowed two runs and five hits with two walks. At one point, he struck out six consecutive batters.Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect ninth for his 25th save in 26 opportunities.Peter O’Brien hit his third home run of the season and J.T. Realmuto had two hits and knocked in a run for the Marlins.Adam Eaton and Trea Turner had consecutive RBI singles in the second inning to give the Nationals an early lead.O’Brien’s solo homer off Strasburg cut the Marlins’ deficit to 2-1.Rendon’s sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 3-1, but Realmuto pulled Miami within 3-2 with a base hit in the fifth.Rendon’s single in the sixth pushed Washington’s advantage to 4-2.Sandy Alcantara pitched four innings for the Marlins and allowed six hits, six walks, and three runs.UP NEXTNationals: RHP Max Scherzer (17-7, 2.53 ERA) will begin a four-game series against the New York Mets on Thursday.Marlins: RHP Jeff Brigham (0-2, 7.36) will take the mound on Thursday when Miami begins the final home series of the season, a four-game set against Cincinnati.