:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57111309/usa_today_10141116.0.jpg)
The road to the World Series in the American League goes through Texas. The New York Yankees will battle the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series beginning Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
The Yankees battled back from two games down in their AL Division Series to beat the Cleveland Indians in five games, including a 5-2 win in Game 5 on Wednesday in Cleveland.
The Astros concluded their ALDS on Monday, dispatching the Boston Red Sox in four games.
Game 1 of the ALCS will start at 8:08 p.m. ET on Friday, the first League Championship Series game in Houston since 2005. The Yankees return to the LCS for the first time since 2012.
The 102-win Indians had the best run differential in the majors in the regular season, outscoring their opponents by 254 runs, but the Yankees (+198) and Astros (+196) ranked second and third, respectively.
The Astros won five of their seven games against the Yankees in 2017, including taking three of four games at Yankee Stadium in May.
Fox or FS1 will televise the ALCS, with Joe Buck calling play-by-play alongside analyst John Smoltz. Reporters Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will be a part of the coverage as well.
ALCS schedule
| Game | Date | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
| Game 1 | Fri, Oct 13 | Minute Maid Park | 8:08 p.m. | FS1 |
| Game 2 | Sat, Oct 14 | Minute Maid Park | 4:38 p.m. | Fox |
| Game 3 | Mon, Oct 16 | Yankee Stadium | 8:08 p.m. | FS1 |
| Game 4 | Tue, Oct 17 | Yankee Stadium | 5:08 p.m. | FS1 |
| Game 5* | Wed, Oct 18 | Yankee Stadium | 5:08 p.m. | FS1 |
| Game 6* | Fri, Oct 20 | Minute Maid Park | 8:08 p.m. | FS1 |
| Game 7* | Sat, Oct 21 | Minute Maid Park | 8:08 p.m. | FS1 |