Cleveland Indians: ALDS Game 1 lineups, live game thread

The starting lineups are set as the Cleveland Indians welcome the New York Yankees to Progressive Field to begin the 2017 ALDS.

The hype is real and it is nearly time for Cleveland Indians fans to settle in and watch some postseason baseball.

All the talk leading up to today has been about the decisions made when making the postseason roster, and the starting rotation, so it is time for the players to prove Terry Francona right. Looking at you, Trevor Bauer.

Here are the lineups for tonight:

No real surprises here, although it is still odd seeing Jason Kipnis in center field. But knowing Francona, Kipnis likely won’t be out there late in the game. Having Greg Allen and Austin Jackson on the bench helps Francona have options when searching for an upgrade on defense in the later innings.

Jackson and Michael Brantley are two big bats on the bench who could pinch hit in this game, so that is something to keep in mind, while carrying guys like Erik Gonzalez and Allen allows for Francona to get creative.

The performance of Bauer will be the big story from this one, although his offense can relieve some of the stress with a big day against Sonny Gray, who has struggled against the Indians this year.

Postseason baseball rarely follows expectations, so we must hope for the best.

We want you, the loyal reader, to be able to discuss tonight’s game with other readers and Indians fans, so be sure to comment on this post throughout the game tonight. Hopefully the conversation will end up being a positive one.

You can also reach out to us on Twitter @BelievelandBall to share your thoughts throughout the game and the entire postseason.

Next: Road to WS begins with tough Yankees team

Go Tribe!