LIVE on TBS: Guardians-Yankees Game 1 FAQ, lineups

The stage is set for a clash of styles as Major League home run leader Aaron Judge and the big-swinging Yankees prepare to take on a Guardians roster that finds success by relying on pitching, defense and situational hitting.

Welcome to the American League Division Series, which will feature the top two clubs in the AL East and Central in New York and Cleveland, respectively. The Guardians advanced to the ALDS by sweeping the Rays in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, which the Yankees watched closely.

• Postseason ticket information: Guardians | Yankees

“Cleveland has been one of the really good stories, with their young roster coming of age,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “They dominated the Central down the stretch. They pitch well, have an elite closer, good starting pitching, they’re adept at putting the ball in play and athletic.”

When is the game and how can I watch it?

Game 1 of the ALDS will be played on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium at 7:37 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by TBS.

All games are available in the US on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the US. For full details click here.

What are the starting lineups?

Guardians: With Gerrit Cole starting Game 1 for the Yankees, Cleveland is sticking with a similar batting order as the one it used against Rays righty Tyler Glasnow on Saturday. Here’s how it shakes out:

1. Steven Kwan, LF
2. Amed Rosario, SS
3. José Ramírez, 3B
4. Josh Naylor, 1B
5. Oscar Gonzalez, RF
6. Andrés Giménez, 2B
7. Will Brennan, DH
8. Austin Hedges, C
9. Myles Straw, CF

Yankees: Fresh off setting a new AL single-season record with 62 home runs, Judge looks to spark the lineup and cap his likely AL MVP season with a championship. The Bombers have more depth after welcoming several key figures back in recent weeks, including Matt Carpenter, who should be available to DH or pinch-hit during the ALDS.

Here is the Game 1 lineup:

1. Aaron Judge, RF
2. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
3. Gleyber Torres, 2B
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Oswaldo Cabrera, LF
6. Josh Donaldson, 3B
7. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS
8. Jose Trevino, C
9. Harrison Bader, CF

Who are the starting pitchers?

Guardians: Since they swept the Rays, the Guardians will be able to save Cal Quantrill (15-5, 3.38 ERA) for Tuesday’s start in New York. Quantrill made one start against the Yankees this year, giving up three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss on April 23. He’s had just one-third of an inning of postseason experience, recording one out with Cleveland in 2020.

Yankees: Cole (13-8, 3.50 ERA) will start Game 1. In four postseason starts as a Yankee, Cole is 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA. He was 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts vs. Cleveland this year.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Guardians: Thankfully, they’ll have two days to rest before Tuesday night’s opener. The team is fresh off a 15-inning marathon on Saturday afternoon in which the bullpen covered nine innings. The only relievers who weren’t used were Zach Plesac and Kirk McCarty. The goal will continue to be to get the ball to closer Emmanuel Clase as quickly as possible, with James Karinchak, Trevor Stephan and Sam Hentges being likely candidates to bridge the gap from starter to closer.

Yankees: Clay Holmes is expected to be healthy and ready to reassume closing duties after being shelved during the season’s final week with right shoulder inflammation. Jonathan Loáisiga figures to be an important contributor in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings, with the Yanks also leaning upon Wandy Peralta and Lou Trivino for big outs, based upon matchups and situations. Aroldis Chapman will not be a part of the Yankees' roster after missing a workout on Friday.

Any injuries of note?

Guardians: Sidearm reliever Nick Sandlin was removed from Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Rays with right upper arm tightness. The Guardians will have to run through tests to determine whether he'll be healthy enough to stay on the ALDS roster. If not, it wouldn't be surprising to see righty Cody Morris take his spot.

Yankees: DJ LeMahieu was left off the ALDS roster as the infielder continues to be “compromised,” in Boone’s words, by a right foot injury that slowed him through most of the second half of the regular season.

Carpenter is returning from a fractured left foot and should be available to DH or pinch-hit. Andrew Benintendi is expected to be out until a potential ALCS as he recovers from right wrist surgery. Ron Marinaccio is unavailable for this round due to a stress reaction in his right shin. Frankie Montas is not expected to return until a potential ALCS, and even then, only as a bullpen option. Chad Green, Michael King and Zack Britton are all out for the season.

Who is hot and who is not?

Guardians: The pitching staff as a whole is hot, but the offense struggled to string together any hits against the Rays on Saturday. Before Oscar Gonzalez ended a nearly five-hour, 15-inning marathon with a walk-off homer, Cleveland had just four hits on the day. Meanwhile, the pitching staff, including WCS starters Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie, continues to be consistent for the club. The Guardians’ hurlers enter the ALDS on an 18-inning scoreless streak.

Yankees: It hasn’t all been Judge. Torres has been scorching the ball of late, hitting .320 (32-for-100) since Aug. 31. Stanton homered in each of his last three regular-season games and says that his swing is feeling good. Kyle Higashioka has 19 hits in his last 56 at-bats (.339), dating to Sept. 4, while Trevino is 11-for-62 (.177) since Sept. 2.

Anything else fans might want to know?

• This marks the first postseason meeting between the Yankees and Cleveland since 2020, when New York was victorious in the AL Wild Card Series. The Yanks also ended Cleveland’s season in 2017, when they rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to take the best-of-five ALDS.

• The managers are no strangers to each others’ fan bases. Guardians skipper Terry Francona was, of course, at the helm of the 2004 Curse-reversing Red Sox, while Boone played third base for Cleveland in 2005 and ‘06.

• The Guardians have won a playoff series for the first time since 2016, despite clinching a postseason berth three times since then.