Red Sox Playoff Opponent is Decided

Red Sox on Friday night found out which team they will play in the opening round of the playoffs: the Cleveland Indians, with old pals Terry Francona and Mike Napoli.

The Texas Rangers clinched the American League's best record Friday night, meaning they will play whomever emerges from the American League wild-card play-in game. The Sox, meanwhile, have got a date with the American League Central champions.

Where the Sox-Indians series will start is still to be determined. but it will begin Thursday. Cleveland and Boston each have 67 losses, but the Red Sox have one more victory (93) after Friday night's 5-3 win over Toronto. It could come down to the last - really, the last last - day of the regular reason.

Here's the situation:

Cleveland's game in Detroit on Thursday got rained out. So while the Red Sox only have two games left, finishing with Sunday's regular-season finale, the Indians could have three left, if the standings dictate that make-up game with Detroit is necessary. That game, if needed, would be played Monday.

And about the Tribe...

Cleveland's season has been hampered of late with injuries to the starting rotation. Carlos Carrasco is done for the season, Danny Salazar might try to return for the ALDS, and staff ace Corey Kluber left Monday's game with a tight groin.

The Indians are managed by Francona, who guided the Red Sox to the 2004 and 2007 World Series titles, and are led offensively by Mike Napoli, a key figure in the 2013 World Series squad.

The last time Cleveland won a World Series championship in 1948, it doubled up on dumping Boston teams. First the Indians knocked the Red Sox out with a victory in the American League's first one-game playoff. The Tribe then beat the Boston Braves for the title.

The Indians had the Red Sox down, 3 games to 1, in the 2007 ALCS, but Boston recovered to win the series and eventually another World Series championship.

Boston also rallied back from a 2-0 ALDS series deficit to Cleveland in 1999, in what was one of Pedro Martinez's most memorable performances.