LEADING OFF: La Russa & Baker, Red Sox vs Rays as ALDS begin

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

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THAT '70s SHOW

Two septuagenarians will be on the bench when Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa and the Chicago White Sox face the Houston Astros and skipper Dusty Baker in the opener of their best-of-five AL Division Series.

A three-time World Series winner, the 77-year-old La Russa returns to the postseason for the first time since winning the 2011 championship with St. Louis before retiring. He’ll send Lance Lynn (11-6, 2.69 ERA) to the mound in Game 1 to face Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (13-5, 3.16).

It’s the second time these teams have met in the postseason. The White Sox swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series when Houston was in the National League.

In the dugout, La Russa will match wits with an old foe in Baker, who’s still chasing that elusive first title.

“You know how I really feel inside,” the 72-year-old Baker said. “I need it, and I got to have it.”

THE BIG EAST

AL East rivals Boston and Tampa Bay begin their Division Series at Tropicana Field, with the defending league champion Rays looking to take the first step toward a return to the World Series, where they lost to the Dodgers last fall.

Tampa Bay (100-62) went 11-8 against the wild-card Red Sox this season, winning 11 of the final 15 meetings on the way to claiming its second straight division crown.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez (13-8, 4.74 ERA) starts for Boston against rookie Shane McClanahan (10-6, 3.43), a 24-year-old lefty who made his major league debut during last year’s playoffs.

Rodríguez, a 19-game winner two years ago, missed last season after developing myocarditis following a bout with COVID-19.

“It means a lot, you know, because everything I went through last...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-La-Russa-Baker-Red-Sox-vs-Rays-as-16515427.php