MLB Playoffs! Yankees and Indians Open Wild-card Series

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber dominated this year for Cleveland, leading the American League in wins and strikeouts. He didn’t allow a run in six of his 12 starts. Gerrit Cole delivered for the Yankees in his first season since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract, going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA. Now they meet in the playoff opener at Progressive Field, a classic pitching duel in the making on the first day of the postseason.

In today's other action:

— The Twins are hoping to have third baseman Josh Donaldson and center fielder Byron Buxton back in the lineup for the opener of their series against Houston. Both were injured Friday, sat out the final two regular season games as a precaution, then participated in a workout at Target Field on Monday.

— The White Sox backed into the postseason with losses in seven of their final eight games, including a pair of walk-off defeats. They open a wild-card series in Oakland hoping ace Lucas Giolito can play stopper. The A’s are throwing 22-year-old left-hander Jesus Luzardo despite Chicago’s proclivity to tee off on southpaws.

— Lefty Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays will start Game 1 of the best-of-three wild-card series against Toronto at Tropicana Field. The Rays won six of 10 games between the teams during the regular season, but were outscored 48-44 and outhomered 17-11. The Blue Jays, who are building with exciting young players such as Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., will start Matt Shoemaker in Game 1.