Preview/Prediction

Texas and Toronto kick off a full day of Division Series action at 12:45 p.m. ET, with the Blue Jays looking to pull even in the series with a Rangers club that surprised the baseball world with a 5-3 victory in Game 1.

The Houston Astros continued to prove they belong in October by taking Game 1 of the American League Division Series from the defending AL champion Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Thursday night. The Astros hit two homers in the victory, while Collin McHugh allowed just two earned runs in six innings of work. 

MLB division series play got rolling Thursday with an American League doubleheader, but Friday's slate will include showdowns between all eight teams that were lucky enough to qualify for action. 

So, without wasting any more time, let's check out when and where you can view Friday's full schedule:

After besting the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild Card Game 4-0 behind a four-hit shutout from ace Jake Arrieta, the Chicago Cubs are set to take on the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series.

Game 1 will take place Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, with former Boston Red Sox teammates John Lackey and Jon Lester squaring off and looking to set the tone for the rest of the best-of-five series.

With Clayton Kershaw and Jacob deGrom on the mound, runs will be at a premium in Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets.

During the regular season, Kershaw and deGrom were two of the nastiest starters in the Senior Circuit, ranking third and fourth, respectively, in ERA.

After digging through the numbers, we've zeroed in on the two biggest keys for each club, as Kershaw aims to avoid turning in another October dud and deGrom looks to make a memorable October debut.

Improbable, a second chance, turnaround and a long time coming. Those four words and/or short phrases are apt descriptions for the four teams in play when the two American League Division Series begin on Thursday.

The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers have been slated to clash in the National League Division Series for a few days now, but the St. Louis Cardinals' first postseason opponent was finalized Wednesday by virtue of the Chicago Cubs' 4-0 Wild Card Game win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

East meets West—or, more accurately (at least geographically), North meets South—as the champions of the AL West, the Texas Rangers, and the AL East champs, the Toronto Blue Jays, prepare to get American League Division Series play underway Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

After 162 games, the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will meet in a National League Division Series comprised of NL Central foes.

On paper, both the Cardinals and Cubs have what it takes to advance to the National League Championship Series. Over the next few slides, we'll break down the upcoming series position by position to try to determine which team has the upper hand. 

Following two days of MLB wild-card drama, the American League will kick off the division series Thursday without fear of immediate expulsion.  

Don't let any friends, family, pundits or random strangers on Twitter declare these as "must-win" games. Taking Game 1 would sure be swell, but that's not how math works. Everyone is at least afforded some breathing room in a best-of-five showdown.