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Tuesday MLB playoffs open thread

None of the remaining playoff teams can be eliminated tonight, but things could get dire for the Yankees or Cubs. Or, they could get right back in their LCS matchups.

League Championship Series - Houston Astros v New York Yankees - Game Three Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

As the cold of a baseball-less winter creeps closer and closer, take heart that for tonight, at least, there are still two games left to be played. That will be the case tomorrow as well, because neither series can end tonight.

Things could get quite dire for both the Yankees and the Cubs, if they wind up on the losing end of their respective League Championship Series. The Astros currently hold a 2-1 lead in the AL, while the Dodgers are up 2-0 in the NL. It's not over once the other team gets that third win when you've got one or none, but it's dire.

Houston turns to young Lance McCullers to try to get the edge in Game 4. I say young, but he's 24 and this was his third big league season, so he's not really that young. Like most Houston pitchers, McCullers was a strikeout machine this season, with a 10 K/9. That could be a good sign against a strikeout-happy Yankees lineup that had struck out 10+ times in seven straight postseason games before last night.

Yankees-Astros gets underway at 5 o'clock on Fox Sports 1. Dodgers-Cubs has to wait until 9 o'clock on TBS.

Today's Lineups

HOUSTON ASTROS NEW YORK YANKEES
George Springer - CF Brett Gardner - LF
Josh Reddick - RF Aaron Judge - RF
Jose Altuve - 2B Didi Gregorius - SS
Carlos Correa - SS Gary Sanchez - DH
Yulieski Gurriel - 1B Greg Bird - 1B
Alex Bregman - 3B Starlin Castro - 2B
Carlos Beltran - DH Aaron Hicks - CF
Marwin Gonzalez - LF Todd Frazier - 3B
Brian McCann - C Austin Romine - C
Lance McCullers - RHP Sonny Gray - RHP