Two Rookie Lefties Open the ALDS, and One of Them Is a Reliever

The White Sox are bringing back the trick that worked against Houston. Hagen Smith, a reliever who has started twice all season, will open Game 1 of the American League Division Series in Cleveland on Saturday.

He'll face Parker Messick, and the matchup is two rookie left-handers at Progressive Field at 1 p.m. ET on TBS and truTV.

Chicago's opener

Smith, 23, has been one of the best relievers in baseball by the numbers: a 1.29 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 28 innings over 18 appearances, and a 3-3 record. When the White Sox surprised everyone by starting him in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, he threw three scoreless innings against the Astros, allowing two hits. Chicago went on to sweep Houston for its first playoff series win since 2005.

The White Sox haven't named a Game 2 starter.

Cleveland's best two

Messick, 25, will be the first rookie to start a playoff game for Cleveland since Ryan Merritt in the 2016 ALCS. He went 12-9 in 32 starts with a 2.56 ERA, the lowest by a rookie with at least 30 starts since Jon Matlack's 2.32 for the Mets in 1972, and the lowest by a Guardians lefty since Cliff Lee in 2008. He led qualified rookies with 183⅓ innings and was second with 191 strikeouts.

He's also seen plenty of these hitters. Messick went 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA in five starts against Chicago.

Right-hander Gavin Williams starts Game 2 on Monday. He went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA and was second in the majors with 248 strikeouts.

They've been our two best pitchers. They've earned it and then some.

That was manager Stephen Vogt, who also gave the White Sox their due. Chicago won the season series 7-6, a big swing from last year, when Cleveland took 11 of 13. "They can pound the baseball and they've got some really good arms," Vogt said. "We got our work cut out for us."

You can watch every Division Series game live on TVRivo.