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5 things to watch as the Red Sox prepare to take on the Astros in the ALCS

One day after the Red Sox punched their ticket to the American League Championship Series in dramatic fashion, the Astros eliminated the White Sox with a 10-1 win to set up a showdown between Alex Cora’s new club and his old one.

The teams split their last two meetings in the postseason — the Astros claimed a victory in 2017, while the Red Sox beat them en route to a World Series in 2018.

Here are five things to watch before the series opens on Friday.

The Red Sox were 2-5 against the Astros this season

Don’t panic: All seven games took place over a brief stretch in early June, and the teams that take the field on Friday have some notable differences.