BOSTON - The American League Championship Series, featuring the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, gets underway on Saturday night at Fenway Park. Adam Thielen Youth Jersey . Boston is making its first appearance in the ALCS since 2008. For Detroit, its a third straight trip to the ALCS and its fourth in eight years. The Red Sox last won the World Series in 2007, sweeping Colorado. The Tigers were last victorious in 1984, losing their two most recent appearances (2006 vs. St. Louis and 2012 vs. San Francisco.) GAME ONE PREVIEW: PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez (Regular season: 14-8, 2.57, 1.154 WHIP; Playoffs: 0-1, 10.38, 2.308 WHIP) Did not face Boston in 2013. Tigers manager Jim Leyland on Sanchez: "He led the American League in earned run average. He did not have a good playoff start. I think he was probably a little rusty, as Fister was the other day, it took him a couple of innings to get going. I think hell be back in the groove now. Like I said, he led this league in earned run average. Thats pretty impressive." Toughest matchup: Few Red Sox have large enough sample sizes vs. Sanchez (Shane Victorino and Stephen Drew, who spent significant time in the National League, are the exceptions.) But, as small sample sizes go, you cant do better than David Ortiz has against Sanchez: 3-3, 2 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI. Interesting note: Sanchez, a native of Maracay, Venezuela, was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on January 3, 2001. He was traded, along with Hanley Ramirez and others, to the Florida Marlins in the deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston, on November 24, 2005. Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (Regular season: 15-8, 3.75, 1.294 WHIP; Playoffs: 1-0, 2.35, 0.783 WHIP) 2013 vs. Detroit: (2GS, 2-0, 4.26, 1.579 WHIP, 2HR in 12 2/3 innings) Toughest matchup: A number of Tigers hit Lester well, including: Torii Hunter (30 AB, .433/.469/.633, 1 HR, 3 2B, 4 RBI) Miguel Cabrera (24 AB, .526/.625/.789, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI) Victor Martinez (14 AB, .429/.500/.786, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI) Jhonny Peralta (27 AB, .296/.406/.593, 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 5 BB) Lester on the Tigers lineup: "I mean, obviously very tough lineup. Weve seen it kind of go both ways as far as them come in and score some runs. But at the same time, the games that they dont theyre still tough outs. I think thats what makes them very similar to I think our offense is. You know youre not going to have three-pitch outs. You know youre not going to have at-bats that they just give away." LINEUP CONSIDERATIONS: Slick-fielding shortstop Jose Iglesias, acquired from the Red Sox in Julys three-team deal (White Sox) that netted Boston the services of Jake Peavy, will start Game One. That means Jhonny Peralta will either start in left field (at Fenway Park - *gulp*) or be relegated to the bench. Beyond Game One, Leyland was non-committal. "At my age I go one day at a time. So Iglesias will be my shortstop (Saturday) night." Meantime, Red Sox manager John Farrell has anointed Will Middlebrooks his starting third baseman but wouldnt look beyond Saturday night. "It will be Middlebrooks (Saturday.) And then based on some matchups, weve got some things were looking at in a couple of different spots." That could mean highly-touted prospect Xander Bogaerts for Game Two or at some other point in the series. INJURY CONCERN: Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, he of the 2012 Triple Crown, has been limited offensively for about six weeks, his Thursday home run against the Athletics notwithstanding, thanks to a nagging leg injury. Cabreras September: .278/.395/.333, 1 HR. His .729 marked a significant drop month over month. His .995 OPS in April had been his lowest monthly total of the season. In the five game Division Series vs. Oakland: 5-20 (.250/.286/.400,) with his home run in the fifth game accounting for his lone extra base hit. Cabrera didnt want to discuss his injury but described the process of working through it as "day-to-day." GAME ONE PREDICTION: Boston wins 6-4. John Randle Jersey . - Quarterback Brady Quinn says he has been released by the Miami Dolphins. Irv Smith Jr. Vikings Jersey . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. http://www.authenticvikingspro.com/ . -- Mixed martial arts fighter Cristiane Justino Santos has been suspended and fined for testing positive for steroids.Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Alex Tanguay recorded a goal and two assists, as Colorado claimed a 5-2 victory over Dallas at Pepsi Center. Matt Duchene, Jarome Iginla, Danny Briere and Gabriel Landeskog added tallies for the Avalanche, winners in five of their last seven. Tyson Barrie picked up three assists as Calvin Pickard stopped 22 shots for the victory. Cody Eakin and Patrick Eaves lit the lamp in the first period for the Stars, losers of two in a row and five of eight. Anders Lindback stopped 42 pucks in defeat. Colorado continued to blitz the Dallas defense and pepper Lindback with 17 shots in the second period, eventually taking a 3-2 lead with two minutes left on Tanguays blistering one-timer from the left wing off a Duchene dish. The Avalanche grabbed a 4-2 lead with 46 seconds elapsed in the third period on a Duchene marker, more than a minute into a carry-over power play created when Jordie Benn was sent off for a holding-the-stick penalty late inn the second. Dru Samia Jersey. Stars Jason Demers and Alex Goligoski sat for penalties 12 seconds apart, and Landeskog swept in the rebound of a Tanguay shot to make it 5-2 at 3:45 to conclude the 5-on-3. Pickard made the winning margin stand by stopping all 11 Dallas shots in the final stanza. Each team tallied twice in a spirited opening 20 minutes. Eakin put the visitors on top just after the midway point, then Briere and Iginla gave the hosts a one-goal edge on markers 3:17 apart. Eaves forged a tie on his goal with 35 seconds left in the period. Game Notes Colorado went 4-1-0 against Dallas last season in both clubs first season in the revamped Central Division .. Barrie notched three assists for the second time this season, after a similar performance on Oct. 24 against Vancouver ... Tanguay earned his first multi-point effort of the season ... Lindback faced a season-high 47 shots and made a season-high 42 saves. ' ' '