The magic and excitement of the MLB postseason is likely the biggest reason that baseball has been and always will be America's pastime.

Baseball fans love watching players take that indelible jump from good to great and great to iconic while delivering unforgettable performances under pressure with everything on the line.

That was the feeling in the air at Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros hosted the Boston Red Sox for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night.

It was the first game of the second round of playoffs, with the final four teams vying for the right to play in the World Series.

The Astros and Red Sox have built up quite the rivalry in the postseason as this is their third time facing each other in the ALCS in the last five years (2017, 2018, 2021).

On Friday night, Houston dug deep in the late innings to come back from a 3-1 hole and claim a 5-4 victory to start things off in their favor for the best-of-seven series, so Boston will be looking to bounce back and even the score on Saturday afternoon.

Then all eyes will shift to Truist Park, where the Atlanta Braves will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

The storylines are plentiful here, too, because the Braves and Dodgers are meeting in the NLCS for the second year in a row and last year's winner went on to play in and win the World Series.

Here's a quick look at the bracket and predictions ahead of Saturday's double-header.

Updated Postseason Bracket

ALCS: Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox

NLCS: Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Predictions

Houston over Boston in 6

In the postseason, the Astros go as Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa go. And on Friday night, they both went for the jugular.

First up was Altuve, who hit a two-run homer in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. Then in the seventh, it was Correa, who stepped up to the plate as if he were the lone Astro in the stadium up against all of the Red Sox and hit a high ball to the left that was up and out.

That solo shot put Houston up 4-3 and added to the lore of the dynamic duo that is Altuve and Correa.

"Two swings changed the course of the game," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

The Astros needed their star players to rescue them because Boston's Enrique "Kiké" Hernández had himself a game. In addition to four hits, the Red Sox' utility man hit two dingers and made a spectacular diving catch as Houston had the bases loaded to end the second inning.

"I haven't seen a hitter this hot in the last week than Kiké Hernández," Astros manager Dusty Baker told ESPN's Joon Lee. "Boy, when I saw that ball go up, I was like, oh man, that was a blast. Then he blasted another one. It's not a good feeling when you know you're live on air and you see that ball leaving the ballpark."

Houston is down right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers, but if they can find a way to defend against Boston's bats and make up for their depleted bullpen, they should prevail and move on to the World Series.

Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta in 7

Rest is important in the postseason, and right now, Atlanta has the advantage with Los Angeles having to travel East after eliminating the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.

That means the Braves could strike first and win Game 1. But once the Dodgers get their bearings, this series is going to be a battle.

And it was always going to be a war between these two ball clubs because it's a rematch and one that Atlanta has been wishing for all year.

"You always want a rematch of last year," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman told the New York Post's Mike Puma. "Now you want to beat the best and they are obviously the defending champs, and they have got a great team, so it's going to be a good test for us."

Atlanta's biggest test will be dealing with L.A.'s rotations. The Dodgers are deep, and that's why they are this close to defending their title.

"We're very familiar with [the Dodgers] and understand how deep they are, how strong they are—they're relentless," Braves manager Brian Snitker added. "Offensively these guys just, the at-bats they put up are something else. They just keep coming after you. Their pitching is so deep and it's a really good club, obviously. So are we."

Braves pitcher Max Field is rested and ready to command the mound for Game 1, so look for him to be a problem against the spent Dodgers on Saturday night.

In the end, though, L.A. will find its resolve and stamp its return ticket to the World Series.

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.