The Toronto Blue Jays will head to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champs on Friday — a game that will also mark a first-time meeting in the playoffs between the two teams.

First, let's take a quick look at how they got here: The Blue Jays finished tied for second with the Orioles in the AL East during the regular season, leading to a winner-take-all wild-card match between the two clubs. Toronto outlasted Baltimore in extra innings, advancing to the ALDS, where they swept the rival Texas Rangers.

Cleveland was tops in the AL Central, leading to a clash with the AL East champion Boston Red Sox in the other ALDS series. Well, maybe clash is a bit too strong of a word: Cleveland swept Boston and retired David Ortiz in the process.

What can past performances tell us about who will win the inaugural post-season match between Toronto and Cleveland — the first game in a best-of-seven series that will decide the American League champion, and a berth in the World Series?

Here are some of the key facts and figures ahead of Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday (8:08 p.m. ET).

Head-to-head

Season series: Cleveland won 4-3.

Home/Away records: Cleveland was 2-1 at home, 2-2 on the road. Toronto was 2-2 at home, 1-2 on the road.

Season series games decided by one run: 57 per cent (4 games).

Season series one-run games won: Cleveland 3, Blue Jays 1.

Home runs hit, head to head: Toronto 13, Cleveland 9.

The Past

Historical record head to head: Of 404 total meetings, Blue Jays hold the edge with a 203-201 record.

Historical record head to head at SkyDome/Rogers Centre: Toronto has a 64-60 record at home vs. Cleveland.

Historical record head to head at Jacobs/Progressive Field: Cleveland has a 55-38 record at home vs. Toronto.

Historical playoff record vs. one another: Toronto and Cleveland have never met in a post-season game.

Historical total post-season record: Toronto – 30-26 (53.5 per cent), Cleveland – 47-42 (52.8 per cent).

The Present: Batting

Stats from the 2016 MLB regular season, with American League rank in parenthesis

Home runs

Toronto: 221 (3rd).

Cleveland: 185 (10th).

On-base percentage

Toronto: .330 (3rd).

Cleveland: .329 (4th).

Strikeouts

Toronto: 1,362 (4th most).

​Cleveland: 1,246 (9th most).

Walks taken

Toronto: 632 (1st).

​Cleveland: 531 (4th).

Stolen bases

Cleveland: 134 (1st).

Toronto: 54 (13th).

The Present: Pitching

Earned-run average

Toronto: 3.78 (1st).

Cleveland: 3.84 (2nd).

Saves

Toronto: 43 (7th).

Cleveland: 37 (13th).

Home runs allowed

Toronto: 183, 11th most.

Cleveland: 186, 8th most.

Walks issued

Cleveland and Toronto tied with 461 (11th most allowed).

Strikeouts

Cleveland: 1,398 (1st).

Toronto: 1,314 (7th).