Cole fans 12; Astros top Tribe
HOUSTON — Marwin Gonzalez hit a go-ahead, two-run double, and Alex Bregman homered for the second straight day as the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Indians 3-1 Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series
Gerrit Cole struck out 12 and walked none, combining with two relievers on Houston’s second straight three-hitter. He allowed Francisco Lindor’s third-inning homer.
Gonzalez put the Astros ahead in the sixth inning with the third of his four hits, an opposite-field double to right field off usually reliable reliever Andrew Miller.
Bregman homered against Trevor Bauer in the seventh, and the 2017 World Series champions moved within a win of a second straight trip to the AL Championship Series.
Dallas Keuchel is set to start for the Astros when the series resumes Monday in Cleveland. Mike Clevinger is scheduled to pitch for the Indians.
Cole followed Friday’s solid start from Justin Verlander by allowing one run and three hits in seven innings, joining Tom Seaver (1973) as the only pitchers to strike out at least 12 batters without a walk in a postseason game.
Ryan Pressly got two outs and Roberto Osuna walked one in a four-out save.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The AL Central champion Indians have three runs in the two games and are batting .100 (6-for-60). Jose Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson have combined to go 1-for-22.
Jose Altuve singled leading off the sixth but slipped as he left the batter’s box and was limping after reaching first base. Manager A.J. Hinch and a trainer came out to check on Altuve, who remained in the game.
Bregman walked, and one out later, Cleveland brought in Miller, the dominating left-hander who was MVP of the 2016 AL Championship Series but has been slowed by injuries this year.
The switch-hitting Gonzalez turned around and hit right-handed. He fouled off a slider, then doubled on a fastball.
Miller had allowed just one previous inherited runner to score in the postseason, on a sacrifice fly by Boston’s David Ortiz in Game 3 of a 2016 ALDS.
Houston leadoff hitter George Springer went 1-for-4 with a single, ending a streak of five straight postseason games with a home run — one shy of Daniel Murphy’s record.