Astros’ Altuve, Indians’ Bauer shine in openers
Altuve homers three times in 8-2 rout of Boston; Bauer dominates Yankees
Jose Altuve hit three home runs in an unprecedented show of power for the diminutive major league batting champion as theHouston Astros roughed up Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox 8-2 Thursday in Game 1 of the AL Division Series.
Buoyed by chants of “MVP” in each trip to the plate, the 5-foot- 6 Altuve hit solo homers in the first and fifth innings off Sale. He connected again in the seventh off reliever Austin Maddox to give Houston a quick boost in the best- offive series.
It was just the 10th time a player hit three homers in a postseason game, and first since Pablo Sandoval for the Giants in the 2012World Series opener against Detroit. Babe Ruth did it twice.
“As soon as I cross the white line, I feel the same size as everyone else,” Altuve said after the win.
Justin Verlander pitched six effective innings and improved to 6- 0 since Houston got him in late trade with Detroit. Sale, the major league strikeout leader, was tagged for seven runs in five-plus innings of his postseason debut. He allowed back-to-back homers to Alex Bregman and Altuve in the first inning.
Game 2 is Friday, with Dallas Keuchel starting for the Astros against Drew Pomeranz.
• Red Sox designated hitter Eduardo Nunez was carried off the field in the first inning with a right knee injury and did not return.
GAME 1 GAMBLE PAYS OFF
FOR INDIANS » Trevor Bauer made Aaron Judge look silly, and he made his manager look like a genius.
Named a surprise starter for Game 1, Bauer chopped Judge and New York’s other big bats down to size, and Jay Bruce drove in three runs as the Cleveland Indians began chasing their first World Series title in 69 years with a 4- 0 win over the Yankees in the opener of the ALDS.
Bauer struck out Judge three times, twice getting the MVP candidate looking. He allowed just two hits in 6 2- 3 innings before manager Terry Francona, who chose to start the right-hander over ace Corey Kluber, turned to baseball’s best bullpen, using Andrew Miller and closer Cody Allen to finish the three-hitter.
Allen came inwith two on and two outs in the eighth to face Judge, who struck out for the fourth time, and finished for a save.
Bruce connected for a two-run homer in the fourth off former A’s ace Sonny Gray and added a sacrifice fly in the fifth as the Indians began a journey to try and end the majors’ longest Series title drought.
Eyebrows were raised when Francona said he was going with Bauer instead of Kluber, and the ec- centric right-hander, perhaps best known for slicing a pinkie open while repairing a drone during last year’s postseason, delivered a performance that started October just right for the Indians.
“Trevor from pitch one, he had his breaking ball early, and he had a good one,” Francona said.
Kluber, an 18-game winner during the regular season, will start Game 2 on Friday against CC Sabathia.
Coming off their win over Minnesota in the wild-card game Tuesday, when Judge homered in his playoff debut, the Yankees came in with momentum.
Bauer stopped the Bronx Bombers in their tracks. He struck out eight and took a no-hitter into the sixth before Aaron Hicks doubled with one out. It was the longest no-hit bid by a Cleveland pitcher in the postseason, bettering Hall of Famers Bob Feller (1948) and Early Wynn ( 1954), who both went four innings.