Astros hit four home runs; down Indians, 7-2, in opener
HOUSTON — George Springer and the Houston Astros picked up right where they left off last post-season, hitting four home runs to power past the Cleveland Indians to a 7-2 victory Friday in Game 1 of a Major League Baseball Division Series.
Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Martin Maldonado also connected for the Astros, who hit a World Series-record 15 homers last year in winning their first championship.
Much was made about the pitching prowess these teams possess in the days leading up to this game. But it was a bunch of long balls to put the Astros ahead in this best-of-five series.
Houston’s pop backed up a solid start by Justin Verlander, who bested Corey Kluber in a matchup of Cy Young Award-winning aces in the first post-season meeting between these teams.
Verlander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed two hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings for his 12th career playoff win. The Indians finished with only three hits, all singles.
Kluber, a two-time Cy Young winner who was coming off his first 20-win season, was tagged for three home runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was a repeat performance from last October’s ALDS, when he made two starts against the Yankees and left with a 12.79 ERA.
Game 2 is Saturday in Houston. Gerrit Cole starts for the Astros against Carlos Carrasco.
The Astros hit 27 homers last post-season — Springer hit five in the World Series and set a record by connecting in four straight games on his way to winning the MVP award.
The 103-win Astros were still up 2-0 when Springer led off the fifth with a fullcount homer to left. That made him just the third player in major league history to homer in five straight post-season games.
Two pitches later Altuve, last year’s AL MVP, connected for his eighth career post-season homer when he also sent one to left field. He began last year’s playoffs with three home runs in the ALDS opener against Boston.
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Cole (15-5, 2.88 ERA) ranked second in the AL with 276 strikeouts this season, only trailing Verlander’s 290, and was fifth with 200 1/3 innings pitched. He will be making his fourth playoff start and first since 2015 with the Pirates. He is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in those games.