AROUND THE HORN
Astros:
Astros ace Justin Verlander will make his season debut Friday night on the road against the Nationals. “Getting him back is huge because it brings a level of confidence to our team, a boost of confidence that we’re going to get someone who’s been an MVP, a Cy Young (winner) on the mound,” Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday. “It’s (good) for the morale and to get stuff started and moving in the right direction.” The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. He made two rehabilitation starts, the first for Triple-A Sugar Land on April 7 before Saturday’s start for Double-A Corpus Christi. Espada wouldn’t say how many pitches the 41-yearold would be limited to but said they’ll keep an eye on his workload. “We’ve got to be careful how hard we push him early,” Espada said. “I know he’s going to want to go and stay out there and give us an opportunity to win, but we’ve got to be cautious of how hard we push him early in the season.” The Astros have gotten off to a tough start with Verlander and fellow starters Framber Valdez and José Urquidy on the IL. They are last in the AL West with a 6-14 record. Espada hopes Verlander can be the boost the team needs to get on track. “It’s good to get him back in the rotation,” Espada said. “With what he means to this club just to get him back on track, getting some innings from him (to) build our rotation with the pieces that we need to move forward is exciting.”
Brewers, Padres: Blake Perkins hit a single in the eighth to crack a scoreless game and lead the Brewers to a 1-0 win over the visiting Padres. The hit spoiled a stellar start by Padres RHP Michael King, who pitched a no-hitter through 6 ⅔ innings. King didn’t allow a runner past first until the eighth, when Brice Turang stole second after hitting a single. King was charged with a run when Turang scored on Perkins’ single off Wandy Peralta. King (2-1) went a career-high 7 ⅔ innings on the day, throwing 109 pitches. He struck out 10 batters and walked two . ... The Padres placed RHP Yu Darvish on the 15-day IL with neck tightness. The move is retroactive to Sunday. The 37-year-old Darvish is 0-1 with a 4.18 ERA in five starts.
Mariners: Bryce Miller and three relievers combined on a one-hitter, Cal Raleigh, Mitch Garver and Josh Rojas all hit solo HRs, and the host Mariners beat the Reds 5-1 to complete a three-game sweep. Miller continued his brilliant stretch of pitching with the lone hit he allowed becoming the only earned run scored against him in his last three starts. Miller gave up a solo HR to Elly De La Cruz in the second when a slider stayed on the plate, but he was otherwise untouchable. Miller struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 1.85. Reds starter Andrew Abbott matched Miller through the first five innings allowing only Raleigh’s HR. But Garver’s first HR with the Mariners snapped the 1-1 tie.
Mets: Starling Marte hit his 150th career HR, powering the Mets to a 9-1 home win over the Pirates and a sweep of a threegame series. The 35-yearold Marte, who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Pirates, hit the milestone two-run HR off the railing beyond the left-center field fence to give the Mets a 2-1 lead in the third. Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run single in the sixth and Harrison Bader homered on the next pitch for the Mets, who are 10-3 since an 0-5 start. RHP Luis Severino (2-1) allowed an unearned run in six innings — his longest start since he tossed seven scoreless innings for the Yankees against the Tigers last Aug. 28.
Rockies: OF Kris Bryant was placed on the 10-day IL with a back strain. The move was retroactive to Sunday. Bryant had missed the last three games after crashing into the outfield wall to make a catch Saturday.