*Photo from the New York Post*
Houston leads series 1-0
Justin Verlander dominated, Jose Altuve homered, and the Houston Astros took a 1-0 lead in the best of 5 ALDS with a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Verlander had 21 wins this season, and kept rolling today, improving to 8-0 in 12 ALDS appearances. He allowed just one hit. The home crowd in Houston was out in full force to back the team to their game one win.
The scoring didn't start until the 5th inning, when Jose Altuve hammered the 1-1 pitch into the crawford boxes in left field for a two run homer to give Houston a 2-0 lead. Houston got a gift later in the inning, when a Yuli Gurriel popup landed in between 3 Rays fielders in right field to score two runs and make it 4-0. In the 7th, Yordan Alvarez doubled to center for an RBI, and Gurriel hit an RBI ground rule double to make it 6-0. The Rays got two runs in the 8th on an Eric Sogard RBI single and an Austin Meadows RBI double. That was all they could muster.
Verlander went 7 dominating innings, allowing just one hit and 3 walks. He struck out 8 hitters on the way to the win. Ryan Pressly, Will Harris, and Roberto Osuna finished off the Rays. Astros hall of famers Nolan Ryan and Craig Biggio were in attendance to witness Verlander's masterpiece. Altuve's 5th inning homer marked the 3rd straight year he has homered in game one of the ALDS, and he has 9 career playoff homers in 33 games.
Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 5 and took the loss. Brendan McKay, Chaz Roe, Oliver Drake, and Colin Poche finished the game, with McKay and Drake responsible for the other 4 runs. Gurriel's popup in the 5th had Austin Meadows, Ji-Man Choi, and Brandon Lowe giving chase. Lowe looked to have the play, so Meadows peeled off, but the ball glanced off Lowe's glove and fell in to score the two runs. Yandy Diaz, wild card hero, was 0-4 with a strikeout.
Game two is in Houston on Friday, where the Rays will try and rebound by sending Blake Snell to the mound. Houston counters with another Cy Young candidate in Gerrit Cole as they look to take a 2-0 stranglehold on the Rays before the series shifts to Florida.
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