For the first time in 2023, the Astros played a playoff game. For the occasion, Justin Verlander was on the mound.
For an Astros fan who fell into a coma last October and is coming back, this is normal. For a baseball fan who has been following the 2023 season, it’s a different story.
But OK. Ultimately, Verlander was the pitcher the club needed for Dusty Baker and he was dominant against the Twins.
In six innings, he did not give up a point.
But most importantly, during that time, the Astros hitters delivered the goods. He hit a home run.
He became the fourth player in history to hit 104 hits in the playoffs.
Yordan Alvarez, Jose Abreu and Chas McCormick all pitched in to make it 5-0 for the Astros, giving them a nice cushion.
But it was when Hector Neris arrived to relieve the great Verlander that the Twins started having fun. Jorge Polanco and Royce Lewis hit the long ball to make it 5-4.
But in the DH battle, it’s the Astros who have the upper hand.
Yordan Alvarez hit his second home run of the game to make it 6-4. That was enough for the Astros to win.
Note that in the match, Édouard Julien went on the trail twice (walk, hit) against Verlander.
Match #2 will take place tomorrow at 8 p.m. Pablo Lopez and Framber Valdez will be the starters.
- Kyle Wright will miss the 2024 season.
- Are the Blue Jays at a crossroads?
