Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
A quick rundown of Thursday's Opening Day Astros game against the Rays:
Final Score: Astros 5, Rays 1
Record: 1-0, second in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Justin Verlander (1-0).
Losing pitcher: Blake Snell (0-1).
Star of the game: George Springer, after breaking his streak of consecutive season lead-off home runs to start the game, came through in his second at-bat with a huge three-run home run drilled to straight center field to get Houston on the board and give them their first lead. That makes three years in a row with a home run on Opening Day for Springer.
Notes: Verlander looked rattled early, giving up a solo home run to Austin Meadows to start his day then putting the first two batters on base in the second, but rebounded nicely to post a solid start with just one run on three hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts. After struggling the first time through the order against last year's Cy Young winner, the Astros were able to get at Snell and tag him with three home runs; the three-run homer by Springer then solo shots by newcomer Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve. Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna closed things out and looked sharp in their season debuts out of the bullpen.
Up next: The series will continue Friday night with game two of the four-game series at 6:10 PM. We'll get another strong pitching matchup with Gerrit Cole going up against former Astro Charlie Morton.
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Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is going on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right hand.
The issue had caused the three-time All-Star to miss the last two games of the Astros’ weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. The move, announced before the Astros' Monday night game at Milwaukee, is retroactive to Saturday.
Houston recalled catcher César Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.
Alvarez, 27, has batted .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. That follows a 2024 season in which he batted. 308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games while earning a third straight All-Star Game selection and finishing ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 each of the past three seasons and ranked fourth in the AL in that category last year.
Salazar, 26, was hitting .197 with a .305 on-base percentage, two homers and seven RBIs in 21 games for Sugar Land. He hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage, no homers and eight RBIs in 12 games with Houston last year.