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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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.