Suarez to score from second.IN THE PARKGodley

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HOUSTON (AP) — It’s October and George Springer http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-aledmys-diaz-jersey , Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are all hitting home runs once again, helping the Houston Astros to a postseason win.A year after launching a World Series-record 15 homers in winning their first championship, the Astros picked up right where they left off, hitting four home runs to power past the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Friday in Game 1 of the AL Division Series.Martin Maldonado also connected for the Astros, who didn’t waste any time displaying the same power that carried them to last year’s title.Much was made about the pitching prowess these teams possess in the days leading up to this game. But it was a bunch of longballs to put the Astros ahead in this best-of-five series.“As much as I’ve heard different opinions about our offense, it’s pretty long, it’s pretty good, it’s pretty potent,” manager AJ Hinch said. “Case in point today.”Houston’s pop backed up a solid start by Justin Verlander, who bested Corey Kluber in a matchup of Cy Young Award-winning aces in the first postseason meeting between these teams.Verlander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and got his 12th playoff win. He allowed two hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings — the Indians finished with only three hits, all singles.Kluber, a two-time Cy Young winner who was coming off his first 20-win season, was tagged for three home runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was a repeat performance from last October’s ALDS, when he made two starts against the Yankees and left with a 12.79 ERA.Game 2 is Saturday in Houston. Gerrit Cole starts for the Astros against Carlos Carrasco.The Astros hit 27 homers last postseason — Springer hit five in the World Series and set a record by connecting in four straight games on his way to winning the MVP award.Bregman, coming off a breakout year, got Houston’s first hit with his drive to the Crawford Boxes in left field to start a two-run fourth inning.“The only thing I can say about him is without him we wouldn’t be here,” Altuve said.The 103-win Astros were still up 2-0 when Springer led off the fifth with a full-count homer to left. That made him just the third player in major league history to homer in five straight postseason games.“I’m happy that I was able to help us win in all of those games and be a sparkplug,” Springer said.Two pitches later Altuve Steve Pearce Jersey , last year’s AL MVP, connected for his eighth career postseason homer when he also sent one to left field. He began last year’s playoffs with three home runs in the ALDS opener against Boston.Kluber watched stone-faced as Altuve headed for first and shook his head slightly as he rounded the bases and the crowd roared with scattered chants of “MVP.”Kluber followed up his splendid regular season with another playoff dud. A year after giving up four homers in two starts against the Yankees, the longball again proved to be a problem for him. He left with two outs in the fifth inning after allowing six hits and four runs while walking three.“Last year has nothing to do with today,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “They’re a good team. He made a couple mistakes. They made him pay for it.”Verlander was masterful through the first five innings, with Cleveland’s only baserunner in that span coming on a walk to Jose Ramirez with two outs in the first. The Houston right-hander set down 13 in a row after that, fanning seven, including striking out the side in the third.Yan Gomes broke up the no-hitter with his single to shallow right field to start the sixth and Francisco Lindor singled with one out in the inning. When Verlander walked Michael Brantley to load the bases after that, Hinch had seen enough and replaced him with Ryan Pressly.The Indians cut the lead to 4-1 on a wild pitch by Pressly, who came to Houston in a July trade, and got within two when Lindor scored on a groundout by Ramirez.Maldonado, making his playoff debut, connected off Cody Allen for a two-out homer in the seventh. Bregman made it 6-2 with an RBI single later in the inning.UNHAPPY HECTORHouston reliever Hector Rondon, who Hinch said was “very upset” about not making the ALDS roster, did not come onto the field when he was introduced with the team’s reserves before the game. He also was not on the field during the national anthem, but did join the team in the dugout for the game.Rondon, signed by the Astros to a two-year deal in the offseason, was left off the roster in favor of hard-throwing rookie Josh James because of his ability to throw multiple innings.Hinch said Rondon could be used in the ALCS if the Astros advance. Rondon was 2-5 with 15 saves and a 3.20 ERA in 63 games.FOR STARTERSIn a season where openers and using multiple relievers instead of defined starters has become popular, Verlander believes that true starters like him remain very important to the game.“I think you need it http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-aaron-loup-jersey ,” he said. “I think the more relievers get used every single day, it has an effect … I don’t have the answers. But I do believe in innings. I believe in protecting the bullpen. And I believe in a starting pitcher.”UP NEXTCole (15-5, 2.88 ERA) ranked second in the AL with 276 strikeouts this season, only trailing Verlander’s 290, and was fifth with 200 1/3 innings pitched. He will be making his fourth playoff start and first since 2015 with the Pirates. He is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in those games.It will be just the second career postseason start for Carrasco (17-10, 3.3, who is 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in eight appearances, with seven starts against Houston. CINCINNATI (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt and the Arizona Diamondbacks powered their way to a sorely needed win.Goldschmidt hit two of Arizona’s five homers, and the Diamondbacks avoided a sweep by pounding the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 on Sunday.Daniel Descalso, Eduardo Escobar and David Peralta also connected for Arizona, and Zack Godley pitched 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball. Goldschmidt finished with three hits and three RBIs, and Descalso also drove in three runs.“You don’t want to get swept,” said Descalso, who hit his first homer since June 27. “You want to win every series, but you don’t want to leave here 0-3. I don’t know if it was a must-win, but there was a little sense of urgency.”Godley (13-6) snapped a tie with Zack Greinke for the team lead in wins. The right-hander allowed six hits, struck out six and walked one while improving to 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA over his last six road starts.“Zack did a great job of setting the tone, and we played our type of game Matt Adams Jersey ,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “The right guys stepped up.”The Diamondbacks were tied with the Dodgers for the NL West lead coming into the day.Last-place Cincinnati had won three of four, including the first two games of the weekend series. Jose Peraza and Eugenio Suarez each had two hits, but Luis Castillo (6-10) was tagged for five runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.Homers accounted for each of Arizona’s runs. Descalso hit a three-run shot in the first on a two-strike pitch, and Goldschmidt made it 5-2 with a two-run drive in the sixth.“I was supposed to throw inside on the 0-2 pitch, but it was over the plate and he took advantage of it,” Castillo said. “The pitch to Goldschmidt, I got it where I wanted, but he’s a big strong man and put a good swing on it. I thought it was a fly ball, but it kept going and going. I thought overall, I pitched well. The only mistake I made was to Descalso.”The Diamondbacks scored four more runs off Keury Mella in the ninth. Escobar hit a two-run shot, and Goldschmidt and Peralta added back-to-back homers.Joey Votto drove in Peraza with a sacrifice fly in the third. Cincinnati scored its first run when Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed committed a throwing error on a potential double-play ball in the second, allowing Suarez to score from second.IN THE PARKGodley has not allowed a home run to any of the last 211 batters he has faced over nine games, including eight starts, since Starlin Castro went deep on June 26 at Miami.KNOWS HIS STUFFDescalso also doubled in the sixth to improve to 4 for 10 with two homers and six RBIs in his career against Castillo.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: Greinke (12-7) starts Monday night at Texas against Bartolo Colon (6-10). Greinke has allowed a combined three runs over 13 innings in his last two starts and lost both.Reds: Injury-plagued RHP Homer Bailey (1-9) makes his first start against Cleveland since Aug. 7, 2014. Mike Clevinger (7-7) pitches Monday night for Cincinnati.
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