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Friday 6 OctOber 2017
Altuve hit 3 homers, Astros beat Red Sox 8-2 in ALDS opener

By KRISTIE RIEKEN and drove in a run and Ra-
AP Sports Writer fael Devers added an RBI
HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Al- for the AL East champs.
tuve hit three home runs in TRAINER’S ROOM
an unprecedented show Red Sox designated hitter
of power for the diminu- Eduardo Nunez was car-
tive major league batting ried off the field in the first
champion as the Houston inning with a right knee
Astros roughed up Chris injury and did not return.
Sale and the Boston Red Nunez pulled up running
Sox 8-2 Thursday in Game 1 to first base on a ground-
of the AL Division Series. out in the first inning before
Buoyed by chants of falling to the ground. He
“MVP” in each trip to the writhed in pain as manag-
plate, the 5-foot-6 Altuve er John Farrell and trainers
hit solo homers in the first ran to his aid. He remained
and fifth innings off Sale. on the ground for a couple
He connected again in the of minutes before trying to
seventh off reliever Austin walk off the field with their
Maddox to give Houston help. Nunez appeared
a quick boost in the best- to be unable to put any
of-five series.It was just weight on his knee. Farrell
the 10th time a player hit and another Red Sox em-
three homers in a postsea- ployee eventually picked
son game, and first since him up and carried him off
Pablo Sandoval for the Gi- Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve watches his a solo home run, his third of the game, against the Boston the field and into the dug-
ants in the 2012 World Se- Red Sox in the seventh inning in Game 1 of baseball’s American League Division Series, Thursday, out as he winced in pain.
ries opener against Detroit. Oct. 5, 2017, in Houston. Nunez missed 19 of Bos-
Babe Ruth did it twice. Associated Press ton’s last 20 regular-season
After Altuve rounded the games with what the team
bases on his third solo hom- jor league strikeout leader, Quite a comeback from his Craig Biggio, waved bright called a sore knee, but the
er, which landed on the was tagged for seven runs only previous postseason orange towels as Altuve club thought he had re-
train tracks atop left field, in five-plus innings of his — in 2015, he batted just trotted around the bases. covered enough to con-
George Springer grabbed postseason debut. .154 (4 for 26) without an Sale never got into a tribute in the postseason.
the All-Star second base- Game 2 is Friday, with Dal- extra-base hit.Alex Breg- rhythm and was chased The Red Sox said he had
man’s right biceps and las Keuchel starting for the man and Altuve hit back- after walking Josh Reddick re-aggravated his knee in-
examined it as if search- Astros against Drew Pomer- to-back homers in the first with no outs in the sixth. The jury and he was replaced
ing for an explanation for anz.Among the shortest inning, making Sale look left-hander was tagged for by Hanley Ramirez.
his out of the ordinary pop. players in the majors, Altuve a bit rattled. The Red Sox nine hits and matched a UP NEXT
Altuve’s teammates then couldn’t be a bigger lead- tied it up by scoring a run season high for most runs Red Sox: Pomeranz will
goaded him into exiting er for the Astros. He’s one of each in the second and allowed.After fanning 308 make his first career post-
the dugout for a curtain the few players remaining fourth innings before Mar- in the regular season, he season start after going 0-0
call. And as he tipped his who languished through a win Gonzalez lined a two- struck out six. But he al- with a 4.91 ERA in two relief
hat to the crowd one fan rebuilding process that led run double in the fourth for lowed three homers and appearances in the play-
near the dugout held a sign to three straight 100-loss a 4-2 lead.There were two three doubles, marking just offs.
that proclaimed in blue seasons from 2011-13, and outs in the fifth inning when the second time in his ca- Astros: Keuchel believes
block letters: “That Kid Can is perhaps the biggest rea- Altuve connected again to reer that he’s given up six that the experience he got
Hit.”“As soon as I cross the son this team ran away with push the lead to 5-2 and extra-base hits. pitching — and winning
white line, I feel the same the AL West title this year. make him the third player Verlander, a playoff veter- — two games in the 2015
size as everyone else,” Al- Altuve hit .346 this year, his in franchise history with a an who was starting his 17th playoffs will help him in his
tuve said after the win. fourth straight 200-hit sea- multihomer game in the postseason game, yielded second trip to the postsea-
Justin Verlander pitched six son. He had 24 home runs postseason, joining Carlos six hits, struck out three and son. “I’m grateful that we
effective innings and im- this year — this was his third Correa and Carlos Beltran. walked two to help the As- got some experience in
proved to 6-0 since Hous- career multihomer game, The crowd of 43,402, which tros take the early lead in 2015 and hopefully that will
ton got him in late trade and the first time he’d hit included Hall of Famers No- the series. carry us to the champion-
with Detroit. Sale, the ma- three all at once. lan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell and Sandy Leon had two hits ship series,” he said.q
Nats 1 starter in the playoffs. He’s ing Tommy John surgery, Friday’s start.

been our horse,” Rizzo said. then was sidelined by an “He doesn’t really show dis-

Continued from Page 18 “He has the repertoire, arm injury at the end of last appointment or happiness,
either way, really,” Baker
character and makeup to season.
“This is what we brought be a No. 1 starter.” “I’m excited for the oppor- said. “Because I called him
him here for — to be a No. Game 1 will be just the sec- tunity to pitch in the play- in before I got here, and I
ond career postseason ap- offs again. It’s one thing just said: ‘Hey, man, you’re
Washington Nationals’ Max pearance for Strasburg, the you really can’t take for starting Game 1. You prob-
Scherzer throws during base- No. 1 overall pick in base- granted,” Strasburg said, ably figured that.’ He had
ball practice at Nationals ball’s 2009 amateur draft. “and you’ve got to make that same look when he
Park, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, The right-hander went five the most of every opportu- left my office as when he
in Washington. The Nation-
als host the Chicago Cubs innings in a 2014 game nity you get.” came in.”AP Sports Writer
in Game 1 of the National against the San Francisco Baker didn’t exactly de- Stephen Whyno contrib-
League Division Series on Fri- Giants, but otherwise was scribe the 6-foot-4 Stras- uted to this report.More AP
day. shut down for the 2012 burg as sounding all that baseball: https://apnews.
Associated Press playoffs a year after hav- excited when told about com/tag/MLBbaseball q