Indians at Astros
Jose Altuve was honored in a pregame ceremony on Opening Day for
becoming the first player in franchise history to win a batting title,
and went on to reward the Houston Astros with a key hit a few hours
later. The two-time All-Star looks to spark his team again as it eyes
its second 2-0 start in as many years on Wednesday when the Astros
continue their three-game home set against the Cleveland Indians.
Altuve broke up a no-hit bid by reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber on Monday and came around to score the game’s first run moments later in Houston’s 2-0 victory. “‘Tuve is the motor of the team; two outs in the sixth and ‘Tuve gets a bloop base hit, steals second base. So he makes everything go and other guys feed off that,” starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel told the Houston Chronicle. The Indians, who used five left-handed hitters on Monday, managed only three singles and put only four runners in scoring position off the southpaw Keuchel. “We're going to have to work on (facing left-handers). If I were a team, I'd throw a lefty (against us), too,” Indians manager Terry Francona told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), ROOT (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (2014: 8-7, 2.55 ERA) vs. Astros RH Scott Feldman (2014: 8-12, 3.74)
Three
days after reportedly agreeing to a four-year extension, Carrasco will
take the mound one season after beginning to realize the potential
Cleveland saw when it acquired him in the Cliff Lee trade in 2009. The
28-year-old Venezuelan did not post an ERA higher than 1.82 in any month
after May and went 6-4 with a 1.72 ERA in 17 appearances (10 starts)
after the All-Star break. Carrasco toyed with the Astros in two turns a
year ago, going 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA while fanning 20 over 15 frames and
holding them to an .082 batting average.
Feldman, who collected
an Opening Day win in his first start for Houston last season, endured a
mostly rocky spring while compiling an 0-3 mark with a 6.87 ERA in five
outings. Even though the Hawaii native went winless in four September
starts for the Astros, he dazzled with a 1.91 ERA – including a one-run,
eight-inning no-decision versus the Indians in his second-to-last
outing. Over his career, Feldman is 2-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 12
appearances (five starts) against Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1.
Cleveland’s first three hitters (Michael Bourn, Jason Kipnis and
Michael Brantley) went a combined 0-for-11 against left-handed pitching
on Monday, but batted .293 against right-handers in 2014.
2.
Houston, which tied a major-league high by blowing 25 saves last year,
received two perfect frames from its bullpen on Opening Day – including
one apiece from Tony Sipp and Luke Gregerson.
3. Carrasco, who became a fixture in the rotation on Aug. 10, went 5-3 with a 1.30 ERA over his last 10 starts.