Astros 7, Indians 1
HOUSTON -- Mike Fiers outdueled Corey Kluber and produced his best start of the season as the Houston Astros took the opener of a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians 7-1 on Monday night at Minute Maid Park.
Fiers (3-1) allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts over seven innings. His lone hiccup came in the sixth inning when he surrendered a leadoff double to nine-hole hitter Rajai Davis, who eventually scored following three consecutive groundball outs.
The Indians (15-14) didn't muster much traffic beyond Davis' output. The managed baserunners in the second, third, fourth and seventh innings against Fiers, but only Jason Kipnis' walk in the fourth came to open an inning. Fiers recorded 12 groundball outs to remain in control.
While Astros second baseman Jose Altuve finished 1-for-4 with three RBIs, it was the bottom of the Houston (13-20) order that carried the offense. Center fielder Carlos Gomez went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, just his fifth of the season, while third baseman Luis Valbuena finished 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while batting eighth.
Catcher Jason Castro doubled, walked and scored batting ninth for the Astros.
Kluber was in vintage form in the first inning, striking out the side on just 12 pitches to seemingly continue his dominance from his previous outing when he twirled a five-hit shutout against the Tigers on May 4.
But things deteriorated rapidly for Kluber in the bottom of the third surprisingly enough against the bottom of the Houston batting order.
When Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena stroked a leadoff single to right field, dumping the ball over the shifted infielders, he initiated a stretch where six consecutive batters reached against Kluber. Jason Castro and Altuve followed with doubles, with Altuve drilling the first pitch into left field to score Valbuena and Castro for a 2-0 Astros lead.
Three batters later, following a George Springer walk and a Carlos Correa single to left that loaded the bases, Rasmus followed with a two-run single to right field while also swinging away at the first pitch.
Kluber faced just three more batters, surrendering a run-scoring groundout to Marwin Gonzalez before departing after he walked Carlos Gomez. Kluber allowed three earned runs over his previous three starts combined yet his ledger against the Astros marked the worst of his season: 2 2/3 innings pitched, five runs on five hits and three walks.
The three strikeouts Kluber recorded in the first inning were the only strikeouts of his abbreviated start. That total represents a season low.
NOTES: The Indians traded C Anthony Recker to the Atlanta Braves on Monday for cash considerations. Recker signed with Cleveland as a free agent on Nov. 27, 2015, and played 19 games with Triple-A Columbus, batting .246/.395/.426 with two home runs and 10 RBIs for the Clippers. ... Astros RHP Lance McCullers traveled to Houston for a scheduled bullpen session on Tuesday. McCullers (right shoulder soreness) made his first rehab start last Saturday, hurling five shutout innings with seven strikeouts for Triple-A Fresno. If McCullers completes his bullpen without suffering a setback, he likely will pitch for the Astros during their upcoming road trip through Boston and Chicago. ... Monday marked just the second career series between Astros SS Carlos Correa and Indians SS Francisco Lindor and the first since they finished 1-2 in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season. Correa and Lindor, both Puerto Rico natives, debuted six days apart last season and first squared off in Cleveland July 6-9.