Keuchel-led Astros shut out Mariners
HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel worked seven shutout innings, and George Springer and Carlos Correa backed him with solo home runs as the Houston Astros claimed a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night in the season opener at Minute Maid Park.
Keuchel (1-0) delivered a performance reminiscent of his Cy Young Award campaign in 2015, allowing two hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts and 11 ground-ball outs.
He mixed in his usual stellar defense on the mound, initiating a double play after plunking Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager with a pitch to open the seventh inning. Keuchel followed by pouncing on a Leonys Martin ground ball one batter later before firing to first to nip Martin and end the frame.
When Keuchel loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning, he also induced a ground-ball out from Martin to snuff that Mariners threat.
Springer put the Astros ahead to stay with his blast to left field off Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez (0-1) leading off the first inning. In the fourth, Correa blasted a leadoff dinger 449 feet to left field and out of Minute Maid Park, doubling the Houston lead to 2-0.
Correa finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs, including a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
Astros reliever Luke Gregerson pitched the eighth inning, and closer Ken Giles recorded the save by striking out three in the ninth.
Before departing after five innings with groin tightness, Hernandez was sharp except for the two solo home runs. He did not walk a batter and had six strikeouts while allowing five hits.
But it was a defensive play that appeared to cause Hernandez's physical trouble in the fourth inning, when he scurried to cover first base on a ground ball to the right side by right fielder Josh Reddick.
The Mariners' trainers visited Hernandez, but he remained in the game and recorded the next four outs in succession to complete a 65-pitch outing. Hernandez threw 45 strikes, allowed two earned runs and did not issue a walk.
NOTES: The Mariners recalled RHP Chase De Jong from Triple-A Tacoma to replace LHP Dillon Overton on the active roster. Overton was placed on the paternity list and will rejoin the team following the birth of his first child. De Jong, 15-5 with a 2.82 ERA over two levels in the Dodgers minor league system in 2016, was on an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career. ... Astros RHP Collin McHugh completed a bullpen session on Monday and is scheduled to make a rehab start on Thursday for Triple-A Fresno. McHugh is on the 10-day disabled list after arriving for spring training with a dead arm. He is scheduled to work five to six innings or throw between 80 and 85 pitches during his start. ... With his 10th career leadoff home run, CF George Springer became the first Astro to record a leadoff homer on Opening Day since Terry Puhl in 1980 against the Dodgers.