MLB – Reigning champion Houston Astros will start the playoffs in 2018 with an explosion of power

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After all, 342 days had passed since the Houston Astros had played in a playoff home game, defeating the Dodgers in the fifth game of a World Series slugfest. This time, the Astros have simply resumed their race pace, relying on the timely contributions of Justin Verlander, Alex Bregman, George Springer and Jose Altuve to secure a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Indians at first game of their division of the American League. Series.

"That's what it's all about," Bregman said. "Everyone in this clubhouse lives and dies on all terrains.It's fun to play this type of games.All the fans were incredible today.They were strong on all terrains."

They were certainly right.

While Verlander took a non-hitter in the sixth inning after withdrawing 13 consecutive fifth-place hitters, the Houston strikes came alive at the bottom of the fourth inning when Bregman crashed his center left for the first hit of the match . The ball jumped out of Bregman's stick with an exit speed of 107.1 mph, according to Statcast. This is the most difficult home run of the third player in his career, including the playoffs.

Josh Reddick added to that with the first of his two points produced on a straight-up field that scored Yulieski Gurriel.

This quick sequence more or less silenced all pre-game discussions on the expected duel between Verlander and Corey Kluber of Cleveland, who hit two batters and hit two more in the first four innings. Kluber had hit two batters in a single game just three times in his career on Friday, and only made things worse by giving up three more points to Springer, Altuve and Martin Maldonado, who started an insurance bomb at the seventh -2 no.

The Springer and Altuve circuits followed one another.

"I do not know if" expected "is the right word," said Astros director AJ Hinch, when asked when he anticipated such an offensive blast against a powerful ace. like Kluber. "I'm proud of our guys, it's a good group of pitchers that we've faced today, of course, that must continue until the end of the series, but we're expecting that." that our guys are doing very good fights, yes.If I've heard different opinions about our offense, it's long enough, it's good enough, it's pretty powerful Example, today. "

Kluber's performance marked the first time in his playoff career. He has allocated three or more circuits in a match. He has allowed three or more circuits in a game only four times during his regular season career. In fact, Kluber became the fifth pitcher in the Indian's post-season history to give three or more home runs in a game. Kluber has now made 10 home runs in his playoff career, making it the second-largest total in the history of the Indian franchise after Charles Nagy (14).

"The fourth inning was very tough," said Terry Francona, the coach of the Indians. "I think they made it throwing 33, 35 shots." That seemed right with his two dressmakers, when he left it, they made him pay. "

Perhaps Kluber can blame the rapper J. Cole for playing brutally while Altuve and Springer match the record of Astros for career circuits in series (eight). As Bregman says, "some of the guys" were repeating lyrics on J. Cole's "Fire Squad" song in which the sentence is pronounced: "The story repeats itself, and that's how it's done happens."

"And suddenly, Altuve is coming in and Springer," Bregman says. "It was as if last year we had ALDS at home, we were just trying to get a good shot, we found one over the center." Kluber is a tough guy.This pitching staff is very good there to get a good swing on it. "