The Astros begin their road to their third World Series title since 2017 with the ALDS against Minnesota. Follow our staff for updates from Game 1:
This home run was the sixth for Jose Altuve in the opener of a division series. Three of those came in the first game of the 2017 ALDS against Boston at Minute Maid Park. –Greg Rajan
A better start for Jose Altuve
Jose Altuve was 0-16 in the ALDS against Seattle last year. He didn’t drive a run in the 2022 playoffs. Today he hit Twins right-hander Bailey Ober’s first pitch, an elevated fastball, for a home run. —Matt Kawahara
One pitch, one run
One pitch, one run for the Astros after a Jose Altuve home run. Postseason home runs are certainly nothing new for Altuve, who has now hit 24 of them in 93 postseason games. Only Manny Ramirez scored more goals, totaling 29 in 111 postseason games. —Steve Schaeffer
FIRST PITCH SWING. pic.twitter.com/1hfbBALr1Q
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 7, 2023
Justin Verlander’s first inning
Justin Verlander threw just 10 of 23 pitches for strikes in a scoreless first inning. He didn’t land his slider or curveball for strikes and the Twins dropped the ones outside the zone. Verlander got two walks and a single, inducing a 6-4-3 double play from Royce Lewis. In the regular season, Verlander led to just eight groundball double plays in 162 1/3 innings. —Matt Kawahara
Repeat
The Twins opened with a walk and a single against Justin Verlander. This is exactly the same way Verlander started the ALDS against the Mariners last year. Seattle scored one run in that inning and scored three runs in the second. – Jerome Solomon
On the way to the bullpen
As expected, José Urquidy, Hunter Brown and JP France went to the bullpen with the Astros’ replacements before Game 1.
With Cristian Javier all but certain to start Game 3, one of those three would likely be used to start Game 4 in Minneapolis if needed. It could depend on whether and how often either of them is used in relief in the first two games. — Matt Kawahara
Baldelli on meeting Verlander
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has five left-handed hitters, including switch-hitter Jorge Polanco, who will face Astros right-hander Justin Verlander in Game 1.
And since the Astros don’t have lefties, Baldelli doesn’t have to do a lot of lineup manipulation as the game progresses. But Baldelli says Verlander presents challenges to lefties that other righties don’t.
“He’s a unique character because of the way he attacks hitters, and he’s been particularly good against lefties for a long time,” Baldelli said. “There is not just one reason for it. He has a lot of throws that are just effective against people swinging from that side of the plate, with the ride/cut fastball and the command, the fact that he gets the throws to places in the zone that are hard can be reached. Even the big breakball, the up and down breakball, is a tough game against some of these guys
“He goes after our guys and we attack right back and we’ll see who’s better today. “I think it’s going to be a great showdown in that regard, considering how he attacks and how we attack adjust what he does.” — Steve Schaeffer
No mattress problem
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s game, but this The founder of Gallery Furniture says he was blocked by competitor Mattress Firm, which is an official sponsor of Major League Baseball. The Astros, who originally invited McIngvale to attend the pregame ceremony, declined to comment on the situation. —Matt Young
Dana Brown: Astros ready for October grind
Last year, Dana Brown served as vice president of scouting for an Atlanta team that won the AL East by chasing and outrunning the Mets in the second half. The Braves erased a deficit that stretched to seven games after the All-Star break, won 101 games and earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
However, the chase seemed to take its toll on Atlanta, which lost the NL Division Series in four games to a Phillies team that advanced to the World Series. Brown is now the first-year GM of the Astros, who won a tight race for the AL West title by overtaking the Rangers on the final day of the regular season.
Before ALDS Game 1 against the Twins, Brown said he believed this Astros team was better able to withstand the energy and effort expended down the stretch, citing their pitching in particular.
“I would say we are better prepared because the problem we had in Atlanta in 2022 was that there was a guy like (Max) Fried who had dominated for most of the year (and) he ran out of gas said Brown. “He threw 89-92 mph in the playoffs, and as you guys saw in the postseason, he was 93-97. So he didn’t have that in the tank.
“I don’t think that will happen here. (Justin) Verlander, you saw how well he threw down the stretch. He is good. Framber (Valdez), he had some good outings down the stretch. I think Framber still has gas left in the tank. While Fried was around 92, Framber is still at 96, 97. So these guys are ultimately in better shape.” — Matt Kawahara
TV change
Due to the delayed start of the Rangers-Orioles opener in Baltimore, Game 1 of the Astros-Twins series will begin on MLB Network and FS2 and then move to FS1, the originally scheduled network, once the Texas-Baltimore game is complete. — Greg Rajan
Trust is high
Because of his job, James Cranford can’t catch every Astros game, but when he does, he definitely stands out.
Wearing a poncho and a tailored sombrero, Cranford, 43, is, like many Houston fans, optimistic that this game will be the first of many victories.
That’s part of his thinking behind the hat, which is emblazoned with Clutch City’s de facto motto: Be Someone.
“The way things are going in life right now needs to remind people of that,” Cranford said. “Be someone. Don’t walk around with your head down.”
James Cranford is optimistic that Saturday will be the first of many postseason victories for the Astros.
Dug Begley / Staff
The team is proof of that, he said. By developing new perspectives, players know that if they work hard, they will have a chance to shine.
“That’s why they can hold their heads up,” he said. — Dug Begley
Pitch clock not a problem for Valdez
Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, who will start Game 2 of the ALDS, said he doesn’t expect to have trouble pitching for the first time in the postseason with MLB’s pitch clock.
“I don’t think the clock is a problem,” Valdez said. “I thought it would be like that at the beginning, but it wasn’t actually a problem for me. I think it’s more of a problem for the batters, but for me I’m fine.”
The start will be Valdez’s first since Sept. 26 in Seattle, but he said the extended break between starts won’t be a problem, citing the bullpens, training and gym work he’s been putting in . — Greg Rajan
Why McCormick starts at center
Although Mauricio Dubón regularly manned center field on Justin Verlander’s starting days for the Astros over the past two years, manager Dusty Baker chose a different outfield lineup behind Verlander for Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Chas McCormick was the starting center fielder for Game 1 against the Twins. Baker described the pick as matchup-driven against Twins starter Bailey Ober, suggesting an offensive play. Dubón is arguably the better defender in midfield, while McCormick is the more offensive threat.
“These guys (the Twins) have had a tendency to strike out in the past,” Baker said Saturday before the game. “They also have a lot of left-handers, so they are more likely to hit the ball to left-center than pull it. So I thought this was the best setup. And also the fact that, in my opinion, McCormick can compete better against her pitcher Ober, who throws a lot of changeups and a lot of break balls.” — Matt Kawahara
The Twins’ Baldelli was tight-lipped about the running game
Only three American League teams — the White Sox, Guardians and Blue Jays — have allowed more stolen bases than the Astros this season, but Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was unwilling to reveal his game plan before Game 1 of the Series.
“I would prefer that everyone see and see things like this,” Baldelli said.
The Twins don’t steal many bases and rank 23rd in baseball with 86 steals, and 31 of those came from Willi Castro, who is on the playoff roster but not in Saturday’s starting lineup.
“We’re not going to play things too much differently than we have all year,” Baldelli said. “The guys who can go out there and steal a base are going to have the right to go out there and do it again.” — Matt Young
Kendall Graveman’s shoulder
Kendall Graveman said he suffered from shoulder discomfort toward the end of the season, saying, “It got to the point where I needed some time.”
Graveman, who was left off the ALDS roster, said he hopes to be ready to pitch if the Astros advance further in the postseason.
“I was hoping I would be ready because we won the division and we had a little more time,” Graveman said. “But that is not the case.” —Matt Kawahara
Derek Falvey of the Twins: Astros are a template for success
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said His current team reminds him of the 2015 Astros, how they broke through with some playoff success before becoming the dominant team in the American League.
Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey says there is no doubt he would like to emulate the Astros’ plan, especially since it has resulted in six straight American League Championship Series appearances and two titles.
“Thanks go to their players, first and foremost their staff, the way they built it. It’s hard not to look at them and think that getting a chance to play in a World Series environment as much as possible is what everyone is looking for,” Falvey said before Game 1 on Saturday. “That’s what they did. So kudos to them. We appreciate everything they have done so far.
“You’re always looking for ways to get better and I think they’ve done some things along the way, from the way they deploy the guys, what their squads look like, that a lot of teams have tried , to find out and imitate because they did it. They proved it. This will be a real challenge for our group, but I know they are up to it.” — Matt Young
Baker on a managerial chess game
Dusty Baker often makes some, shall we say, strange moves when his gut instinct speaks to him.
When talking about outscoring the opponent, Baker agreed that it was more difficult to comply with MLB rules that require relief pitchers to face at least three batters or pitch by the end of a half-inning.
“Also, when you do well against certain teams and certain people, you do more against the computer than you do against that person,” Baker said.
He named old-school managers Bruce Bochy, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox as some who were not standard analytical managers, as is the current trend.
“You think you knew what they were going to do, but you really didn’t know,” Baker said.
So what type of manager is Baker? Old school or analytics?
“If I told you that, they would know,” he said, laughing. “I am a combination manager. Always.” – Jerome Solomon
Twins vs. Verlander approach
The Astros’ Game 1 starter Justin Verlander threw 17 straight scoreless innings against the Twins, so Minnesota hitters know they have to have a plan against the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
Rookie second baseman Edouard Julien gave a glimpse of that plan before Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday.
“He’s a great pitcher, but I think the key for us will be to get ready for the fastball early and attack as quickly as possible,” the Twins’ leadoff hitter said. “That’s the plan for everyone, I guess, for everyone who goes up against him, but it’s always hard when you have elite players like him. For my part, I know I’m just going to try to grind the at-bats and get him to make a lot of throws and hopefully get him out of the game quickly.” — Matt Young
Baker leans on his mentor
Only two managers have won consecutive World Series in the last 45 years. Dusty Baker is aiming to become the third and has called on successive predecessors to seek his advice.
Baker mentioned before Game 1 that he had been in touch with Cito Gaston, who won it all with Toronto in 1992 and 1993, throughout the year leading up to the postseason.
The two were teammates in the Braves’ majors and minors in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When Baker won his elusive first championship as a manager last year, Gaston, the first black manager to win a World Series, said it “means a lot.”
“I said Cito, and he knew it, and then we talked about me wanting to do Cito Gaston,” Baker said. “That means winning back to back. Then I turn on the TV and no one has come back since the Yankees (from 1998 to 2000). So the chances weren’t really good that we’d actually make it if history repeated itself.”
Earlier this week, Gaston and others who were repeat World Series champions spoke to the Chronicle about what makes winning back-to-back titles so difficult in the 21st century. — Greg Rajan
Michael Brantley in the lineup
Michael Brantley is scheduled to start the first two ALDS games, Dusty Baker said. Baker said he originally wanted Yordan Alvarez in left field and Yainer Diaz at DH today, but that changed when the Twins opted to start Bailey Ober instead of Joe Ryan. —Matt Kawahara
No 30-30 for Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker’s appeal in an effort to get his The triple from the regular season finale, which became a home run, was rejected. The ruling means Tucker barely made it into the elite 30-30 club with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season.
“It is what it is,” Tucker said before Game 1 of the Astros-Twins American League Division Series.
In the fifth inning of Sunday’s finale, Tucker hit a line drive over the right fielder’s head. Tucker slowed as he reached third base, but then sprinted home when the Diamondbacks failed to bring the ball home.
The play was originally ruled a three-pointer and error, but was then changed to a three-pointer and fielder’s choice. Later in the game the call was changed again, this time to a home run. An inning later, the decision was reversed, resulting in another triple and a fielder’s decision to leave Tucker with 29 stolen bases. —Matt Young
Kendall Graveman removed from squad
The Astros had 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their ALDS roster. Reliever Kendall Graveman has been removed from the roster because of right shoulder discomfort, the team announced. Rookie starters Hunter Brown and JP France were both on the roster, along with Jose Urquidy, giving Houston options for length out of the bullpen. —Matt Kawahara
The Astros’ ALDS squad
Pitcher: Bryan Abreu, Hunter Brown, JP France, Cristian Javier, Phil Maton, Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, Ryan Pressly, Ryne Stanek, José Urquidy, Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander.
Catcher: Yanier Diaz, Martin Maldonado.
Infielder: José Abreu, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Mauricio Dubón, Grae Kessinger, Jeremy Peña, Jon Singleton.
Outfielder: Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers, Kyle Tucker.
Quick starters
Since moving to the American League in 2013, the Astros are 7-0 in Game 1 of the Division Series.
Five of those games took place at Minute Maid Park. The exceptions were 2015 at Kansas City and 2020 against Oakland at Dodger Stadium in the COVID bubble.
As a member of the National League, the Astros were 4-3 in the opening games of the division series and 1-2 at home. –Greg Rajan
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