![[SPORTS] BREWERS ADVANCE TO NLCS AFTER 6-0 WIN](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8106-1-2.jpg?resize=600%2C416&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 8, 2018 | SPORTS
Brew Crew Extend Win Streak To 11
Brewers fans can prepare for Game 1 of the NLCS back at Miller Park as the Brew Crew are moving on.
The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-0 on Sunday at Coors Field in Game 3 of the NLDS to win the series 3-0 and advance to the NLCS.
Behind their dominant pitching that for the series limited the Rockies to two runs and bats that have come alive, the Milwaukee Brewers run in October will continue.
The Brewers would get a stellar effort from left-hander Wade Miley and the bullpen would take care of the rest in chilly Denver, Colorado.
A combination of Corey Knebel, Joakim Soria, Corbin Burnes, Jeremy Jeffress and Josh Hader would help shut down the Rockies.
The Brewers would get 12 hits and capitalize on Colorado’s miscues to gain a significant edge over the their opponent.
Veteran catcher Eric Kratz would lead the way with three hits while left fielder Ryan Braun finished the game with two hits.
The Milwaukee Brewers NLCS appearance is just the second in franchise history and the first since 2011.
The franchise’s only World Series appearance came as an American League team back in 1982 when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
Milwaukee, aiming to end Colorado’s season on the road, would jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Travis Shaw’s RBI groundout scored Christian Yelich, who walked in his first at-bat.
That lead would grow to 2-0 following first baseman Jesus Aguilar hitting just the second home run for the Brewers this series as he took German Marquez deep to left field.
Wade Miley would be solid for the Brewers in his first career playoff start as he would toss four and two-third innings of scoreless ball.
He would be relieved by right-hander Corey Knebel with a runner on first and two outs as Knebel struck out Charlie Blackmon on three pitches to end the inning.
Bud Black’s Rockies season would continue to enter dangerous territory of being ended after the Brewers used a pair of mistakes by reliever Scott Oberg (balk, wild pitch) to take a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning.
The Brewers would look to be closing in on a NLCS birth rather easily after two runs in the ninth, but it would call on Josh Hader having to relieve Jeremy Jeffress.
Hader, with two men on with one out, would record the final two outs of the season as Ian Desmond flew out to center fielder Lorenzo Cain to end the game.
For the Colorado Rockies, it’s a abrupt end to a season that at its highest point saw the Rockies get their first playoff win since 2009 with a memorable 3-2 extra innings win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field last Tuesday.
Colorado had an opportunity last Monday to start a series at home at Coors Field with a NL West Tiebreaker game vs the Los Angeles Dodgers, but went on to lose the game.
The Rockies 6-13 mark vs the Los Angeles Dodgers this season ultimately cost them a chance at not only a matchup vs a more favorable Atlanta Braves team but home-field advantage as well.
Though a disappointing end, the Rockies are a team with plenty of promise moving forward as young pitchers like Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez and Tyler Anderson got their first taste of the postseason and performed admirably.
The Milwaukee Brewers are rolling at a rate that makes them not just a favorite to win the NL, but a favorite to win the World Series.
In 28 innings vs the Colorado Rockies, the Brewers pitching limited the Rockies into a dreadful team batting average of .145 in the NLDS.
Milwaukee doesn’t beat themselves with errors defensively and doesn’t issue free passes to hitters. While not an offensive juggernaut, there’s enough offense for the Brewers to allow their pitching to do exactly what they accomplished in the NLDS.
While it’s eight more wins away from the first World Series title, the focus for Craig Counsell’s team is the very next one.
What are your thoughts on the Milwaukee Brewers advancing to the NLCS? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECAP: TEXAS STUNS OKLAHOMA IN FINAL SECONDS ON FIELD GOAL](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8088-1-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 7, 2018 | SPORTS
Texas Longhorns Upset Highlights Saturday Action
The first college football Saturday of October left us with a memorable one in Dallas, Texas today as the Red River Rivalry took on yet another classic chapter in the long and storied history between the two programs.
Elsewhere we saw several upsets take place in the SEC that shift the balance of power in the Top 25.
Surely another fun-filled Saturday of college football, here is my recap of the biggest stories from Saturday’s games.
Longhorns Outlast Sooners In Upset Victory
The Texas Longhorns held off a furious 4th quarter rally by the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday to upset Oklahoma 48-45.
Sam Ehlinger would have arguably the best game of his college career as he finished the game with 315 passing yards and 5 TDs (3 rushing) in the Red River rivalry game.
Oklahoma’s defense would be gashed through the first three quarters as Texas scored 45 points and were in control 45-24 after three.
Freshman sensation Kyler Murray wouldn’t go down without a fight in the final period of the game as Oklahoma scored 21 unanswered points to tie the game at 45-45 with 2:38 remaining in the game.
That would be enough time for Sam Ehlinger to guide the Longhorns offense 52 yards down the field for freshman kicker Cameron Dicker to play the hero with a game-winning 40-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining.
Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns got off to a shaky start to the 2018 season with a shocking 34-29 loss on the road to the Maryland Terps.
That loss is in the rear view mirror after three consecutive upset victories over ranked opponents, this being the most meaningful as Oklahoma coming in was the No. 7 ranked team in the country.
Texas (5-1) continued to expose the many holes that head coach Lincoln Riley’s team has on the defensive side of the ball on Saturday, totaling 501 yards (a season-high).
Now with a signature win over their rivals, #19 Texas has a legitimate opportunity to become a manager player as a top team team in the country.
LSU, Auburn & Kentucky Upset In Road Games
The SEC shakeup is underway after three teams ranked in the top 15 — two in the top 10 — were knocked off this week in conference road games.
LSU, the No. 5 ranked team in the country, were handed their first defeat of the 2018 season in Gainesville vs the Florida Gators 27-19. The Gators defense put a hurting on LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and the Tigers offense, forcing a pick-six late in the game to secure the victory.
Auburn would be limited to a season-low in points in a 23-9 loss to unranked Mississippi State. Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald would break Tim Tebow’s rushing yards record in a single game by rushing for 195 rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns in the win.
Kentucky, off to a surprising 5-0 start, would lose a heartbreaker in overtime vs the Texas A&M Aggies 20-14. Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams (24 carries, 138 rushing yards, 1 TD) would score the game-winning TD in overtime after Kentucky would miss a field goal on their first possession of overtime.
Notre Dame Turns It On In Second Half To Down Virginia Tech
Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish remained unbeaten with a 45-23 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday night at Lane Stadium.
Despite a wide final margin of victory, it would be anything but easy for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who entered the game as the No. 6 ranked team in the country.
The Hokies gave the Fighting Irish all they could handle in the first half in Blacksmith, but as they had done vs Stanford a week ago, Brian Kelly’s team would play their best football in the second half.
Behind quarterback Ian Book, Notre Dame would go on to outscore Virginia Tech 28-7 in the second half. The Fighting Irish got explosive plays from running back Dexter Williams (17 carries, 178 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and a steady one from Book, who finished the game with 271 passing yards and 2 TDs.
With two upsets taking place in the Top 10 his Saturday (LSU, Oklahoma), Notre Dame figures to crack the top 5 for the first time this season.
What are your thoughts on Saturday’s college football action? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] UFC 229 RECAP: NURMAGOMEDOV FINISHES MCGREGOR IN ROUND 4](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8083-1-1.jpg?resize=600%2C396&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 7, 2018 | SPORTS
The Eagle Silences Notorious In Dominant Victory At UFC 229
Khabib Nurmagomedov coming into the biggest fight of his life vowed to crush Conor McGregor.
He did that and more at UFC 229, leaving his mark as the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0, 11-0 UFC) defeated Conor McGregor (22-3, 9-2 UFC) by 4th-Round submission on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena to retain his UFC lightweight title.
The hype surrounding the mega-fight centered around the very realistic and bitter hatred that boiled between the two fighters into Conor McGregor being arrested for assault earlier this year after throwing a dolly through a UFC travel bus window that held Khabib Nurmagomedov on it.
Outside of that, fans, analysts and so forth wanted to see what would win out in a fight between Conor McGregor, the cerebral KO-artist and striker, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, the dominating grappler who has rode his dominance on the ground all the way to a 26-0 mark.
We got out our answer on Saturday night as Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated Conor McGregor from start to finish in a one-sided affair in a packed T-Mobile arena.
The sambo master in the first minute of action got the fight to the mat vs McGregor, who was making his first octagon appearance in nearly two years.
‘The Eagle’ would hold McGregor against the octagon fence for most of the round on the ground, peppering him with strikes when he could but mostly dominating the positional aspect of the grappling.
In round two the champion would put the Irish Superstar into unfamiliar territory as a well timed right hook over the top would drop McGregor for a knockdown for the first time in his career as he quickly pounced on him.
It would be a dominating round for Nurmagomedov, who he lifted off his feet for a huge slam before pounding away on McGregor with thudding ground and pound shots.
Looking confidently still but tiring, McGregor would find better results in the second round. He would land kicks and punches at the body of his opponent, landing a nice right uppercut on Nurmagomedov, but the champion remained poised as he got the fight to the mat and kept it there until the end of the round.
In round four Nurmagomedov would take advantage of a fading McGregor, getting him to the ground once more near the fence. He would mount McGregor, who tried to scramble out but would give up his back as well as his neck for Nurmagomedov to grab ahold of and begin squeezing.
McGregor, a few moments after having Nurmagomedov arms clasped around his chin and neck area for a neck crank, would tap out, giving Nurmagomedov the win.
After the fight, emotions would boil over for a very angry and intense Khabib Nurmagomedov who throughout the promotion was assaulted verbally in personal ways in this very real disdain between the two fighters.
Nurmagomedov would have words to say to McGregor after the fight before turning his attention to McGregor’s team as he would start a melee outside of the octagon before another took place inside of it. McGregor, against his cage looking on, would take a cheap shot from a member of Nurmagomedov’s team.
This was supposed to be a shining moment for Khabib Nurmagomedov, and in the history books as well as history itself, will be remembered.
His post-fight actions, however, ruined the final images of what was a brilliant fight by him in which he displayed a undeniable and unstoppable ground game as well as solid striking on the feet vs one of the best strikers in the sport.
What the UFC will have to say about this, or rather do, will be what everyone follows over the coming days as some possible suspensions or bans may be coming from the aftermath of the event.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s 11-fight win streak is tied for the longest in UFC history with Tony Ferguson, who also won at the event.
UFC 229 Results
Tony Ferguson wins thriller vs Anthony Pettis by 2nd Round TKO
Dominick Reyes dominates Ovince Saint Preux in unanimous decision victory
Derrick Lewis storms back to stun Alexander Volkov in Round 3 by KO
Michelle Waterson sharp and versatile in unanimous decision win over Felice Herrig
Jussier Da Silva steady in unanimous decision win over Sergio Pettis
Vicente Luque punishes Jalin Turner with thunderous right hand to win by KO in Round 1
Aspen Ladd ground and pounds to Round 1 TKO win over Tonya Evinger
Scott Holtzman dispatches Alan Patrick Silva Alves in Round 3 via ground and pound strikes by TKO
Yana Kunitskaya outpaces Lina Lansberg for unanimous decision victory
Nik Lentz blasts Gray Maynard with devastating head kick to win by TKO in Round 2
Tony Martin uses head kick to finish Ryan LaFlare by KO in Round 3
What are your thoughts on UFC 229? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] SALE STRONG; RED SOX HOLD OFF YANKS TO TAKE 1-0 SERIES LEAD](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8074-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 6, 2018 | SPORTS
Chris Sale Looks Like Chris Sale In Red Sox 5-4 Win
There was reason to be pessimistic about Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale entering Game 1 of the ALDS.
It only took one inning to realize what type of Chris Sale the Red Sox would be getting to begin the postseason vs their hated rivals.
The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 5-4 on Friday night at Fenway Park in Game 1 of the ALDS to take a 1-0 series lead.
Fireworks and high drama were expected at the beginning of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees’ first playoff matchup in 14 years, and Game 1 wouldn’t disappoint.
Chris Sale (1-0), making just his second career playoff start, would give Boston a strong start while silencing his skeptics.
Sale would go five and a third innings vs the New York Yankees on Friday, allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Chris Sale would be backed by an early offensive outburst by the MLB’s best offensive team team in 2018.
Boston’s victory wasn’t without trouble, as the Red Sox bullpen would produce a troubling outing vs the New York Yankees power hitting lineup.
Chris Sale would open the first inning by striking out three of the four Yankee hitters he faced, firing up an already hot and loud Fenway Crowd.
The Boston Red Sox would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the quickly in Game 1 of this highly anticipated series after J.D. Martinez hit a three-run home run off Yankees’ left-hander J.A. Happ with one out in the first inning.
The homer by Martinez after a single by Andrew Benintendi and a walk by Steve Pearce with one out after Happ retired Mookie Betts to kick off the inning.
Just as they had done throughout their franchise record 108-win season, the Red Sox offensive machine would not slow down.
The Red Sox would tag the Yankees newly inserted reliever Chad Green in the third inning for two inherited runs by Happ as Steve Pierce’s RBI single and Xander Bogaerts’ RBI sacrifice fly would give Boston a 5-0 lead in the third inning.
Chris Sale would be in a groove vs the Bombers fearsome lineup, using a fastball that sat around 95 most of the night to get ahead of hitters before freezing them with his almost unhittable slider at the knees for called strike threes.
New York would watch innings go by without doing much of anything vs Sale until the sixth inning.
Singles by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth inning with a rising pitch count would lead to Alex Cora going to his bullpen.
Sale would leave the mound to cheers as he walked off disappointingly having put runners on base.
The Yankees would get both of those runs across to score in the inning, giving themselves some life in a 5-2 game.
New York’s highly touted and formidable bullpen would keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard over the final five innings, setting the stage for a comeback.
The Yankees would get a run in the seventh inning after a RBI groundout by rookie first baseman Luke Voit made it a 5-3 game.
The Yankees had changed the tenure of a game looking on the precipice of turning into a blowout into a game they had an opportunity to steal.
Facing off against Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel to begin the ninth, Aaron Judge would send the boom to Fenway Park with a home run blast to right field which would inch the Yankees to within a run at 5-4.
Kimbrel, now with even more pressure on him, would meet the Yankees challenge. The hard throwing closer would blow away Brett Gardner with a strikeout on five pitches. Giancarlo Stanton would be next, and he’d be victimized as Kimbrel froze Stanton on a 0-2 knuckle curveball.
Down to their final out, Luke Voit would be unable to catch up to a 2-2 heater from Kimbrel as the Red Sox clinched Game 1 of the ALDS.
There were questions coming into the postseason if Boston’s season would fall short of expectations.
Much of that had to do with Chris Sale, who since the All-Star break had been mostly sidelined with shoulder inflammation in his throwing shoulder that resulted in two DL stints, his second being a lengthy one.
Sale would be limited in his return back to the Red Sox as a precaution weeks ahead of the playoffs, and his last start — a start where his fastball sat around 90 mph — would leave pundits questioning the seriousness of Boston’s postseason chances.
With Sale’s performance on Friday, those pundits are for now silenced as Sale mostly knifed through and kept arguably the MLB’s scariest offensive team at bay as he has done throughout his entire career.
What’s worrisome for Red Sox skipper Alex Cora moving forward is the way the bullpen looked, particularly in the final three innings as the Yankees would get five hits and eight Yankees would reach base safely.
It wasn’t only that the bullpen looked vulnerable, wild pitches by Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes nearly led to big innings for New York.
For the New York Yankees, those big innings never came with opportunity after opportunity going down the drain.
New York would hit 1-for-7 with RISP on the night, blowing a bases loaded with no outs situation in the top of the seventh inning as they came away with only a run out of what was a 5-2 game when the inning began. In total, 10 Yankees would be left on base in the game.
Aaron Boone’s team won’t win this series by faltering in big moments and dear I say, choking when it counts.
Starting pitching was a weakness of the Yankees in a 100-win season and that reared its ugly head in Game 1.
J.A. Happ (0-1) didn’t give the Yankees a chance to grab a early edge over the Red Sox as he gave up the big bomb in the first inning before being forced to exit the game after two innings.
A game of much significance, Boston will walk away with a 1-0 series lead feeling a sense of relief and survival while New York will lament their blown chances.
The Boston Red Sox will call on left-hander David Price in Game 2 of the ALDS vs the New York Yankees who will counter with right-hander Masahiro Tanaka.
First pitch at Fenway Park for Game 2 of the ALDS is scheduled for 8:15 pm/ET.
What are your thoughts on the Boston Red Sox Game 1 victory? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] BULLPEN, TIMELY HITTING LEAD TO GAME 2 WIN FOR BREWERS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8073.jpg?resize=600%2C401&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 6, 2018 | SPORTS
Brew Crew Roll To 2-0 Series Lead
Milwaukee’s ingredients for success have them on the verge of the next round and have their opponents on the other side reeling.
The Milwauke Brewers defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-0 on Friday at Miller Park in Game 2 of the NLDS to take a 2-0 series lead.
Dominance in the pitching department for the Milwaukee Brewers, namely what people believe is the best bullpen in the National League, is the reason Milwaukee is in the driver’s seat in the NLDS.
As had been the case throughout most of the regular-season, the Milwaukee Brewers received a strong effort from veteran pitcher Jhoulys Chacin on the mound in Game 2 of the NLDS.
Chacin would pitch five scoreless innings for the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out three.
Hernan Pérez would put the Brewers out in front 1-0 in the fourth inning after hitting a RBI double off Tyler Anderson with two outs in the inning.
The Brewers went to their bullpen in the sixth inning as Corey Knebel relieved Chacin after 85 pitches.
The bullpen would put on a clinic as they had done for much of Game 1 on Thursday until a hiccup by Jeremy Jeffress put the game in doubt in the ninth inning.
The Brewers bullpen would combination of Corey Knebel, Joakim Soria, Josh Hader and Jeremy Jeffress would go on to throw four scoreless innings. They allowed a combined three hits and would not walk a batter, striking out seven Rockies batters.
A day after struggling to hit with runners in scoring position, the Brewers would help out their pitching staff by breaking the game open in the eighth inning.
Game 1 hero Mike Moustakas would drive in a RBI with a single off reliever Harrison Musgrave. His RBI would be followed by a two-run single by catcher Erik Kratz off reliever Chris Rusin with two outs to make it a 4-0 game.
Coming in once again to get the final three outs of the game, Jeremy Jeffress would get off to a rough start allowing a single to left fielder Gerardo Parra.
Jeffress would rebound after, locking down a save (we all know he just wanted to get a save to his name) by retiring the next three batters to give Milwaukee a 2-0 series lead.
If you told Bud Black that he would have the luxury of getting the starting pitching he’s gotten from his starting pitching through two games of this NLDS series, he’d likely say his team would be up 2-0 to begin this series.
The Colorado Rockies, whether it’s a result of themselves, the pitching they’re facing or a combination of both have simply been unable to replicate their high scoring ways from the regular-season.
Because of it, the team is in a 0-2 hole heading back to Colorado with their season on the line as they face elimination in Game 3.
For Craig Counsell, it was a welcoming sight seeing his team’s offense finally get things going with runners in scoring position.
The team missed earlier opportunities in Game 2. With runners on the corners and no outs the team would come up short as Milwaukee’s hitters would all strike out and fail to put the ball in play.
In a base running blunder Hernan Perez would be caught trying to steal home with one out in the fourth inning.
It was the eighth inning, however, that proved to be just what the doctor ordered.
It’s the 10th consecutive win for the Milwaukee Brewers dating back to the regular-season and they’ll be looking to clinch their first NLCS birth since 2011 on Sunday at Coors Field.
The Colorado Rockies will send German Marquez to the mound hoping to fend off elimination as they face Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Wade Miley.
First pitch at Coors Field for Game 3 of the ALDS is scheduled for 4:37 pm/ET on Sunday.
What are your thoughts on the Milwaukee Brewers Game 2 victory? Leave your comments below?
![[SPORTS] FOUR HOME RUNS BACK VERLANDER AS ASTROS TAKE GAME 1](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8070-3.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 5, 2018 | SPORTS
Astros Take 1-0 Series Lead Over Indians Thanks To Bats
Justin Verlander has made pitching in the postseason look effortless throughout his career.
He took it to yet another level to begin the Houston Astros postseason journey, but needed help getting out of trouble.
The Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Indians 7-2 on Friday at Minute Maid Park in Game 1 of the ALDS to take a 1-0 series lead.
Justin Verlander (1-0) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his Game 1 start vs the Cleveland Indians on Friday.
He would be unable to finish the sixth inning, surrendering his first hits of the game as well as runs, but he’d be backed by the Astros home run minded bats.
The Houston Astros would blast four home runs in Game 1 of the ALDS vs the Cleveland Indians, using their power to gain a series edge over their opponents.
The no-hitter would be broken up in the sixth inning by Indians catcher Yan Gomes on a single to open the inning.
Verlander would finish the game allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven over five and a third innings pitched.
The veteran pitcher would walk second baseman Jose Ramirez with two outs in the first inning before retiring the next 13 Indians batters.
It was a dominant display for the 35 year-old pitcher, and while it ended in a bit of disappointing allowing two earned runs in the sixth inning, Houston boy just what they needed out of him to begin this series vs a dangerous Indians team.
Justin Verlander, who was acquired by the Houston Astros in August last year to help their pitching rotation come playoff time, is no stranger to the theatrics of the MLB postseason.
Thursday marked the 22nd career playoff start for Justin Verlander in his MLB career as he had gone 11-6 with a 3.07 ERA in 21 previous starts.
After a breakout regular-season from one of last season’s postseason heroes, Alex Bregman continued his strong but young postseason career in Game 1 of the ALDS.
The Houston Astros third baseman would stake the defending World Series champions out to a 1-0 lead after he hit a home run off two-time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber in the fourth inning.
Houston would tack on another run in the fourth after Josh Reddick’s RBI single with two outs in the fourth.
The scoring would continue in the fifth inning off a shaky Corey Kluber as George Springer and Jose Altuve would go back-to-back with home run balls to give Houston a 4-0 lead.
Corey Kluber (0-1) would finish the game allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two in four and two-thirds innings.
Cleveland would finally break through offensively in the sixth inning after five innings of not being able to muster a hit vs Houston’s ace.
It was a inning in which Cleveland loaded the bases, coming away with two runs after a wild pitch by reliever Ryan Pressly and a RBI groundout by Jose Ramirez.
The Houston Astros would get both of those runs back in the seventh inning after a home run by catcher Martin Maldonado off reliever Cody Allen to begin the inning and a RBI single by Alex Bregman to make it a 6-2 game.
Terry Francona got a rough performance from Corey Kluber which dating back to the 2016 World Series is his fourth consecutive start in which he got roughed up.
It’s puzzling why Francona would use Trevor Bauer in Game 1 in relief when Bauer was arguably the best Indians starter this season, but if Cleveland can’t score more runs, it doesn’t matter who’s pitching for the Tribe.
They failed to get any production from any hitter in Game 1 as they went 3-for-30 (.100 BA) as a team.
Cleveland went on to be out-hit by the Houston Astros 12-3 and would only get a runner to second base in the sixth inning alone.
The Houston Astros defense of their World Series championship from a season ago is off to a great start after Game 1.
A.J. Hinch’s team got the quality performance out of one of the MLB’s best pitchers of this generation in Justin Verlander.
Behind Verlander’s stellar performance and a offense that completely minimized the impact of a dominant right-hander in Corey Kluber, Houston has set the tone for this series.
They’ll look to take a 2-0 series lead on Saturday when they send Gerrit Cole to the mound against Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco.
First pitch at Minute Maid Park is scheduled for 4:37 pm/ET.
What are your thoughts on the Houston Astros Game 1 win? Leave your comments below!
