The Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals matchup in Game 1 of the ALDS. The Royals have home field advantage, while Astros already picked up a win over the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card game. So who will win Game 1? Here's our preview and predcition.
Starting Pitchers:
Collin McHugh (HOU) [19-7, 3.89 ERA] vs. Yordano Ventura (KC) [13-8, 4.08 ERA]
Starting Lineups:
Houston Astros:
2B Jose Altuve
RF George Springer
SS Carlos Correa
LF Colby Rasmus
DH Evan Gattis
3B Luis Valbuena
1B Chris Carter
C Jason Castro
CF Jake Marisnick
Kansas City Royals
SS Alcides Escobar
2B Ben Zobrist
CF Lorenzo Cain
1B Eric Hosmer
DH Kendrys Morales
3B Mike Moustakas
C Salvador Perez
LF Alex Gordon
RF Alex Rios
Key To The Game:
Pitching. It's the most important part of baseball and will determine who wins Game 1. McHugh isn't the team's ace; that designation belongs to Dallas Keuchel. However, Keuchel started the Wild Card game and likely won't make another start until Game 3. Johnny Cueto was acquired by the Royals in July, but Ventura has been hot as of late. The Royals have a deep bullpen, even without Greg Holland. The Astros have one of the best relief staffs in baseball. This series is a matchup of strengths.
Prediction: Royals Win 4-3
I'm not sold on this one, but I think the Royals will come out on top. I expect it will be a close game, but I trust the Royals' experienced 'pen just a bit more than I do the Astros' bullpen. Not having Keuchel for Game 1 hurts, and I think the Royals take advantage.
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