No panic for Astros after shutout loss in ALCS opener

HOUSTON -- There was no cause for alarm in the Astros’ clubhouse Sunday night. No one appeared to be panicking or wringing their hands in desperation. That’s what six consecutive trips to the American League Championship Series can do for a club. They’ve been here before.

In fact, the last time Houston dropped the first game of a playoff series -- the 2022 World Series against the Phillies -- it turned out pretty well. Perhaps that’s why the Astros so easily flipped the page following a 2-0 loss to the Rangers in Game 1 of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park.

“Well, this team is the best I've been around about moving on,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “And there's nothing you can do. If you're going to lose a game, you'd rather lose it in the first game versus in the middle of the series. And so we know we've got a tough pitcher in [Nathan] Eovaldi tomorrow. But we also have a tough pitcher in Framber [Valdez] on our side.”

Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery held the Astros scoreless for 6 1/3 innings to outduel Justin Verlander. The Astros suffered their first shutout loss in the playoffs since Game 3 of last year’s World Series against the Phillies.

• Verlander on Game 1 loss: Been there, overcome that

“In the postseason, you're going up against the best teams,” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. “They’ve got great players over there, and we believe we’ve got a great team as well. You kind of have to flush it in the postseason. You know it’s always going to be a battle and you know it’s going to be two of the best teams competing against each other. Tomorrow, show up ready to play and come out and try and execute.”

In all best-of-seven postseason series, teams winning Game 1 have gone on to win the series 121 of 188 times (64 percent). In series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams taking a 1-0 lead on the road have gone on to win the series 39 of 70 times (56 percent).

“We lost Game 1 in the World Series last year,” Verlander said. “And that's the great thing about this team. Obviously, nobody is sitting in the locker room right now happy. But it's very matter of fact, ‘OK, we just got punched, how do you answer?’”

If you’re the Astros, it needs to be with some offense. After loading the bases with two outs in the fourth inning against Montgomery, Houston didn’t get another hit for the remainder of the game. The Astros were held to five singles, leaving Verlander with little room for error.

He gave up a run on a single by Jonah Heim in the second inning and another on a solo homer by nine-hole hitter Leody Taveras in the fifth. Verlander threw 6 2/3 innings and struck out five batters in his 36th career postseason start.

“I was a bit erratic the first couple of innings, especially fastball control,” Verlander said. “I thought it cleaned up as the game went along. I kind of started finding my groove there the last few innings. Obviously, one bad pitch, [and] it resulted in another run to Taveras there. Overall I thought as the game went along, it got better and better.”

A pivotal play in the game came after both starters were out. With Jose Altuve at first base and no outs in the eighth, Bregman lifted a long fly ball off reliever Aroldis Chapman that Texas rookie Evan Carter jumped to catch on the warning track in left-center. Altuve had barely rounded second base when the ball found Carter’s mitt and had to retreat to first base.

The Rangers challenged, contesting that Altuve didn’t retouch second base on his way back to first base. The call on the field was overturned after a replay review, and Texas had a double play. Altuve was Houston’s only baserunner in the final five innings.

• Game 1 turns on Carter's grab, Altuve's gaffe

“I thought the ball was over his head,” Altuve said. “I didn’t think he was going to make the play he made. It was a great play and I tried to get back to first.”

The mistake undoubtedly frustrated Altuve and his manager, but Baker’s been through so much in his life on and off the field that he wasn’t going to let this bother him. Besides, the Astros have a quick turnaround for Game 2 on Monday and know the all-Texas ALCS is just getting started.

“Sometimes you've got to say, ‘Hey, the guy threw a great game tonight against us, excellent game,’” Baker said. “And they say good pitching beats good hitting, but when you don't hit, everybody wants to know what's wrong. There's not a whole bunch to say. He threw a real good game against us.”