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Justin Verlander holds Twins scoreless as Astros get upper hand to start ALDS

AP photo by Tony Gutierrez / Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander pitches against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Saturday in the opening game of an AL Division Series.
AP photo by Tony Gutierrez / Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander pitches against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Saturday in the opening game of an AL Division Series. AP photo by Tony Gutierrez / Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander pitches against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Saturday in the opening game of an AL Division Series.

By KRISTIE RIEKEN / The Associated Press 5 min read

HOUSTON — Justin Verlander was wearing a New York Mets uniform when this season began.

But on Saturday night, he was right back where he has been so many times before: on the mound for the Houston Astros, helping them to another playoff win.

Verlander pitched six scoreless innings, Yordan Alvarez homered twice, and the second-seeded Astros held on for a 6-4 victory over the third-seeded Minnesota Twins in their American League Division Series opener.

Jose Altuve hit a leadoff home run, and Alvarez had three RBIs as the reigning World Series champions won their 2023 playoff debut to earn their 10th straight victory in Game 1 of a division series.

Verlander first joined the Astros in August 2017 and won his second World Series title with the team last year. He signed with the Mets in the offseason, then returned to Houston in a July trade after a very brief stint in the Big Apple.