HOUSTON -- For three innings on Friday afternoon, both starting pitchers involved in the opening game of the American League Division Series looked to be on their way to justifying the hype surrounding this matchup.
By the time it was over, however, only one of those starters -- Houston's Justin Verlander -- had pitched well enough to earn the win. The other, Cleveland's Corey Kluber, had become a victim of the Astros' vaunted offense, allowing three of Houston's four homers on the day in a game the defending World Series champs won handily, 7-2.