Verlander dominates and Astros blank Mariners – Metro Puerto Rico

SEATTLE (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched three-hit ball over eight innings for his first win since July 2020, and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0 on Saturday.

Puerto Rican Martín Maldonado provided the necessary batting with a home run, his first hit of the season.

A day after witnessing Seattle’s 11-run scoring performance against Houston, Verlander (1-1) displayed the form that earned him the 2019 American League Cy Young Award.

He had his first win since July 24, 2020, when he beat Seattle in the opening game of the pandemic-shortened season. Later, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Based primarily on his fastball and slider, Verlander went eight innings for the first time since Sept. 1, 2019, when he shut out the Toronto Blue Jays.

The only hits Seattle allowed were a single by Adam Frazier, which opened the game, as well as base hits by Ty France in the fourth and sixth innings.

Verlander struck out eight without walking on 87 pitches. The other batter to reach base was JP Crawoford, who was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning.

Maldonado hadn’t landed a hit in his first 15 at-bats of the season before finding an 0-1 pitch from Chris Flexen to put the ball deep in left field to make it 3-0 in the fifth. entry.

For the Astros, Venezuelan José Altuve 5-1 with an RBI. Cuban Yuli Gurriel 4-0. Dominican Bryan Peña 3-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Puerto Rican Maldonado 3-1 with one run scored and two RBIs.

For the Mariners, the Venezuelan Eugenio Suárez 3-0. The Dominican Julio Rodríguez 3-0.