HOUSTON — The plan was perfect … until it wasn’t.
The Mariners did everything they had hoped to do against Justin Verlander on Tuesday. They could not, reasonably, have had a better start to this American League Division Series, rocking the presumptive AL Cy Young winner for six runs on 10 hits while building a 6-2 lead through four innings of Game 1 on the road.
“We were ready to go right from the get-go,” manager Scott Servais said. “Of course, we have seen him a lot this year, and he’s had our number more than we’ve had his. So proud of our guys. Great game plan. We executed it very well.”
They wanted to get to Verlander early, and they did.
ALDS Game 1
Astros 8, Mariners 7
Julio Rodriguez, after fouling back Verlander’s first-pitch fastball with a mighty hack, drew a five-pitch walk to start the game and later scored on a Cal Raleigh single to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
Adam Frazier and Jarred Kelenic opened the second with back-to-back singles, and they scored on Rodriguez’s ringing double — 113.3 mph off the bat — off Verlander into the right-center field gap.
J.P. Crawford hit a no-doubt home run off Verlander on a 3-1 fastball. It was Crawford’s first home run since Sept. 9 and just his second since June 1.
Rodriguez followed with a triple and then scored on Ty France’s double to make it 6-2 in the fourth.
“We were aggressive,” France said. “He threw a lot of pitches in the zone and we put good swings on ’em. … We got to see him a lot (this season). We had a good plan, a good approach, and it worked.”
The Astros rallied with five runs in the final two innings, getting a walkoff homer from Yordan Alvarez with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray.
It was just the second walkoff homer in playoff history by a team down to its last out. The other was Kirk Gibson’s famous homer off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Things did not, obviously, go as planned for the Mariners bullpen.
“I don’t like having to show resolve as a positive, but we will do the best we can and get back to work on Thursday,” reliever Paul Sewald said. “Our position players did a fantastic job, so they don’t need to solve any resolve. I just want them to put up seven more runs and keep swinging it like they did against the AL Cy Young winner. If they keep swinging it like they did, I think we’ll get right back in the series.”
Logan Gilbert solid in playoff debut
Logan Gilbert, the Mariners’ second-year right-hander, outpitched Verlander in his postseason debut.
Gilbert allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks. He was a bit unlucky with the first runs he allowed — on an Alvarez’s double off the short wall in left field, a hit that had just a .140 expected batting average, according to Statcast.
Strange things can, and usually do, happen with the funky dimensions at Minute Maid Park.
“It’s a tough place to play,” Gilbert said. “That’s why it was a big opportunity getting out to that big lead. That doesn’t always happen. Our bullpen’s been lockdown all year. This doesn’t change anything for me. I know what those guys do … and I have all the faith in all of them down there. We’re going to be just fine.”