Carlos Correa reached on an eighth-inning dribbler that Dellin Betances threw over first baseman Mark Teixeira as Jose Altuve scored the tiebreaking run, and the Houston Astros went on to beat the New York Yankees 5-3 Tuesday to win four straight openers for the first time in franchise history.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi argued with plate umpire Dana DeMuth that Correa should have been called out for running on the fair side of the foul line, causing Betances (0-1) to throw the ball over Teixeira for an error.
After the four umpires conferred, the call was upheld and Girardi played the remainder of the game under protest. Luis Valbuena added a two-run single on Betances’ 30th and final pitch for a 5-2 lead.
Dallas Keuchel dominated, but not quite as much as in last October’s AL wild-card game. Keuchel (1-0) allowed Starlin Castro’s two-run double in the second, which ended the AL Cy Young Award winner’s 29-inning scoreless streak against New York, but gave up just three hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked four — his most since last June 20.
Didi Gregorius homered on a 96 mph fastball in the eighth from Ken Giles, who lost to Luke Gregerson in the competition for Astros closer, and Gregerson got three straight outs in the ninth for the save.
It was 27 degrees when batting practice began, and there were tiny ice crystals on the infield from a morning watering. The temperature rose to 36 with a stiff wind and a cloudless sky at game time, the coldest for a regular-season Yankees game in the Bronx since their 2003 home opener.
Castro wore a navy ski mask. The stadium public address system played Foreigner’s Cold As Ice before Colby Rasmus led off the second.
Only about half the seats appeared to be occupied, and hardly any in the owners’ box. But players did have a few amenities in a ballpark that opened eight years ago — vent blew hot air into the dugouts and the bat racks were heated, keeping the wood warm.
Castro, acquired from the Chicago Cubs to give the Yankees another left-handed bat, pulled an 85 mph cutter down the left-field line in the second for a 2-0 lead.
Kansas City, Mo.
Syndergaard (1-0) was the only pitcher to beat the Royals in the World Series last year, winning Game 3 after intentionally throwing his first pitch above Alcides Escobar’s head. Escobar started this one with a triple, but then Syndergaard struck out the next three batters and retired 12 straight before Kendrys Morales’ double opened the fifth.
Syndergaard allowed three hits, walked one and struck out nine.
The Mets acquired Walker in a December trade with Pittsburgh. He homered on a 1-0 fastball from Chris Young (0-1) in the fourth after Yoenis Cespedes walked. That was the first hit Young allowed.
St. Petersburg, Fla.
With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning, Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion hit a grounder to third base. After taking a throw from Evan Longoria for the force at second, Forsythe made an errant relay to first that appeared to allow the go-ahead run to score for the Blue Jays.
Rays manager Kevin Cash asked for a replay review, claiming Jose Bautista violated the new “Chase Utley Rule” governing slides on potential double plays.
Replay umpires in New York ruled that Bautista did indeed slide inside the bag to illegally hinder Forsythe. The call was changed to a game-ending double play that preserved Tampa Bay’s victory.
Pittsburgh
Polanco, who agreed to a $35 million, five-year contract earlier in the day, drew a walk from Seth Maness (0-1) with one out and made it to second on Josh Harrison’s infield single. Mercer slapped a single to right for his fourth career game-ending hit.
Kyle Lobstein (1-0) pitched two innings of relief for the win. Andrew McCutchen had three hits for Pittsburgh. Mercer, Harrison and David Friese had two hits each.
Jedd Gyorko hit his first home run for St. Louis. Stephen Piscotty went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Cardinals relievers retired 18 straight batters before Polanco’s walk started the winning rally.
Milwaukee
Cueto was the centerpiece of San Francisco’s offseason rotation overhaul when he signed a six-year, $130 million deal after winning a championship with the Kansas City Royals. Cueto (1-0) picked up where he left off in the postseason, throwing his fastball effectively and varying his pitching motion to keep the Brewers baffled. He scattered six hits and struck out four.
Brandon Crawford homered for the Giants and saved another run with a sharp defensive play. Sergio Romo pitched the eighth and Santiago Casilla got the last three outs for his first save.
Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson (0-1) took the loss.