Verlander, Alvarez and Altuve lead defending champion Astros past Twins in ALDS opener

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched six shutout innings, Yordan Alvarez homered twice and the Houston Astros held on for a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener Saturday. Jose Altuve hit a leadoff home run and Alvarez had three RBIs as the defending World Series champions won their 2023 playoff debut to earn their 10th straight victory in Game 1 of a Division Series. Former Astros star Carlos Correa had two hits for the AL Central champion Twins, who finished 1 for 12 with...