McCullers (1-0), who missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injuries, allowed four hits and one run with nine strikeouts in his season debut. The home crowd gave the veteran Astro a nice ovation as he left the mound after his best start in years.
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Altuve, who tied a career-high with four hits, hit solo shots in the seventh and eighth innings for the 15th multi-homer game of his career. Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer and Brice Matthews also homered as Houston won a third straight game after losing the first two.
The Astros led by one when Altuve singled to lead off Houston’s third before Alvarez sent his shot into the second deck in right field to push the lead to 3-0.
Boston starter Ranger Suarez had retired six in a row when Matthews homered to left-center field to start the fifth and leave the Astros up 4-0.
Wilyer Abreu had two hits and drove in a run for the Red Sox, who have lost three straight since winning their opener.
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Suárez (0-1) allowed seven hits and four runs with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
The Astros added a run on a sacrifice fly by Yainer Díaz to make the score 5-0 in the sixth.
McCullers retired the first seven batters before Carlos Narváez singled with one out in the third. But Ceddanne Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning.
McCullers struck out everyone in the fourth and fanned Willson Contreras to lead off the fifth. Abreu singled after that, but Caleb Durbin grounded into a double play to end the inning.
There were runners on first and third with two outs in the seventh when Abreu hit a ground-rule double to make the score 5-1.
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Next
Boston RHP Brayan Bello makes his season debut against Houston RHP Hunter Brown, who pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings on opening day, when the series continues Tuesday night.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb