HOUSTON (AP) — Dusty Baker posted a win in his debut as Houston’s manager and the Astros, playing for the first time since their sign-stealing scandal rocked baseball, opened the season by beating the Seattle Mariners 8-2 Friday night.
Hoping to put a turbulent offseason behind them, the Astros started out with a victory at empty Minute Maid Park, the same place that was pulsating last October when they lost Game 7 of the World Series to Washington.
Michael Brantley hit a three-run homer to back Justin Verlander.
The 71-year-old Baker posted a victory in his 3,500th regular-season game as a manager. He took over after manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired after being suspended for a year for their roles in the cheating during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season.