Guardians 2 - 0 Astros
Final
  for this game

Carrasco gets the call for Tribe against Astros

Apr 8, 2015 - 11:29 AM (SportsNetwork.com) - Cleveland's Corey Kluber may have won an American League Cy Young Award last season, but Carlos Carrasco was the Indians' best pitcher over the final month and a half of the campaign.

Now armed with a new contract extension Carrasco takes the ball for the first time in 2015 when Cleveland resumes its season-opening, three-game series versus the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Carrasco struggled at the outset of last season and was relegated to the bullpen. However, upon rejoining the rotation on August 10 he was as good as any pitcher in baseball, going 5-3 with an AL-low 1.30 ERA over his final 10 starts of the season

His season-long ERA of 2.55 was the second-lowest by a Cleveland pitcher since 1970 among hurlers with at least 134 innings pitched.

For his efforts Carrasco was rewarded on Tuesday with a new four-year deal that could keep him in Cleveland through 2020.

Cleveland can only hope Carrasco pitches as well as Kluber did in Monday's season-opener, but would prefer a better result. Kluber was excellent, just not as good as Houston's Dallas Keuchel, who tossed seven scoreless innings in the Astros' 2-0 win.

Keuchel (1-0), who finished seventh in the AL last season with a 2.93 ERA, allowed three hits and three walks and kept Cleveland off the scoreboard to earn the win in his first career Opening-Day start.

"The city of Houston has waited a long time for a winner," Keuchel said. "I think we are on the right track."

Kluber (0-1), meanwhile, took a no- hitter into the sixth inning before Jose Altuve broke it up with his single to center. Altuve, who swiped 56 bags last season, stole second and scored the game's first run when George Springer ripped a single into left.

The hard-throwing righty was charged with both runs on just three hits with seven strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings.

"It's fun to have a little battle," said Kluber. "There's a premium on every pitch, so that's why it's a little more fun."

Houston will hand the ball to veteran Scott Feldman on Wednesday. Last year's Opening Day starter, Feldman went 8-12 for the Astros in 2014 with a 3.74 ERA. Also, of his 29 starts, 20 of them were of the quality variety.

Cleveland won five of its seven matchups with the Astros last season.






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