HOUSTON -- Indians ace Corey Kluber looked every bit Monday night like the American League Cy Young Award winner he was a year ago. Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel wasn't about to play a supporting role.
Kluber carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before the Astros rallied behind Jose Altuve and George Springer to reward Keuchel for seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 Opening Day win over the Indians at Minute Maid Park.
Houston's revamped bullpen, which has been its weakness in the past few seasons, flexed its muscle when Tony Sipp threw a perfect eighth, including two strikeouts, and Luke Gregerson worked a perfect ninth for his first save with the Astros.
 
Keuchel outduels Kluber as Astros top Indians in opener
 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Cy Young encore: In his first start of the season, Kluber showed why he earned the AL Cy Young Award last year. The right-hander cruised through his first 18 hitters without relinquishing a hit and ended the evening with seven strikeouts against two walks in 7 1/3 innings. He was charged with two runs on three hits when it was all said and done. It was an impressive effort, which came one day after Cleveland locked Kluber up with a five-year, $38.5-million extension.
Altuve's first ignites rally: If anyone was going to break up Kluber's no-hit bid, you knew it would be Altuve, who led the Majors last year with a .341 batting average and 225 hits. Altuve blooped a single to center with two outs in the sixth for the Astros' first hit, and promptly stole second base (he led the AL in steals in last year, too). That set the stage for an RBI single by Springer to give the Astros a 1-0 lead.
Keuchel shows off Gold Glove: After giving up a pair of singles to Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes to start the seventh, Keuchel came back to strike out Brandon Moss swinging before displaying the slick fielding that won him a Gold Glove Award last year. He scurried to a swinging bunt by Ryan Raburn near the third-base line and threw him out at first, and with runners at second and third, threw out Lonnie Chisenhall on a tapper in front of the mound to polish off seven scoreless innings.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS • Last season, Kluber had 18 starts consisting of at least seven strikeouts and no more than two walks issued in at least seven innings. That was the most outings of that kind in a single season by an Indians starter in franchise history. He matched that line in his 2015 debut on Monday.
WHAT'S NEXT Indians: In the second game of the three-game set with Houston, the Tribe will hand the ball to starter Carlos Carrasco on Wednesday. The big right-hander posted a 2.55 ERA in 40 appearances (14 starts) last season for the Indians, emerging as a strong No. 2 option behind Kluber. In his final 10 starts last year, Carrasco spun a 1.30 ERA in 69 innings. 
Astros: Veteran right-hander Scott Feldman, who started on Opening Day for the Astros last year, will take the ball against Cleveland on Wednesday in the second game of the season. Feldman didn't have a great spring, though not unusual for him. In his first year with the Astros a year ago, he went 8-12 with a 3.74 ERA while making 29 starts, including 20 quality starts.
Jordan Bastian/ MLB.com
 

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