*Be sure you check out the Masked Marvel's excellent recap of last night's Game 1 win. The friends we're staying with don't have cable, and Fox Sports Go was useless, so I needed the recap this morning. Mistakes were made.
*Jeff Passan: The Royals are in deep trouble
*Randy Harvey has five reasons the Astros won Game 1.
*Jerome Solomon: Astros are royalty for a night
Twenty-nine years after Mike Scott, another Mets castoff who landed in Houston, dominated his former team twice in a memorable National League Championship Series, McHugh has developed into a surprisingly big winner.
*Jerry Crasnick writes that these Astros are warming up on the road at the right time. Hinch:
This is a first for a lot of our team. We've never denied that. We haven't pretended like we've been there before. We haven't tried to govern any of the excitement or exuberance that goes on when you're on the stage for the first time. We've embraced it. I think our players enjoy the moment. They're enjoying bringing their best to the ballpark every day.
*Jake Marisnick rewards A.J. Hinch's hunch.
*Qualls was left off the ALDS roster, but isn't going to let it affect the clubhouse:
It's something they had to do for this series. If we advance on for that Toronto or Texas series hopefully I'll be on that roster there. I got to live with it. I can't mope around or be a bad influence in the clubhouse. I'm going to do what I do best and be positive.
*Scott Kazmir hopes to reward the Astros' confidence in his Game 2 start today.
For them to have the confidence in me to pitch Game 2, a very important game, pivotal game, I think it shows a lot about what they think of me. I'm just going to go out there and try to do my best.
*McTaggart has the three keys to taking a 2-0 lead.
