By TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched three-hit ball over eight innings for his first win since July 2020 and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0. Martín Maldonado provided the offense with a two-run homer for his first hit of the season. A day after watching Seattle roll up 11 runs against Houston pitching, Verlander looked to be back in the form that earned him the 2019 AL Cy Young award. Verlander earned his first victory since beating Seattle on July 24, 2020 on the opening day of the shortened 2020 season, before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
