LEADING OFF: Astros aim to match team mark of 12 wins in row

By The Associated Press

Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros try for their 12th straight win Saturday, which would tie the team record. Altuve homered on the first pitch of the game Friday night as the Astros won their 11th in a row, beating Washington 6-1. Houston, which began play in 1962 as a National League expansion team called the Colt .45s, has won 12 straight three times — in 1999, 2004 and 2018. The Astros won the series opener in manager Dusty Baker’s first game back at Nationals Park since being fired as Washington’s skipper after the 2017 season — that was the year the Nats won their second straight NL East title.