The 2017 World Series opened Tuesday night with an exciting pitchers' duel at Dodger Stadium. Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel matched up evenly through five innings before Keuchel made a mistake, a mistake Justin Turner hit out of the ballpark for a sixth inning go-ahead two-run home run. The Dodgers held on win Game 1 (LAD 3, HOU 1).

Here is Turner's go-ahead home run, which he hit after switching to a lighter bat because Keuchel beat him inside in his first two at-bats of the game.

Historically, the team that wins Game 1 of a best-of-seven postseason series at home has gone on to win the series 67.3 percent of the time, which is good news for the Dodgers. SportsLine gives Los Angeles a 71.4 percent chance to win the World Series.

Odds are just odds, of course. They don't guarantee anything. Already this postseason we've seen one team come back from down 2-0 to win a best-of-five series (Yankees over Indians in the ALDS), and the Astros themselves came back from down 3-2 to win the ALCS. Comebacks happen all the time. The World Series is a long way from over.

Despite the loss, the Astros can take some positives from Game 1, and have a few reasons to feel good about their situation going forward. I know things seem daunting now, but this is baseball, and the outlook of a game or a series can change in an instant. Here are some things the Astros can feel good about after Game 1.

Verlander is starting Game 2

MLB: ALCS-New York Yankees at Houston Astros
ALCS MVP Justin Verlander will be on the mound in Game 2 of the World Series. USATSI

With all due respect to Keuchel, Justin Verlander is the Astros' best and most dominant pitcher, and he'll be on the mound in Game 2 on Wednesday. Verlander has been outrageously good this postseason, allowing only four runs in 24 2/3 innings spanning three starts and one relief appearance. He was just named ALCS MVP after allowing one run in 16 innings against the Yankees, the second highest scoring team in baseball during the regular season. (The Astros were the highest scoring team.)

Verlander will be on regular rest in Game 2, and, if you're wondering, he's held players on the Dodgers' postseason roster to a .200/.268/.369 batting line in his career. Oddly enough, Verlander has never started a game at Dodger Stadium. I know he spent all those years with the Tigers in the AL Central, but still, you'd think he'd have made an appearance there at some during interleague play given how long he's been in the league. Either way, Verlander is great in any ballpark, and the 'Stros should feel confident with him on the mound in Game 2.

They won't see Kershaw for a while

Kershaw was magnificent in Game 1, striking out 11 batters and holding the Astros to one run on three hits -- the one run scored on a solo homer by the underrated Alex Bregman -- in seven innings. He threw only 83 pitches and presumably had enough in tank for the eighth inning and maybe even the ninth inning as well, but when you have a rested Brandon Morrow and Kenley Jansen in the bullpen, it's never a bad decision to give them the ball.

The Dodgers insist they will not start Kershaw on short rest in Game 4, and to their credit, they didn't in the NLCS. Alex Wood got the ball in Game 4 instead. The Dodgers have said Kershaw won't start Game 4 on short rest only to start him in Game 4 on short rest in the past, so we can't completely rule it out, but it does seem unlikely. That's good news for the Astros, who won't have to see the historically great southpaw for at least three games. Rich Hill, Yu Darvish, and Wood are no walk in the park. Don't get me wrong. They're not Kershaw though.

Devenski looked good in Game 1

Houston's bullpen has been a bit of a mess this postseason. Remove Lance McCullers Jr.'s masterful four-inning save in Game 7 of the ALCS, and the club's bullpen has allowed 19 runs in 31 1/3 innings so far in October. Yikes. You can't win a World Series like that. Even with two horses like Keuchel and Verlander in the rotation. Bullpens are too important in today's game.

The good news is in Game 1, setup man and 2017 All-Star Chris Devenski struck out two and tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning on nine pitches. He looked an awful lot like the good version of Chris Devenski.

Home runs became a real problem for Devenski in the second half. He allowed six homers in 28 innings following the All-Star break after allowing only five homers in 52 2/3 innings prior to the break. Getting him back on track -- and Game 1 could be a sign he is righting the ship -- would go a long way toward solving Houston's bullpen woes.

They're heading home soon

So far this postseason the Astros are 6-0 at home and 1-5 on the road. The one road win was Game 4 of the ALDS. The Astros did have the AL's best road record (53-28) during the regular season, so it's not like this team can't win on the road. They just haven't so far this postseason.

Regardless of the win-loss record, going home is an obvious benefit. The Astros get to play in their own ballpark behind their fans -- the Minute Maid Park crowd was raucous during Game 7 of the ALCS -- and sleep in their own beds. And, because this is the World Series, the DH returns when the series shifts to Houston for Games 3 and 4, and, if necessary, Game 5.

I've always felt losing the DH hurts AL teams more than adding the DH helps NL teams. Most NL teams don't have a big bat sitting on their bench to plug into the DH spot -- the Dodgers are no ordinary NL team, of course -- whereas AL teams are built around the DH during the regular season, and they lose that player on the road in the World Series.

The goal for any team that goes on the road for Games 1 and 2 is to earn a split. Earn a split, steal away home-field advantage, then return home. If the Astros can earn that split in Game 2, they'll return to Houston for Game 3 and welcome Carlos Beltran or Evan Gattis back to the lineup at DH. That will be a mighty big boost for the 'Stros.