HOUSTON — On second thought, Joe Ryan won’t start Game 1.

Bailey Ober, who didn’t allow more than two runs in any of his four September starts, has been chosen by Twins manager Rocco Baldelli to pitch Saturday’s opening game of the AL Division Series against the Astros, the team announced Friday. Ober will face three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion Justin Verlander.

Ryan had been preparing to start a tie-breaking game against the Blue Jays, but that game was made unnecessary when the Twins swept the first two. Baldelli apparently had second thoughts about starting Ryan against the Astros, who he faced twice in 2023 and allowed nine runs in 10 total innings.

Ryan also allowed 32 home runs this season, fourth-most in the American League; the Astros ranked fifth in the AL in home runs with 222, and home runs accounted for 45.1 percent of all runs the Astros scored.

Neither Ober nor Ryan has ever appeared in a postseason game. Verlander has started 34 postseason games, third-most in major-league history. He’s 16-11 with a 3.64 ERA in the playoffs.