Dallas Keuchel delivered 10 strikeouts in seven shutout innings as the Houston Astros edged the New York Yankees 2-1 in the opening game of their Major League Baseball playoff series.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch had no worries going with Keuchel as his starting pitcher in game one of the AL Championship Series as the left-hander has owned the Yankees in seven career starts against them.
Keuchel on Friday continued that mastery, giving up just four hits and walking one in front of a crowd of 43,100 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Photo: AFP
“There’s really no hard explanation for it,” Keuchel said. “I think it’s just pitch execution and it’s just been there more times than it hasn’t against the Yankees.”
He is the third pitcher in franchise history to record a double-digit strikeout game in the playoffs, joining Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott who did it in games one and five of the 1986 National League Championship Series.
After tossing 97 pitches through six innings, Keuchel returned for the seventh and vanquished the Yankees in order.
He retired the final six batters he faced and improved to 6-2 overall with a 1.09 ERA against the Yankees, including a pair of playoff victories.
Keuchel worked six scoreless innings while pitching Houston to a 3-0 win in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium in New York.
New York’s starter Masahiro Tanaka, of Japan, worked six strong innings, allowing four hits and one walk with three strikeouts, but he could not match Keuchel’s magic.
“Really another strong outing,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Tanaka. “Just a really good outing.”
The Astros mustered all the offense they would need in the fourth inning.
Jose Altuve delivered the first hit of the game off right-hander Tanaka with a one-out single before adding a stolen base that put him in scoring position for Carlos Correa.
Correa followed with a single that plated Altuve.
A couple of batters later, Correa came home on a Yuli Gurriel single to center field.
Altuve produced the only multi-hit game of the opener, finishing three-for-four.
Astros closer Ken Giles tallied a five-out save. He surrendered a two-out home run to Yankees first baseman Greg Bird, but did not panic.
After Bird’s homer, he struck out pinch hitter Jacoby Ellsbury to end the contest.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping