The Astros (86-76) are making their first postseason appearance since 2005, while the Yankees (87-75) haven’t been to the playoffs since 2012.
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MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart offered a look at Houston’s clubhouse celebration following the long-awaited triumph.
The Yankees’ season now officially comes to an end after their first home playoff loss since October of 2012.
Keuchel, a 20-game victor during the regular season, pushed them out the door, dominating the Yankees over six innings, allowing only three hits as he twirled his arsenal of fastballs and breaking pitches. After a 12-day break, Tanaka returned for an unconvincing five-inning outing against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. When he finally got in, he saw three pitches at the plate and one inning in center field. The contest is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN.
The AL wild-card game is lined as a pick’em (-105 on each side) at most books. The job he’s done throughout his career in Yankee Stadium, I just tried to calm myself down and make as good a pirch as I could. Houston sports fans are accustomed to witnessing their teams falling apart on the very brink of greatness, but as game time approaches even usually outspoken Yankees fans living in H-town are voicing their doubts.
Pitcher Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros pitches in the second inning during the Major League Baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 11, 2015 in Anaheim, California.
Young, who was batting second and playing left field, entered 6 for 20 (.300) against Keuchel. That’s all the score would get too as Luke Gregorson closes the door on a 3-0 Astros victory and the Quest for 28 is over for the Yankees.
Pitching is where the Astros will have a significant advantage over the Yankees.
The Yankees send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound.
Game 1 will be at Kansas City on Thursday. As a result, they’re home for the rest of 2015.
“All semblance of an order of our bullpen is kind of off right now in a one-game playoff”, Girardi said. Tonight, the Yankees are facing one of the best lefties in baseball, and that means they need a guy like Young. With a few injuries during the regular season, the Yankees endured it with calmness. The Astros employ a ton of defensive shifts and that’s worked out in their favor more often than not this season. They were picked by most pundits to finish in the middle of the American League East, but leapt out to an early lead and maintained it into August, powered by the resurgent duo of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, the latter returning from a performance-enhancing drug suspension.
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“Though the Yankees stood by their teammate, expressing their support, it could not have been comforting for Manager Joe Girardi, who takes extra care in tamping down any issue that might be viewed as a distraction”, the New York Times wrote.
