AL Wild Card Game
Houston Astros at New York Yankees
The Astros came into Yankee Stadium to open up the 2015 MLB Playoffs. Dallas Keuchel was the starting pitcher for the Astros, while the Yankees started with Masahiro Tanaka on the mound. The Astros pitted their youth up against the Yankees’ experience in a winner take all Wild Card Game.
Colby Rasmus led off the second inning hitting the first pitch for a home run to give the Astros a one run lead.
[iframe id=”http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=520017083&topic_id=58922774&width=400&height=224&property=mlb” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”400″]
Tanaka got the next two batters, but then gave up a single to Luis Valbuena and walked Chris Carter and Jason Castro to load the bases for Jose Altuve. Tanaka got Altuve to bounce into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.
Carlos Gomez took the first pitch of the fourth inning out to left field to increase the lead to 2-0. Tanaka gave up a one-out walk, but induced a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning.
[iframe id=”http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=520032683&topic_id=58922774&width=400&height=224&property=mlb” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”400″]
The Astros’ defense helped Kuechel out in the fourth when George Springer tracked down an Alex Rodriguez line drive to right field for the second out.
The Yankees can play defense, too. Didi Gregorius made a play in the hole to get Springer at first for the second out of the fifth.
Tanaka came out of the game after five innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three.
http://gty.im/491588970
Justin Wilson came in to pitch for the Yankees in the sixth inning and gave up a leadoff walk. Evan Gattis hit into a double play to bring up Gomez with the bases empty. Gomez grounded out to end the inning. It looked like Gomez may have aggravated his strained oblique during that at-bat.
Gregorious snapped Keuchel’s streak of 10 outs in a row with a single to open the sixth. Keuchel got a strikeout and a force out before giving up a single to Carlos Beltran to put runners on first and second with two outs. After a visit to the mound by manager A.J. Hinch, Keuchel got Rodriguez to fly out to Gomez in center field.
http://gty.im/491591018
Dellin Betances came in to pitch with one out in the seventh. Chris Carter walked, and Jonathan Villar came in to pinch run. Villar stole second when Castro struck out. Altuve blooped a single down the left field line to drive in Villar. Altuve then stole second to bring up Springer with a runner in scoring position and two out, but Springer grounded out to second to end the inning. The Astros led at the stretch by a score of 3-0.
http://gty.im/491591946
Marwin Gonzalez came in to play first base since Carter came out of the game. Keuchel’s day came to an end after six scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and a walk and struck out seven. Tony Sipp came in to pitch the seventh. He worked around a one-out walk for a scoreless inning.
Luke Gregerson came into the game in the bottom of the ninth and closed out the game with a pair of strikeouts and a ground ball to shortstop. The Astros won, 3-0, and move on to play the Kansas City Royals in the American League Divisional Series.
They Yankees had a better season than many people thought they would, but it was still disappointing to be bounced out of the playoffs that quickly.
Game 1 between the Astros and the Royals is on Thursday at 7:30 pm in Kansas City.