It’s almost time for ALCS Game 1, as the New York Yankees travel to Houston to take on Dalles Keuchel and the Astros.
After pulling off an epic comeback in the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians, the New York Yankees travel to Houston for the American League Championship Series against the Astros.
Manager Joe Girardi is handing the starting duties for Game 1 to 28-year-old right-hander, Masahiro Tanaka. Coming off a shaky regular season that saw him post his worst career-ERA, Tanaka pitched Game 3 of the ALDS, striking out seven and allowing just three hits in seven shutout innings.
Tanaka will meet Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel in a matchup we saw in the 2015 American League Wild Card game, which went to Keuchel by a score of 3-0.
Kuechel went 14-5 this season with a 2.90 ERA in 23 starts and earned a win in his only start against the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS after registering 5.2 innings of one-run ball including seven strikeouts.
Lineups:
How To Watch:
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Channel: FOX Sports 1
- Stream: FOX Sports Go
- Radio: ESPN Radio, WFAN 660/101.9 FM, KBME 790
- Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Powerhouses:
Yankees’ batters have scored at least seven runs three times in five games this postseason. They have also totaled 24 runs, which are tied with Houston for the most runs scored this postseason.
Houston, We Have A Problem:
New York isn’t too fond of tonight’s starter Dallas Keuchel. And rightfully so.
Players on the current Yankees’ roster own a combined .181/.214/.287 slash line of the dominant left-hander, who owns a career 1.41 ERA in six career starts against them.
He also shows up for the big games, as he is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA in four career postseason games (three starts) including a lights-out performance against the Yankees in the 2015 do-or-die Wild Card game.
We Meet Again:
The Astros have made the postseason for the second time as an American League team — their first since 2015. That season, they went to the Bronx and defeated the Yankees thanks to a stellar start by Keuchel in the AL Wild Card Game.
Player To Watch: Jose Altuve
The MVP candidate is having himself a postseason and he enters the ALCS opener with past success against Masahiro Tanaka.
Altuve went 8-for-15 (.533) with three home runs against the Red Sox in the ALDS. He was even intentionally walked twice during the ALDS against the Red Sox, who decided to pitch to Carlos Correa instead.
In 11 at-bats against Tanaka, he has recorded four hits including a double and a home run. He’s a key to this series for Houston and is expected to set the tone in Game 1.
A-A-A-A-A-A-Ron:
Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Hicks has hit safely in all six his first six career postseason games, marking the sixth-longest hitting streak to begin a postseason career in Yankees history.
This Day In Yankees’ History:
On Oct. 13, 2001: With a 1-0 lead and two out in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 3 of the ALDS in Oakland, Derek Jeter made his famous “Flip Play” as the Yankees go on to win the game (1-0) and eventually the series (3-2).