HOUSTON – Another solid postseason outing for Masahiro Tanaka, an impressive two-out hit for Aaron Judge and yet still another loss in the AL Championship Series for the New York Yankees.
New York was stifled again by nemesis Dallas Keuchel, but at least this defeat to the Astros wasn’t a one-and-done playoff game like two years ago.
The Yankees dropped their sixth straight ALCS game, this time 2-1 at Houston in Game 1 on Friday night.
Houston did all of its damage against Tanaka in a four-batter span during the fourth inning, when the Astros got three of their four hits off the Japanese right-hander and scored both of their runs.
New York’s best chance of scoring off Keuchel came with two on and two outs in the fifth when slugging rookie Judge – already with a walk and his 17th playoff strikeout – came back from a 1-2 count and lined a full-count pitch into left field.
It was only Judge’s fourth hit in 27 at-bats this postseason.
But Greg Bird, trying to score from second, was out on an incredible throw from left fielder Marwin Gonzalez to Brian McCann.
Luis Severino, the 23-year-old right-hander, starts the second game against the Astros on Saturday.
