Astros 2, Yankees 1: In Keuchel, we trust

Friday’s American League Championship Series opener was a pitchers’ duel from start to finish. Luckily for the Houston Astros, they have Dallas Keuchel.

Two runs proved be enough behind Keuchel’s seven scoreless in Game One victory over the New York Yankees.

Keuchel shut down the Yankees for seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out 10. The Astros turned to Chris Devenski for one out then Ken Giles for five-out save.

Giles would give up a home run to Greg Bird to give the Bronx Bombers hope but he struck out Jacoby Ellsbury to end the game.

Keuchel’s biggest jam came in the fifth inning. The first two Yankees reached on a hit and an error. The Astros’ lefty retired Todd Frazier and struck out Brett Gardner to put Aaron Judge at the plate.

Judge laced a single to Marwin Gonzalez, who came up firing to hope play. Gonzalez’s throw was perfect. Brian McCann tagged out Bird before he could touch the plate.

This great defensive play came after the Astros had scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jose Altuve sparked the offense with a single and stolen base with one out.

Altuve would score on a Carlos Correa single. Correa after moving to second on Gonzalez groundout, scored on a Yuli Gurriel single.

It was enough and the Astros take game one of the ALCS.