The New York Yankees host the Houston Astros tonight in the American League Wild Card Game. The contest is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently thebetting odds for the game have the Astros favored on the road to pick up the win.
Houston is making a major impact on baseball a year or two early. The Astros, perennial losers, found a way to be the best team in baseball for stretches this season, ultimately winning 86 games. With all the youngsters on the squad Houston looked to be a team that could contend in 2016, but now they're a year early and looking to make a run.
Houston hasn't been in the playoffs in 10 years and rookie skipper A.J. Hinch has been able to guide his team to this point.
The Yankees are back in the post season for the first time since 2012, which is hard to believe. There's going to be some distraction around the team with CC Sabathia checking himself into an alcohol rehab facility, but the Yankees have to find a way past that.
Masahiro Tanaka, who went 12-7 this year, gets the baseball for the pinstripes at Yankee Stadium. He's pitched in some big situations while a member of the Yankees and over in Japan, but nothing like this. Tanaka was 7-4 at home this season with a 3.71 ERA in 14 starts. He did face Houston back at the end of June, giving up six earned runs (three home runs) in five innings of work, but New York won the game.
Jose Altuve, Chris Carter and Carlos Correa all went deep off Tanaka.
Houston is sending Dallas Keuchel, their best, to the mound on three days' rest. The bearded lefty won 20 games this season for the Astros and should be one of the finalists for the Cy Young award. Keuchel was dominant at home this season, winning 15 of his 18 starts without earning a loss.
On the road he was 5-8 but did have a respectable ERA at 3.77. He's thrown against the Yankees twice this season, once a complete game at home that saw him scatter six hits with 12 strikeouts and no runs. The other came at Yankee Stadium in late August, Keuchel tossed seven innings with no runs again, this time allowing three hits while striking out nine.
Obviously the Yankees have post season experience on their squad, Houston does not. That could prove to be a big factor in tonight's game, but Keuchel can neutralize that with a strong game on the mound. The Astros lineup is better as well.
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