Astros at Yankees
The New York Yankees will take another crack at Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel when the teams tangle in a critical Game 5 of their American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. A two-run seventh inning and four-run eighth propelled New York to a stirring 6-4 comeback victory in Game 4 on Tuesday, knotting the best-of-seven matchup at two wins apiece.
Slugger Aaron Judge, limited to one single in seven at-bats in back-to-back losses at Houston, is 3-for-6 with five RBIs in the two games in the Bronx after beginning the comeback with a solo homer and delivering the game-tying RBI double in the eighth. Judge had that one single at Minute Maid Park against Keuchel, but that was one of just four hits the left-hander allowed in seven scoreless frames of the Game 1 victory. Keuchel is 6-2 with a 1.09 ERA in eight career starts against New York in the regular season and playoffs combined and won his only prior postseason turn at Yankee Stadium with six scoreless innings in the 2015 AL wild-card game. The Yankees will counter with Masahiro Tanaka, who allowed a pair of runs opposite Keuchel in the series opener.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, FS1
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (2-0, 0.71 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (1-1, 1.38)
Keuchel is 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in five career postseason games (four starts) and struck out 10 Yankees in the series-opening win. Both of this year's playoff outings have taken place at home, but the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner was much more human on the road during the regular season - going 5-5 with a 4.24 ERA and allowing opponents to produce a .720 OPS, compared to .513 at home. Keuchel's last appearance away from home in the playoffs was in relief in Game 5 of the ALDS in 2015, when he was tagged for three runs in one inning.
Like Keuchel, Tanaka has had better fortune at home, and he finished the regular season by going 5-1 with a 1.29 ERA over a six-start stretch at Yankee Stadium. The 28-year-old has given up two runs and seven hits - no home runs - over 13 innings this postseason. Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel recorded RBI singles in Game 1 against Tanaka, who has received a total of one run of support in his three career playoff starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Judge has collected nine RBIs in five home games during the playoffs and zero in five contests on the road.
2. Astros RHP Ken Giles, who had a 2.30 ERA and 34 saves during the regular season, has given up five runs - all earned - in five innings of relief this postseason and was saddled with the loss in Game 4.
3. New York has won 18 of its last 21 games at home dating back to the regular season.