Astros 3, Yankees 0
NEW YORK -- Pitching on three days' rest, Dallas Keuchel allowed three hits in six outstanding innings, and the Houston Astros eliminated the New York Yankees from the postseason with a 3-0 victory in the American League wild-card game Tuesday night.
Left fielder Colby Rasmus and center fielder Carlos Gomez hit solo home runs on the first pitches of the second and fourth inning off right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, helping the Astros earn a date with the Kansas City Royals in AL Division Series.
Game 1 will be at Kansas City on Thursday.
Shortstop Jose Altuve added an RBI single as Houston won its first postseason game since Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 19, 2005.
The three runs were enough for Keuchel, who has not allowed a run in his last 29 innings against the Yankees since giving up three in the second inning on Aug. 21, 2014, in New York.
Keuchel allowed a single to rookie first baseman Greg Bird with two outs in the second, then retired the next 10 batters.
New York put runners at first and second on singles by shortstop Didi Gregorius and right fielder Carlos Beltran in the sixth. On the next pitch, designated hitter Alex Rodriguez flied out weakly to center field, disappointing most of the sellout crowd of 50,113 who rose in anticipation.
Keuchel struck out seven, including center fielder Brett Gardner three times.
Astros left-hander Tony Sipp worked around a one-out walk to third baseman Chase Headley in the seventh. He struck out Bird on a full count and retired second baseman Rob Refsnyder on an easy flyout.
Houston right-hander Will Harris pitched a hitless eighth, and when he recorded the final two outs, some fans began booing the Yankees loudly. Astros closer Luke Gregerson fanned two in the ninth for the save.
Rasmus made it 1-0 when he opened the second by sending a Tanaka fastball over the right field fence. Gomez doubled the lead when he sent a fourth-inning Tanaka slider over the wall in lef-center.
Altuve, who opened the game by striking out against Tanaka, made it 3-0 with a single up the middle in the seventh.
Tanaka allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.
NOTES: New York CF Jacoby Ellsbury was not in the starting lineup. Brett Gardner moved from left field to center, and Chris Young played left. Manager Joe Girardi said the decision was based on numbers as Ellsbury was a .253 hitter off lefties. Ellsbury popped out as an eighth-inning pinch hitter, then stayed in the game. ... OF Carlos Gomez returned to Houston's lineup after missing most of September with a left intercostal strain. "He's bouncing around the clubhouse ready to play," manager A.J. Hinch said pregame. "Obviously I have concerns just because he's not 100 percent." ... Both teams went with nine pitchers on their rosters. The Yankees went with Gary Sanchez as their third catcher and Slade Heathcott and Rico Noel as extra outfielders. Houston went with INF Matt Duffy and switch-hitting INF Jonathan Villar. Hinch also started Luis Valbuena at third base over Jed Lowrie, citing Valbuena's recent hot streak and ability to hit pitchers similar to RHP Masahiro Tanaka. ... Former Yankees 1B Tino Martinez threw out the ceremonial first pitch.