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The Yankees know their history against Dallas Keuchel. But that doesn’t mean they’re not doomed to repeat it.
“I'm asked that question a lot, and there's really no hard explanation for it,” the Astros’ ace told reporters when asked about his career dominance over New York following his team’s 2-1 win in Game 1 of the 2017 American League Championship Series on Friday night. “I think it's just pitch execution and it's just been there more times than it hasn't against the Yankees.”
Complimenting his mischievous 90-mph fastball with a repertoire that includes a nasty slider and is punctuated by the occasional devastating change-up, the left-handed Cy Young Award winner has crafted a sterling regular- and postseason record against the Yankees. He eliminated them from the 2015 playoffs with six shutout innings in the AL Wild Card Game. In the opener of the 2017 ALCS, he kept them off balance for seven scoreless frames while racking up 10 strikeouts.
“It’s who he is,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said in Houston on Friday night. “He’s a very good pitcher.”
Here are 17 stats that show just how good Keuchel has been against the Yankees (so far) in his career:
1.41 career regular-season ERA against the Yankees.
1.09 career ERA against the Yankees (including the postseason).
Including the playoffs, Dallas Keuchel has a 1.24 career ERA against the Yankees, best among active pitchers with at least 5 starts vs NYY. pic.twitter.com/BR1sYx2iNM
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 13, 2017
2-0 career postseason record against the Yankees.
4-2 career regular-season record against the Yankees.
2 complete games against the Yankees in the regular season.
1 regular-season shutout against the Yankees.
.@kidkeuchy is the 3rd @astros pitcher with 10+ Ks in a #postseason game (Mike Scott & Nolan Ryan in 1986). #ALCS pic.twitter.com/0IgmZjDv3P
— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) October 14, 2017
9.1 strikeouts per nine innings against the Yankees in the regular season.
45 strikeouts against the Yankees in 44.2 innings in the regular season.
10 strikeouts in seven innings against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2017 ALCS.
1 walk allowed in Game 1 of the 2017 ALCS.
4 hits allowed in Game 1 of the 2017 ALCS.
7 strikeouts in six innings against the Yankees in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game.
Dallas Keuchel is the first pitcher with consecutive 7-K postseason games vs the Yankees since Pedro Martínez in 2003-04. pic.twitter.com/ECbcMBBUlV
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 14, 2017
0 runs allowed against the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2017 ALCS.
0 runs allowed against the Yankees in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game.
0 runs driven in by Yankees players against him in 2017.
45 Yankees have come to the plate vs Keuchel this year. None has driven in a run. Only run scored on an Ellsbury catcher’s interference!
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 14, 2017
0 homers allowed against the Yankees in 57 2/3 career innings, including the postseason.
0.00 career postseason ERA against the Yankees.
LET’S GOOOO! #KeuchelDay pic.twitter.com/zRh9pCCfJy
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 14, 2017