1 of 6 | Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel walks to the dug out after pitching in the 6th inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York City on May 11, 2017. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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NEW YORK -- Dallas Keuchel remained unbeaten by pitching six effective innings, and Carlos Correa hit an early homer as the Houston Astros held on for a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
Keuchel (6-0) allowed an unearned run on five hits and a walk, and he tied a season high with nine strikeouts to become the first six-game winner in the majors. Including his showing in the 2015 wild-card game at Yankee Stadium, Keuchel is 5-2 with a 1.42 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees.
Keuchel cruised through the first four innings by getting the Yankees to swing early in counts and constantly hit ground outs. He then successfully navigated through trouble in his final two innings.
The left-hander threw 55 pitches in the fifth and sixth, which likely kept him from going into the seventh inning for the eighth time this season.
He opened the sixth by allowing consecutive singles to Matt Holliday and Starlin Castro, putting runners at first and third. Keuchel ended the threat by using his breaking ball to get strikeouts of Aaron Judge, Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius.
Chris Devenski pitched two scoreless innings for Houston, and Ken Giles held on for his 10th save. Giles put two on in the ninth and gave up an RBI single to Gary Sanchez.
Sanchez's hit would have tied the game, but left fielder Jake Marisnick made a strong throw and catcher Brian McCann tagged Jacoby Ellsbury on the right arm to end the game.
Correa hit his fifth home run of the season with two outs in the first off Michael Pineda (3-2), and George Springer hit an RBI single in the fifth.
Pineda allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Astros gave Keuchel a 2-0 lead four batters in.
Josh Reddick doubled to short center field just out of the reach of shortstop Gregorius. With two outs, Correa drove a 2-0 fastball into the right field seats.
Houston went ahead 3-0 on a single up the middle by Springer with two outs in the fifth.
The Yankees put runners at first and third in the fifth when Headley reached on an error by first baseman Yuli Gurriel and Gregorius singled. New York loaded the bases when Aaron Hicks walked and with two outs, it scored its first run when Ellsbury reached on catcher's interference for the 28th time in his career.
Keuchel escaped with a two-run lead when Sanchez grounded out softly to third baseman Alex Bregman.
NOTES: Both DH Carlos Beltran and C Brian McCann received applause from fans before their first at-bats. Beltran and McCann were part of New York's free agent spending spree in the 2013 offseason after 2B Robinson Cano signed with the Seattle Mariners. ... The Yankees recalled RHP Giovanny Gallegos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. ... Houston OF Teoscar Hernandez (left knee contusion) and RHP David Paulino (right forearm tightness) began rehab assignments with Triple-A Fresno, which had a delayed start at Oklahoma City.
