HOUSTON ASTROS (2-3) 0
NEW YORK YANKEES (3-2) 5
NEW YORK, NY– Gary Sanchez knocked in two runs on two hits including a solo home run. Masahiro Tanaka tossed seven scoreless innings allowing three hits and one walk while fanning eight. Tommy Kahnle pitched two scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit and striking out one, and the New York Yankees moved within one win of the American League pennant.
Sanchez had one hit in the series entering the game and his home run was his first of this series. Sanchez also improved his series RBI total to five. Tanaka nearly duplicated his start in the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians, when he also pitched seven innings and gave up three hits and one walk, but set down seven by strikeout instead of eight.
Though Dallas Keuchel struggled on the mound, he did strike out eight hitters, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to have seven or more strikeouts in each of his first five career playoff starts.
Sanchez took an aggressive approach at the plate, facing just 13 pitches in four at bats. This was most evident with his two hits. The first, an RBI single in the fifth inning, came on the second pitch he faced. After taking a first pitch fastball for a strike, Sanchez drove a slider into left field to score Chase Headley from second. The second hit, the home run, saw him start similarly by taking a fastball for a strike, but fouling off a second fastball to go down 0-2 in the count. However, Sanchez jumped on another slider which hung in the zone on the third pitch, hitting in 416 feet into left-centerfield and over the wall.
This is the 10th time in Yankees’ franchise history they have had two or more shutouts in the playoffs, with the last time being in 2000. The two teams will now travel back to Houston for game six, and if necessary, game seven. A win in game six will send the Yankees to the World Series and give them their 41st AL pennant in team history, and their first since 2009. Justin Verlander will start game six for the Astros and Luis Severino will take the mound for the Yankees.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (3-1) 2
CHICAGO CUBS (1-3) 3
CHICAGO, IL– Javier Baez went 2-for-3 with two RBI, hitting two solo home runs for the Cubs. Jake Arrieta lasted six-and-two-thirds innings for the Cubs, letting up one run on three hits and five walks with nine strikeouts.
Baez’s home runs were his first of the 2017 playoffs for him, and knocked in his first two RBI of the postseason. They were his first hits of the postseason as well. Arrieta won his first playoff game of 2017, more than doubling his strikeout total of four from his first start of the playoffs, which came in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals.
Ross Stripling, Tony Watson, Kenta Maeda, Tony Cingrani and Josh Fields held the Cubs scoreless in the last three-and-one-third innings, surrendering one hit and striking out four.
Baez faced a total of nine pitches over three at bats for the Cubs, including a combined five between the two home run at bats. The first at bat lasted three pitches, as after drawing a 1-1 count, Baez sat back on a low curveball and drove it 437 feet out to left. In the second at bat, Baez attacked a changeup to start, missing it as it was below the strikezone. The next pitch, however, was another changeup, staying a bit higher and entering the zone. Baez took the second changeup and dispensed it over the wall in left-centerfield.
The Cubs’ win snaps the Dodgers’ franchise-high six-game winning streak in the playoffs. They will play one final game in Chicago on Thursday, hoping to continue to hold off elimination. Clayton Kershaw will start game five for the Dodgers, and the Cubs will counter with Jose Quintana.
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE:
LOS ANGELES DODGERS vs. CHICAGO CUBS (Game 5) 8:08 p.m.
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