Houston Astros unable to complete sweep of New York Yankees

Dallas Keuchel (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

The Houston Astros can feel good about going 4-2 against the New York Yankees this season, but will have to wait at least another year before earning their first ever sweep over them.

In the final meeting between the two teams this season, the Yankees defeated the Astros, 3-0, at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon. It was a matchup that featured dual complete games and was the shortest game of the season at just 2 hours and seven minutes. I guess that’s what happens when neither pitcher gives up a walk and throws just 203 pitches combined.

Astros ace Dallas Keuchel was on the mound for Houston and did a nice job in his first ever appearance against the Yankees. He worked quickly and did a terrific job attacking the strike zone all day. He allowed seven hits and struck out five in his eight innings. His only mistakes came in the second inning when Chase Headley and Ichiro Suzuki were able to drive in New York’s only three runs of the game.  

Although he was great today, Keuchel was out-dueled by Yankees starter Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy threw a four-hit shout out against the Astros for his fifth win of the season since joining the Yankees. It took McCarthy just 107 pitches to strikeout eight Astros and bring his ERA to 1.90 since the Yankees acquired him from Arizona before the trade deadline.

In fact, the Astros didn’t get a runner on base until the fourth inning when Robbie Grossman singled to right field and attempted to start a rally. Outfielder Dexter Fowler, who has looked good since coming back from his injury, eventually got Grossman to third on a double to right field, but the Astros were unable to capitalize. The Astros final hit of the day came when Marc Krauss ripped a ground rule double to right, but Jon Singleton and Carlos Corporan went down in order immediately after.

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Although he was able to collect a single in the  seventh, Chris Carter also had another difficult night at the plate for the Astros, going 1 for 4 with two strikeouts. Carter is now 2 for 18 with nine strikeouts since Sunday. The only other hit being his go-ahead three-run homer on Tuesday night. (That’s just so Chris Carter.)

The Astros will now stay on the road and travel to Cleveland to take on the Indians tomorrow. Houston will send Brad Peacock (3-8, 5.47 ERA) to the mound to take on Carlos Carrasco in the first of a three-game series.