Dallas Keuchel (10-8, 3.11) vs Brandon McCarthy (4-2, 2.30)
Well... at least it was quick? Dallas Keuchel and Brandon McCarthy both threw complete games this afternoon. Neither pitcher walked a batter. Keuchel had one inning of vulnerability. McCarthy had none. Houston did manage a couple of scoring opportunities, but neither ultimately amounted to anything, and so the Astros drop the series finale by a 3-0 final, in a brisk 2 hours and 7 minutes. Houston's three-game winning streak is snapped, but they still win the season series against the Yanks 4-2, while dropping to 54-74 overall.
On the Mound:
*For the fifth time this season, Dallas Keuchel went the distance, and it only took him 96 pitches (65 strikes) to do so. He faced the minimum in 5 of 8 innings, didn't allow a runner past first base in 6 of 8 innings, and didn't allow a run in 7 of 8. Even in the one scoring inning, he got three straight outs after three straight hits. By any measure, Kid Keuchy was great once again today. Today, Brandon McCarthy was just better. And so for the second time this year, Keuchel logs a complete game and loses, with a 8 IP / 7 H / 3 R / 3 ER / 0 BB / 5 K line.
At the Plate:
*Obviously there's not much offense to talk about when your team gets shut out. Robbie Grossman gave the Astros their first baserunner of the day with a leadoff single in the 4th, and he finished 1x4.
*Dexter Fowler doubled with two outs in the 4th, moving Grossman up to third, but Marc Krauss (groundout) couldn't get them home. Fowler finished 1x4 with a K.
*Chris Carter led off the 7th with a single, but was erased on a fielder's choice by Fowler in the next AB. Chris ended up 1x4 with 2 K.
*Then Krauss hit a ground-rule double with one out in the 7th that moved Fowler up to third, but Jonathan Singleton (K) and Carlos Corporan (F7) went quietly thereafter. So Krauss finished 1x3 with a K, and Houston's last threat died on the basepaths.
Turning Point:
It happened very quickly in the 2nd; everything happened very quickly in this game. Three pitches into the bottom half of the inning, Mark Teixeira singled to right. Three pitches later, Martin Prado doubled to left, moving Teixeira up to third. Three pitches after that, Chase Headley doubled to right, scoring both Teixeira and Prado. Headley would advance to third on out #1 by Francisco Cervelli, then score on sac fly out #2 by Ichiro, and thus the 3-0 final was set.
Man of the Match:
Gotta go with Dallas Keuchel. No shame in his effort today, even including a couple of nice plays with the glove.
Goat of the Game:
All the Hitters, though hats off to Brandon McCarthy, too. I guess we'll pick on Jon Singleton in particular - 0x3 with a K that came in Houston's best chance at scoring.
