The Houston Astros stumbled at times down the stretch of the 2015 regular season, but those struggles weren't evident Tuesday night as they downed the New York Yankees, 3-0, in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium.
The win was Houston's first in postseason play since 2005, and it was just the fifth time in franchise history the Astros posted a shutout in a playoff game, per ESPN Stats & Info.
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart offered a look at Houston's clubhouse celebration following the long-awaited triumph. (Warning: Some videos contain NSFW language.)
Selfies were also a big hit during the postgame festivities:
ESPN reporter Buster Olney couldn't escape the champagne showers, per Baseball Tonight on Vine:
Pitcher Collin McHugh offered the line of the night, per Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan:
Passan also posted a picture of the team after it migrated from the clubhouse back to the Yankee Stadium diamond:
Center fielder Carlos Gomez—who smashed a solo home run to put the Astros up 2-0 in the fourth inning—summed up what most Astros fans have been thinking during the team's improbable run, per SB Nation's Ryan Dunsmore:
Yankees manager Joe Girardi couldn't express a similar sentiment following the loss, according to Baseball Tonight on Twitter:
As ESPN Stats & Info noted, New York tied its longest playoff losing streak in franchise history Tuesday night by dropping a fifth straight game on the postseason stage.
The Yankees were stifled all night, as Astros ace Dallas Keuchel allowed just three hits and struck out seven pinstriped batters over six efficient innings.
ESPN's Michele Steele offered up a new slogan for the Astros and their elite pitcher centered around his elite facial hair:
"The kid Keuchel, who hasn't been to arbitration yet, or even a barber for that beard apparently, put up nothing but zeroes for the third time in three starts against America's most storied franchise," CBS Sports' Jon Heyman wrote. "He's now up to 22 straight scoreless innings against the Yankees this season, the first pitcher ever to do that."
Given how dominant Keuchel was on the mound, the Astros needed just one run to take control of Tuesday's game. They received it in the second inning when left fielder Colby Rasmus went yard. MLB.com had the highlight:
Houston reveled in its first postseason win in 10 years Tuesday evening, but the up-and-coming AL contenders will need to lock in again Thursday night when they travel to Kauffman Stadium for an ALDS showdown with the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals will provide a stiff test for Houston. But after A.J. Hinch's club went 4-2 against the defending AL champions during the regular season, the Astros shouldn't be discounted as legitimate threats to capture a pennant.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments