Kansas City calling Astros
Postseason really begins for Houston after Yanks shutout.
NEW YORK — During the first champagne celebration Sunday, the one that sent the Astros to Yankee Stadium, Carlos Gomez said the team had taken the first step to “be in the real playoffs.”
Point taken. Tuesday night’s wild-card game, the one-game playoff to make the best-of-five American League Division Series, was more gateway than accomplishment.
A second clubhouse spray in three days followed a 3-0 victory over the New York Yankees and six sterling innings from Dallas Keuchel, a performance on short rest that has the Astros squarely in Gomez’s “real” postseason now.
Keuchel went six shutout innings, giving the lefthander 22 innings without a run against the Yankees this season.
Early Wednesday morning, the Astros landed in Kansas City, where the defending league champion Royals will host the first two games of the ALDS, starting Thursday.
“On this stage, in this environment, this much intensity, all eyes on our team, win or go home, I think the performance is second to none this year,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Keuchel.
“I don’t think he was actually at his best. And to say that after six innings, scoreless ... that’s pretty remarkable.”
‘Unbelievable’
Shirtless in the clubhouse while talking to reporters, Colby Rasmus felt a player grab him from behind.
“Who is that? Who is that?” Rasmus asked.
It was Keuchel. They embraced, exchanged a few words, and continued to dance to the beat of Club Astros.
Gomez’s homer was “unbelievable,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said.
The big trade acquisition had five days off heading into Tuesday because of a left intercostal strain that has bothered him since mid-September. He’s still sore and will continue to be sore however long this ride lasts, but he’s playing through it.
When closer Luke Gregerson recorded the final out, the Astros had a chance to mob one another on the field for the first time and took full advantage. When they clinched a wild-card spot Sunday in Arizona, they did so despite a loss, which relegated all their celebrating to the locker room.
“I was a nervous wreck the entire game, even with a two-run lead,” Luhnow said. “A.J. did an unbelievable job of managing that game, of getting the right pitchers in there at the right times. You know, ( Jose) Altuve’s little bloop hit, Gomez’s home run, Rasmus’ home run. I mean, I couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
As the Astros lingered by their third-base dugout after the final out, “Let’s go Astros” chants cropped up. The beer flowed, and an hour later, the Astros took the field one more time for a team picture.
The Astros lost out on the AL West title to the Texas Rangers, but that doesn’t matter now. They’re on the same footing as every other AL team still playing — win three of the next five, and they advance.
“The opportunity to go to a five-game series was huge for us,” Luhnow said. “That’s why we wanted the division in the first place. This is the harder way to get there, but we accomplished it. Now I feel like we’ve got a chance to really do some damage.”