DALLAS FOR HOUSTON

Dallas Keuchel will start Game 1 and to say he has dominated the Yankees is like saying Texas is big. His 1.41 ERA is the best regular-season mark against the Yankees (minimum six starts) in the last 60 years. Plus, the lefty shut them out over six innings in the 2015 wild-card game.

In all the Yankees have 188 plate appearances against Keuchel and zero homers — and homers are central to the 2017 team’s offense.

But No. 3 on that regular season ERA list versus the Yankees is Chris Sale, whose Red Sox lost four times in five starts against the Yankees this year — and would have lost another except for an Aroldis Chapman blown save. No. 4 on that list is Corey Kluber, and the Yankees beat Kluber up in Division Series Games 2 and 5 to advance to face Keuchel and the Astros.

And despite the dominance, Keuchel actually has two losses against the Yankees. Remember how the dynastic Yankee teams beat the Red Sox when facing prime Pedro Martinez — it began with an excellent Yankee start. Believe it or not, the two who beat Keuchel were Brandon McCarthy and Michael Pineda.

Keuchel had two DL stints due to a nerve issue in his neck, but pitched well down the stretch and against Boston in the Division Series (1.90 ERA in his last four starts). Keuchel seduces on and off the corners with changeups, sliders and a two-seamer that helped him produce the highest groundball rate (minimum 140 innings) in the majors at 66.8 percent. Who the home plate ump is will matter because if Keuchel gets an extra call or two off the corners, he becomes all the tougher. A tighter strike zone might help the Yankees get into some better counts.

“That ball a little off the plate you must take it and make him work more toward the middle of the zone,” Scout 1 said.

Keuchel also is a Gold Glove caliber defender and has allowed just three steals of second in seven tries the past two years.