Keuchel, Astros on brink of ALCS
Dallas Keuchel’s perfect performance at home this season has the upstart Houston Astros one victory away from the American League Championship Series.
Keuchel pitched seven gutsy innings to remain undefeated at Minute Maid Park, and Chris Carter homered to lead the Astros to a 4- 2 victory against the Kansas City Royals and a 2- 1 lead in their AL Division Series.
The Astros can wrap up the best- of- five series with a victory against the defending AL champion Royals in Game 4 at home Monday. Their unlikely run comes just two years after they lost a franchise- worst 111 games in a third consecutive 100- loss season.
‘‘ I think that success is a lot more sweet when you kind of go through hardship like we did the first couple of years that I was up here,’’ Keuchel said. ‘‘ But it’s really not a confidence that has grown; it’s been here the whole time. . . . Now that we’re getting to the playoffs and on a national stage, it’s a shock to a lot of people.’’
Keuchel, who shut down the New York Yankees in the AL wildcard game, allowed one run and five hits and struck out seven. He is an astounding 16- 0 with a 1.45 ERA in 19 starts this season at Minute Maid Park.
‘‘ The ball in Dallas Keuchel’s hand brings an awful lot of confidence to a lot of people, including me,’’ manager A. J. Hinch said.
Lorenzo Cain staked the Royals to a 1- 0 lead with a home run in the fourth, but Jason Castro singled home two runs in the fifth to give the Astros the lead. Carlos Gomez made it 3- 1 with an RBI single in the sixth before Carter launched a soaring homer in the seventh.
Tulowitzki helps Jays stay alive
Troy Tulowitzki drove in four runs with a bases- loaded walk and a three- run homer — his first hit of the postseason — and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays avoided elimination in their AL Division Series with a 5- 1 victory against the Texas Rangers in Game 3.
Marco Estrada allowed one run and five hits in 6„ innings for the Blue Jays, who cut their deficit in the best- of- five series to 2- 1, with Game 4 scheduled for Monday in Arlington, Texas. The road team has won all three games so far.
The Rangers appeared to be on the verge of escaping a basesloaded, no- outs situation when Chi Chi Gonzalez got Chris Colabello to hit into a 3- 2- 3 double play in the sixth, but Tulowitzki followed with his homer to give the Blue Jays a 5- 0 lead.
Utley suspended two games
Major League Baseball suspended Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley for two playoff games for his late takeout slide that broke New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada’s right leg in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Saturday.
In handing down the penalty, MLB executive Joe Torre called it an illegal slide. Joel Wolfe, Utley’s agent, called the ban ‘‘ outrageous and completely unacceptable’’ and said there would be an appeal.
The Dodgers and Mets are tied 1- 1 in the best- of- five NLDS, with Game 3 scheduled for Monday in New York. An appeal would allow Utley to play until the hearing process is complete, but MLB likely would try to resolve the matter before the series resumes.