(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Houston takes 2-1 lead in ALDS vs. Kansas City
Nederlands
 HOUSTON, Texas (USA) -
The Houston Astros briefly trailed on Sunday (October 11) in Game 3 of the American League Division Series vs. the Kansas City Royals, but turned the game around in its favor in the fifth inning and went on to win 4-2.
With that, the Astros are now one win away from advancing to the League Championship Series.
Game Four will be played on Monday.
This season, the Astros had the best home record with 53-28 in the American League, sharing the spot with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Royals played three games this season at Minute Maid Park in Houston and lost all three of them.
The Astros won the opener on Thursday, 5-2, then the Royals took Game 2 the next day with a 5-4 score.
Recap Game 1, Royals vs. Astros
Recap Game 2, Royals vs, Astros
Later tonight, the third game was played in the ALDS between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.
Lefthander Dallas Keuchel (20-8) started for the Astros today, righthander Edinson Vólquez (13-9) took the mound for the Royals.
Edinson Vólquez made his third postseason-start.
He made his first start in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last year, he started for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card-game against the San Francisco Giants.
The Dominican was the losing pitcher in both games.
This season, Vólquez led the Royals by pitching 200 1/3 inning and winning 13 games.
His 155 strikeouts were second-best in the team, as was his 3.55 ERA.
In his career, 32-year old Vólquez started nine games against the Astros and was 6-0, with the last win coming in 2012.
Dallas Keuchel (pronounced kyk-ull) is the ace in the Houston-staff.
He also started the All Star Game this year for the American League and was the starting and winning pitcher in the AL Wild Card-game last Tuesday against the New York Yankees.
In that game, Keuchel held the Yankees scoreless in six innings to become the third Astros-pitcher in history to make a scoreless start in his first postseason-appearance.
The last to do that was Mike Scott in 1986, the first was Joe Niekro in 1980.
With the Wild Card-win, the Astros advanced to the NLDS.
Keuchel faced the Royals twice this season, winning one (at home) and losing one (on the road).
This season, Keuchel did something no other pitcher had done before in Major League-history.
He remained unbeaten at home, collecting at least 15 wins (which he did in 18 starts).
The previous record for an unbeaten record at home was 13 wins, set in 1944 by Tex Hughson, the tied by Boo Ferriss in 1946.
Both pitched for the Boston Red Sox.
The 27-year old Keuchel struckout 216 batters this season, which is the most by a lefthanded Houston-pitcher since Mike Cuellar struckout 203 in 1967.
And it were the most by any Astros-pitcher since Roger Clemens struckout 218 in 2004.
In the top of the first inning, Dallas Keuchel saw the first Royals-batter reach base.
On his first delivery, Alcides Escobar hit a sharp grounder to the edge of the infield where short stop Carlos Correa made a nice play.
He then turned to throw the ball to first baseman Chris Carter to eliminate the batter.
However, the ball hit the grounds just before Carter received it.
Carter had to stretch a little and was unable to keep the ball under control.
When he would have, it would have been a great out.
But now, the Official Scorers correctly ruled this an infield-hit, as it was a difficult play for Correa to made and the Royals had their first baserunner.
But Escobar stranded, as three outs followed.
By the way, Correa is one of 16 players on the roster of the Astros, who are playing in their first postseason.
In the second inning, the Royals also got their lead-off hitter on base.
This time, Kendrys Morales led off with a single to centerfield, but a force out and two strikeouts followed.
Vólquez retired the side in the first inning, then walked lead-off hitter Colby Rasmus in the second inning.
But he was forced out.
Next, Carlos Gomez was ruled out for batter interference, as he was touched on fair territory by the batted ball after he bunted.
A strikeout then ended the at bat.
...Luis Valbuena scored the tying run for the Astros...
...Here, Valbuena is hitting for the Toronto Blue Jays...
...during Spring Training 2012...
...In January of this year, he came to the Astros in...
...a trade for Dexter Fowler...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the third at bat, it was Keuchel who retired the side.
In the home half, it were the Astros who got their second lead-off hitter on base, but were unable to score.
Chris Carter drove the ball into leftfield, appeared to slow down a little around first base, then tried to stretch his hit into a double, but was thrown out there by leftfielder Alex Gordon.
Two strikeouts followed.
After three scoreless innings, the Royals opened the score when Lorenzo Cain led off the fourth inning with a homerun into deep leftfield.
With one out, Kendrys Morales reached on an error, advanced on a wild pitch and a grounder, but was left behind.
In the top of the fifth, Ben Zobrist doubled for the Royals with two outs, then a force play was set up by walking Lorenzo Cain intentionally.
The inning ended with a strikeout.
The Astros then struck with two runs in the home half of the fifth inning.
With one out, Luis Valbuena walked, then Chris Carter doubled.
Next, both runners scored on a following single by Jason Castro to give Houston a 2-1 lead.
The Royals stranded another runner in scoring position in the top of the sixth.
With one out, Mike Moustakas doubled, but was left behind.
Houston then immediately added another run in the bottom of the sixth.
George Springer led off with a double and advanced to third on a grounder.
Colby Rasmus, who homered in all three postseason-games so far for the Astros, then was walked intentionally.
But after next batter Evan Gattis struckout, Carlos Gomez delivered a runscoring single that made it 3-1.
That marked the end for Edinson Vólquez, who was replaced by Danny Duffy.
In the top 7th, another Royal was left in scoring position.
Álex Ríos led off with a walk, moved on a grounder by Alcides Escobar, then reached third base on a sacrifice bunt by Ben Zobrist.
But Keuchel then finished the inning by striking out Lorenzo Cain, his seventh strikeout of the game.
Moments later, another Houston-run was scored, as Chris Carter led off the bottom of the seventh with a homerun.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Astros were productive again.
Carlos Correa led off with a single, then Colby Rasmus popped up towards rightfield.
Rightfielder Álex Ríos waited for the ball to come down, then suddenly moved towards the infield, as the ball had hit one of the bars of the roof and dropped down behind second base.
According to ground-rules of Minute Maid Park, balls that hit the roof remain playable when they are in fair territory and so, Rasmus ended up with a pop-fly single, resulting in runners on first and second base.
But they stranded, as the next three batters were retired.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Royals made one final attempt to turn the game around off of closer Luke Gregerson.
Alex Gordon led off with a homerun to narrow the deficit to 4-2, then Alcides Escobar singled with one out.
But hereafter, the latter was forced out, then Lorenzo Cain struckout to end the game.
And with that, Dallas Keuchel remained unbeaten at home this season.
(October 11)
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