HOUSTON _ The Yankees rolled into Texas feeling like a team of destiny, riding the high of coming back from an 0-2 deficit to the top-seeded Indians and pulling Joe Girardi out of the fire along the way.
With that type of momentum, you figured the Yankees would be a difficult team to slow down, never mind stop once the ALCS began. Even the physical demands of winning four elimination games in the span of nine days didn't seem to bother them, with only a 24-hour breather between series.
"When you talk about trying to manage exhaustion, I think the emotions of playing in the playoffs negates a lot of that," Girardi said before Friday's Game 1. "The excitement of this is what carries you through. It is your adrenaline."
Maybe the Indians tightened up during the Division Series, because they certainly didn't play like a 102-win team as soon as they needed one victory to advance. The Astros, opening the ALCS in their own building, weren't expected to have that same problem starting with a clean slate. Plus, they had Yankees-killer Dallas Keuchel on the mound, and their pocket-size MVP favorite, Jose Altuve, revved up and ready to go.
As anticipated, both were irritants to the Yankees in Houston's 2-1 victory. Keuchel looked as baffling as he had two years ago when he stifled the Yankees in the wild-card game, working the strike zone as the Ks quickly piled up. This was no Corey Kluber, the Indians' front-runner for the Cy Young, who pulled a disappearing act in his two Division Series starts. Keuchel was energized pitching before the sold-out crowd at Minute Maid Park.
"When I see orange-out or white-out and all those towels, I look over at Keuchel's Korner and see a bunch of fake beards, it really gives you a sense of calmness almost in such a chaotic atmosphere," Keuchel said on the eve of Game 1. "So that alone makes me feel like I'm in my backyard playing Wiffle ball."
It appeared to be that easy through seven scoreless innings, with Keuchel striking out 10. The sense of deja vu was inescapable. The only difference being in the Bronx two years ago, rather than under the enclosed dome. That gave the other part of the Astros' season-long winning formula, Altuve, a chance to put his imprint on Game 1 _ and prove to everyone why he should deserve the MVP over Aaron Judge.
Altuve can't sway any voters in October, as the BBWAA ballots were due at the end of the regular season. But he is completely capable of pushing the Astros into the Fall Classic, and he jump-started their two-run rally in the fourth inning.
In the Division Series, Altuve shocked the Red Sox by belting three home runs in the opener, a mighty accomplishment for a 5-6 second baseman. He showed that he could play small-ball, too. Altuve reached on an infield hit that shot through Masahiro Tanaka's legs, stole second and scored on Carlos Correa's line-drive single.
Any moment that Altuve approached the batter's box, the crowd burst into "M-V-P! chants. Before the game, Altuve said he'd vote for Judge, given the chance, but his Yankees' counterpart didn't make as big an impression. Figuratively speaking.
After Brett Gardner's two-out single registered the Yankees' first hit in the third inning, Judge whiffed to kill the threat. And even when Judge did come through, the Astros still conspired to neutralize him. With two outs in the fifth, Judge ripped a hanging slider for a bullet single to left field that was expected to score Greg Bird from second base. Instead, Marwin Gonzalez unleashed a perfect throw that cut him down at the plate. Girardi chose to challenge this play, but the call was upheld.
Nice try, Joe. But these are the Astros now, and a new series. The Yankees are going to need more than just momentum.
