The Astros defeated the Yankees, 3–0. It was the Astros' first playoff win since Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS and their first victory in a winner-take-all postseason game. With the Yankees eliminated, all four remaining teams in the 2015 ALDS were expansion teams.
The Yankees clinched a wild card berth on October 1,[2] while the Astros clinched a wild card berth on October 4, the final day of the regular season.[3] The Yankees hosted the game, as they finished the regular season with a better win–loss record. This was the Astros' first postseason appearance as an AL team, and first overall since 2005, while the Yankees appeared in the postseason for the first time since 2012. As such, this was the first postseason meeting between the Astros and the Yankees.[4]
Houston's Dallas Keuchel struck out seven batters and allowed only three hits in six innings of work, at one point retiring ten batters in a row before the Yankees had their one key threat come in the 6th with two base runners before a flyout to centerfield ended the threat. The Astros' bullpen then retired nine of ten Yankee batters for the victory.[5]
The Astros were paced offensively by leadoff home runs by Colby Rasmus in the second inning and Carlos Gómez in the fourth, as New York starter Masahiro Tanaka struggled to find command of his pitches.[6]
Tanaka lasted five innings, striking out three.[7]
Houston's José Altuve scored Jonathan Villar from second base in the seventh inning against Yankee reliever Dellin Betances, the final run of the game.[8] Both teams had five runners left on base, but the Yankees never saw a runner touch third base.[9]
^Newman, Mark (September 24, 2015). "2015 Postseason Schedule". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
