Runs were hard to come by in the initial stages of Game 1 of the ALCS between the Yankees and Astros.
Masahiro Tanaka pitched well for New York, and Zack Greinke pitched well for Houston. Tanaka looked poised and calm, exactly as you'd want him to be in such a big moment.
His stuff was sharp, and he also got some help from his defense, especially Aaron Judge. Judge recorded an impressive double play in the bottom of the fifth inning.
DENIED. #ALCS pic.twitter.com/Eyc0vAIQXA
— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2019Alex Bregman was the runner on first, but he strayed a bit too far. Baserunners need to be extra careful when they're dealing with someone like Judge, who has a cannon for an arm.
Judge showed nice range to make the catch, and then his arm did the rest. Bregman slipped as he turned back for first base and thus was just beaten by the throw from the right fielder.
FOX's Statcast system measured Judge's throw to have been 87.9 miles per hour. DJ LeMahieu deserves some credit for his scoop at first base. He made it look easy, but it really wasn't.
The Yankees went on to win Game 1 7-0. It was an impressive start to the series, but the Astros are a quality team. They'll have a chance to respond in Game 2 on Sunday.
