NEW YORK – Standing behind the batting cage late Wednesday afternoon, New York Yankees hitting coach Alan Cockrell outlined his team’s plan against Houston Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel:
Be ready to hit. Don’t let him dictate the at-bat. Look for a ball in the middle of the plate and trust that.
Easier said than done against Keuchel, who entered the game with a 1.09 ERA in 57 2/3 career innings against the Yankees, including the postseason. But the Yankees followed the plan, jumping Keuchel several times early in counts and knocking him out after 4 2/3 innings.