Yankees Set Embarrassing Playoff Record During Game 1 ALCS Loss To Astros

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The New York Yankees lost to the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS on Wednesday night in truly historic fashion. The Yankee bats may or may not have had holes in them during Game 1 as they managed to set a new, embarrassing playoff record in the loss.

The Yankees struck out 17 times on Wednesday night, while the Astros were struck out only twice in their 4-2 win. The 15-strikeout difference between the two sides is the highest K differential in MLB postseason history.

Josh Donaldson struck out three times for the Yankees in their Game 1 loss to the Astros. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Houston ace Justin Verlander had a lot to do with that as he struck out 11 batters while giving up just three hits in six innings of work. Nevertheless, New York's inability to put the bat on the ball is alarming.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone tipped his cap to Verlander after the game.

“I thought early we had our chances. I don’t think he was real sharp early, but then he kind of dialed it in,” Boone explained. “He started really executing, staying away from trouble. I thought he spun the ball really well.”

When it comes to Yankees history, their 17 strikeouts are the second-highest total in the team's postseason history. The Yanks managed to strike out 18 times during the ALDS in 2020.

Things don't get much easier for the Yankees in Game 2 on Thursday night with Framber Valdez getting the call for Houston. The 28-year-old struck out 194 batters during the regular season, tied for the 14th most in all of baseball.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.