The Houston Astros up by two wins in the ALCS traveled to New York to play the Yankees. Houston went up early with a two-run home run in the second inning and added a few insurance runs en route to the 5-0 win Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In the first inning, Alex Bregman’s single was the lone hit. Both he and Yordan Alvarez got left on base after Kyle Tucker was struck out by Gerrit Cole.
With two outs, Chas McCormick at the top of the second hit a two-run home run over the right-field wall that drove in Christian Vasquez.
The next two full innings didn’t have a hit for either team. Cole got his sixth and seventh strikeout of the game before being taken out the following inning.
Houston extended their lead by three courtesy of a three-run sixth inning. It started with a Bregman double into left field. Tucker got walked, then Yuli Gurriel hit a single into the right field near the line to load the bases. Trey Mancini’s sacrifice flyout drove in Bregman while Vasquez recorded an RBI single that brought home Tucker and Gurriel as the Astros led 5-0. Lou Trivino did come in to relieve Cole before the runs were scored.
Pitcher Christian Javier’s night came to an end after he walked Anthony Rizzo with just one out at that point in the bottom half of the sixth frame. Hector Neris came in for relief, striking out Aaron Judge and having Giancarlo Stanton hit a ground out to end the inning.
Ryne Stanek came in for Neris in the seventh and went three-up-three-down as he struck out all three Yankees batters.
Rookie Hunter Brown started off the eighth for Houston with two straight walks. He managed to get a fly out on Trevino and had Rizzo line out to shortstop, but was taken out for Rafael Montero, who came in against Judge for the line out to the third baseman Bregman to end the inning.
Houston brought in Bryan Abreu to finish off the Yankees in the ninth as the Astros won Saturday’s contest 5-0 to take the commanding 3-0 lead in the ALCS.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chas McCormick
McCormick’s two-run homer in the second inning jumpstarted the scoring for the Stros. The nine-hole hitter also recorded a couple of RBIs in the win.
BIG NUMBER: 6
Dusty Baker took no chances in Saturday’s game as six different pitchers made an appearance in the 5-0 win over the New York Yankees.
UP NEXT: The Houston Astros will look to close out the series tomorrow against the Yankees in New York. The first pitch is set for 6:07.