NEW YORK — For the fourth time within the final six years, the Houston Astros are American League champions. Sunday evening the Astros completed their authoritative ALCS sweep of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium (HOU 6, NYY 5). It is the third time within the final six years and the fourth time within the final eight years the Astros have eradicated the Yankees within the postseason.
The Astros have been unable to stifle the Yankees’ offense like Games 1-3, and as a substitute had to rally from early 3-0 deficit in Game 4. Starter Lance McCullers Jr. bent however didn’t completely break, and the Astros hung round lengthy sufficient till they may capitalize on one other defensive miscue by the Yankees. Houston outscored the Yankees 18-9 within the 4 video games.
The Philadelphia Phillies dispatched the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the NLCS earlier Sunday, so the World Series matchup is ready. It’s Astros vs. Phillies starting Friday, Oct. 28, in Houston. Here are 5 takeaways from Sunday’s Game 4.
1. The Yankees struck first
Five batters into Game 4, the Yankees matched their hit whole from Game 3. Harrison Bader opened the inning with a single to middle, Anthony Rizzo took a pitch to the toe, then Giancarlo Stanton laced an RBI single to proper. Gleyber Torres drove in a second run with a bloop into no-man’s land in shallow right-center, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Three hits within the first inning of Game 4 after three hits in Game 3.
New York added a 3rd run within the second inning, when Rizzo poked a grounder simply out of Alex Bregman’s attain at third base. The two-out hit drove in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who doubled to start the inning. The Yankees have been in peril of losing that leadoff double earlier than Rizzo got here via. He was New York’s steadiest hitter within the postseason.
Prior to the early 3-0 lead in Game 4, the Yankees had not held a lead within the ALCS since Bader’s second inning solo residence run in Game 1. That lead lasted six batters. In truth, the Yankees and Astros had performed 10 video games this 12 months prior to Game 4, and people have been the one six batters to come to the plate with New York main. (Their two common seasons wins over Houston have been walk-offs.)
2. Cortes acquired harm and gave up the lead
Something clearly was not proper with Nestor Cortes within the third inning. His command wavered within the first and second innings, however he places zeroes on the scoreboard, then he opened the third inning with back-to-back walks. Not solely was his command faltering, however Cortes misplaced velocity off his fastball. This is a crimson flag:
Manager Aaron Boone and the coach got here out to discuss to Cortes and it was a fast chat. Cortes instructed them he was nice, he stayed within the sport, then a number of pitches later he served up a game-tying three-run residence run to Jeremy Peña. Just like that, New York’s 3-0 lead was gone and Cortes was out of the sport after one other go to from Boone and the coach. The Yankees say it is a left groin damage, and through an in-game interview with TBS, Boone stated Cortes had dealt with it since his first begin of the postseason.
Needless to say, sticking with an injured pitcher — the Yankees have entry to the identical stay velocity knowledge as us they usually certainly knew Cortes’ heater was down, and that he wasn’t finding — in a win-or-go-home sport was a questionable determination at finest. Of course the participant goes to say he is wholesome and might stay within the sport. They all do. It’s on the supervisor and trainers to do greater than hear to the participant and make one of the best determination for the staff, and Boone did not by leaving Cortes in.
Anyway, with the rating tied and the season on the road, the Yankees went to lefty Wandy Peralta, one in every of their trusted excessive leverage arms. It was solely the third inning, however the center of the order was due up, and it was no time to mess around with lesser relievers. Alas and alack, Peralta allowed hits to three of the subsequent 4 batters, and the Astros took a 4-3 lead. One of the three was a comebacker that hit him in the correct wrist, simply above the glove.
Cortes missed about three weeks with the identical damage on the finish of August and begin of September. The Yankees don’t have any extra video games to play, however shedding Cortes would have been a devastating blow had they saved their season alive. It’s additionally good news that it is not an arm damage. That would have been a tough approach for the person they name Nasty Nestor to finish his breakout season.
3. Rizzo and Bader gave the Yankees one other lead
The Yankees didn’t go away quietly after blowing the 3-0 lead and falling behind 4-3. In the fourth, Bader and Rizzo constructed a run with a single, a handed ball, and one other single to tie the sport. Then, within the sixth, Bader broke the tie and gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead with an extended and loud solo residence run to left area. To the motion footage:
That was Bader’s fifth homer of the postseason. He had 5 homers in 86 regular-season video games, all with the Cardinals earlier than being traded to the Yankees on the deadline. The 5 homers tie him for the fourth most by a Yankee in a single postseason. Only Bernie Williams (1996), Alex Rodriguez (2009), and Giancarlo Stanton (2020) had extra. They every had six. Williams threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 4, coincidentally sufficient.
Bader and Rizzo went 5 for 8 in Game 5. The remainder of the Yankees went 1 for 28. It’s not saying a lot, however these two led the cost for the Yankees offensively for the Yankees within the ALCS. They simply had little to no assist. Two gamers will not win you a postseason sequence, particularly in opposition to a staff like Houston.
4. The Yankees made one other essential error
You have to play almost flawless baseball to beat the Astros and the Yankees have carried out something however. In Game 4, Bader and Aaron Judge miscommunicated on a routine fly ball, turning a straightforward out right into a baserunner. The subsequent batter hit a two-run residence run to give the Astros a 2-0 lead and all of the runs they would want.Â
The Game 5 misplay was much more damaging. After Jose Altuve beat out an infield single to put the tying run on base with one out within the seventh, Peña rolled a possible 4-6-3 double play grounder, however the Yankees as a substitute turned it into zero outs. Gleyber Torres rushed the feed to second base and Kiner-Falefa got here throughout the bag awkwardly and could not make the catch. Torres acquired the error however each guys screwed up. The feed was rushed however on the bag, and nonetheless no out was made.
Naturally, the Astros tied the sport on the very subsequent pitch. Yordan Alvarez rolled a grounder via the correct aspect of the infield to knot issues up at 5-5, then Bregman lined a single to proper to give the Astros a 6-5 lead. Giving Houston 4 outs in an inning — the Yankees basically gave them 5 outs that inning — is an effective approach to lose a sequence.
Jonathan Loáisiga did hero’s work earlier than being betrayed by his protection, retiring seven of the eight batters he confronted with out a ball leaving the infield. The solely baserunner allowed was Altuve’s infield single, which had to be reviewed as a result of it was so shut. The Astros bullpen allowed simply the Bader homer in 4 in any other case spotless innings. The remaining 10 Yankees to bat after Bader’s homer made outs. And that is a wrap on the 2022 Yankees.
5. Up subsequent
The World Series. It might be Astros vs. Phillies when the Fall Classic begins Friday, Oct. 28, in Houston. We have to wait 4 baseball-less days till then. Presumably Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA) and Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) will get the ball in Game 1, although the Phillies may convey NLCS Game starter Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA) back on regular relaxation.