NYY Lead ALCS 1-0
It was Gleyber Day all day for the New York Yankees. The Yankees 22-year old second baseman once again dominated with his bat, providing the necessary keynote to get this American League Championship Series started on the right foot.Torres went 3-for-5 on the evening with five RBI in the Yankees 7-0 victory over a listless Houston Astros team that doesn't look anything like the club that beat the Yankees in this same series two years ago.
Not only was this a different Astros team, it was a different Yankees team than that 2017 version.
The Yankees were crisp defensively, they were clutch when they needed to be, and Mashairo Tanaka was dominant on the mound. The Astros may have Justin Verlander and Garriet Cole waiting for them in Games 2 and 3, but it feels like a different year. It feels like this Yankees team is destined to do great things, and nothing will stop them.
Tanaka held the Astros to just one hit over six innings of work, striking out four and walking only one. He was so on point that not a single Astros hitter reached second base against the veteran righty, who lowered his career postseason ERA down to 1.32.
Perhaps the only real chance for Houston to do anything offensively came in the third inning when Kyle Tucker singled through the hole with one out. Instead of bunting with catcher Chirinos, Manager A.J. Hinch let his light hitting catcher swing away, and he promptly grounded into an inning ending double-play. Had Chrinos bunted, the lineup would have turned over to George Springer.
Big mistake by Houston. An even bigger break for the Yankees.
By the top of the fourth inning, the Yankees finally got to starter Zach Grienke, and as per usual it was DJ LeMahieu and Torres who were in the middle of the Yankee rally. A single on the first pitch by LeMahieu set the stage for Torres who ripped a run-scoring double to left-center to make it 1-0.
Two innings later, Torres was back at it, crushing the first pitch he saw from Grienke and planting it over the scoreboard in left to give the Bombers a 2-0 lead. Two batter later Giancarlo Stanton broke out of his playoff funk with a solo blast of his own to right-center.
With each run, and each out recorded by Tanaka, it was becoming pretty clear that this Yankees team was not going to be pushed around by the Astros this time.
Torres capped off his stellar night in the seventh when he dropped a single through the hole in right to score Didi Gregorius and LeMahieu to push the Yanks lead to five.
Game. Set. Match.While Torres would drive in one more on a ground out, and Gio Urshela added a solo homer of his own, this game was over.
The Yankees bullpen was virtually un-hittable with only Adam Ottavino working out of trouble in the seventh when he was the beneficiary of a replay review that overturned a RBI infield Fielder's Choice by Alex Bregman.
With a 1-0 series lead, the Yankees got exactly what they needed with Houston's ace Justin Verlander going tomorrow. The Yankees will counter with James Paxton who has been one of the baseball's best starters in the second half of the season. Should be a good one. If the Yankees beat Verlander -- this baby is done.
NOTES: The Washington Nationals could be the waiting opponent for the Yankees, should both be fortunate to get to the World Series. The Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in Game 2 of the NLCS to take a 2-0 lead. Max Sherzer and Anibal Sanchez both flirted with no-hitters in their two starts for Washington. It won't get easier for the Cards on Monday when Stephen Strausberg gets the ball for the Nats. Look for Washington to sweep that series in D.C.
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