Yankees on the Brink of Elimination

ASTROS 8 - YANKEES 3 
HOU Leads ALCS 3-1 

The Yankees 2019 season is on the brink of extinction. Powered by a pair of mammoth home runs by George Springer and Carlos Correa, and a number of costly errors by the Bronx Bombers, the Houston Astros pulled out an 8-3 victory in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series in the process.

The Yankees now face the prospect of having to beat Justin Verlander in Game 5 just to keep their season alive. Should they do that they would have to beat Gerrit Cole in Game 6 back in Houston on Saturday.

While anything is possible, the likelihood the Yankees get through both Astro-aces is highly unlikely.

In a series where the Yankees have fritted away opportunities, Game 4 was no different. In the bottom of the first inning, the Yankees stranded the bases loaded when Gary Sanchez struck out swinging. New York managed only one run in an inning where Zach Greinke looked like he was about to implode.

 Instead the Yankees gave Greinke renewed life as he held the Yanks to a single run over 4.1 innings of work.

The Astros finally got to Yankees starter Mashairo Tanaka in the top of the third when George Springer crushed an 86 mph splitter over the left-center field wall for a three-run homer, handing Houston a sudden 3-1 lead.

The blast stunned the crowd, and seemed to put the Yankees in a total malaise they never recovered from.

The Yankees would get one last shot with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning, but both Gleyber Torres and Edwin Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the inning, costing the Yankees another opportunity to do damage.

When it was all said and done, the Yankees were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 men stranded on base.

The Astros had no such problems.  Houston put the game completely out of reach when Correa connected on a Chad Green fastball and planted into the seats in left to give the 'Stros a 6-1 advantage.

Game Over.

Even though Gary Sanchez later connected on a two-run homer in the bottom half of the sixth, the Yankees never got closer, instead playing like a team that accepted defeat.

Perhaps the most humbling moment of the night came when manager Aaron Boone brought in CC Sabathia, who proceeded to injury himself during an at bat for Springer. Instead of riding off to a standing ovation after a big strikeout, Sabathia's Yankee career likely ended in infamy, walking off the field with the trainer, and his glover over his face.

The Yankees now find themselves in the untenable position of having to beat Verlander, Friday night. The Yankees got two runs off Verlander on Sunday, in what was a rather shaky outing for the veteran righty, but it's hard to expect him to be off again for a second straight outing.

In the three defeats the Yankees are 1-for-16 with RISP and have left 23 men on base. They have managed to score only six runs in the three losses. This is a Yankee team that is desperate for some offense.

The facts are the Houston Astros are just a better team. They have the starting pitching to prove it, and a roster full of players who are killers in the clutch. There is a reason why the 'Stros won 107 games this year, and their talents are rising to the top at the right time.