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Yankees Respond, Pound Verlander and 'Stros

YANKEES 4 - ASTROS 1 
HOU leads ALCS 3-2 

Hold on to your hats folks, this series is far from over. The Yankees pulled out a 4-1 victory over Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros to force a Game 6 tomorrow night in Houston.

The Yankees rode the left arm of James Paxton to pull out the victory, as the former Seattle Mariner had his best start of the postseason, and his best outing in over a month, as he completely shutdown an Astros offense that has teed off on Yankee pitching the past three games.

After giving up a run on a wild pitch in the top of the first inning, Paxton was spotless. He held Houston to just four hits over six inning, while striking out nine batters. It's not like the Astros didn't have their chances; they had plenty.  Houston was 0-for-6 with Runners In Scoring Position and stranded nine men on base, much like the Yankees did the past three games.

On the flip side, the Yankees got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first off Verlander.  First D.J. LeMahieu returned to his old form as the catalyst of the offense, crushing the second pitch he saw from Verlander over the right field fence for a solo homer, tying the game at one.

After a single by Aaron Judge and a double by Gleyber Torres followed the LeMahieu homer, Aaron Hicks, the much maligned Aaron Hicks, crushed a 3-2 slider off the end of his bat and watched it sale into the right field foul pole for a three-run home run. Yankees lead 4-1. There would be no stranding of men on base tonight.

Verlander would settle down the rest of way, mowing down Yankees left and right as he tallied nine strikeouts in his own right.

Still it was the incredible efforts of Paxton, and the Yankee pen that kept New York afloat for at least one more night.

Houston's best chance to do anything against the Yankees pen came and went in the top of the seventh when Tommy Khanle got into major trouble after giving up a single to George Springer and walking Jose Altuve. Manager Aaron Boone had no choice but to pull Khanle from the game, ushering in Zach Britton who managed to get out of trouble.

The Yankees and Astros are currently on the red eye back to Houston, Texas this evening. Game six is tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Gerritt Cole gets the ball on short rest for the Astros. Cole has been virtually unhittable at home this season. If the Yankees can find away to squeak out Game 6, they will be in great shape for Game 7 since Houston won't have either Verlander or Cole available for that contest.

First things first,  Game 6.


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