N.Y. Yankees: Damn Yankees Heading Back To Texas

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa Flame Out at Yankee Stadium;

Astros Glad to Get Out of Town.

Yankees Lead Series 3-2

I - HOU 2; NYY 1

II - HOU 2; NYY 1

III - NYY 8; HOU 1

IV - NYY 6; HOU 4

V - NYY 5; HOU 0

New York Yankees: Tanaka Pitches a Gem; Bombers Gain Series Lead With Sweep at Stadium.

Holy Cow!

With Wednesday's 5-0 whitewashing of the Astros, the Yankees are now just one victory away from clinching the American League pennant, and advancing to the World Series.

After losing the first two games of the ALCS in Houston, the Yankees have stormed back to sweep three at Yankee Stadium.  And just like that ... the favored Astros find themselves heading back home under do or die circumstances.

Masahiro Tanaka delivered a gem in Game Five at Yankee Stadium, limiting Houston to just three hits and a walk, and fanning eight, through seven innings pitched for the victory.  He now owns a 1.83 ERA in two starts against the Astros, surrendering just two earned runs on seven hits and two walks, with 11 strikeouts, in 13 innings pitched.

After five games, the Yankees four starting pitchers collectively own a 1.28 ERA against the Astros.  They've joined to give the Yankees 28 innings, in which they've limited the Astros to just four runs, on 13 hits and ten walks, for an 0.821 WHiP, with 30 strikeouts.

Luis Severino is on deck for Game Six, and CC Sabathia is poised to pitch Game Seven, if necessary.

The Empire also struck back against Astros starter Dallas Kuechel, who struck out 10 Yankees over seven innings in Game One.  This time, the Bombers knocked him out of the box after just 4.2 innings pitched, but not before roughing him up for four earned runs on seven hits.

Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorious, and Greg Bird, all drove in runs.  Gary Sanchez homered in the seventh to ice it.

The Yankees will face Justin Verlander in Game Six at Houston.  He shut out the Yankees for eight innings until they touched him for one run in the ninth inning of Game Two.  Otherwise, Verlander surrendered just five hits, walked one, and fanned 13 Yankees, for a complete game victory.

The home team has yet to lose in this series.  And apparently, home is where the hits have been for both teams as well.

Yankee fans now have to wonder which lineup will show up for Game Six.  The one which previously batted just .158 (63 at-bats) at Houston, with only four walks, three doubles, one home run, and 27 strikeouts?  Or the lineup which batted .269 (93 at-bats) in three games at Yankee Stadium, with 11 walks, six doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 22 strikeouts?

While Yankees production spiked sharply at Yankee Stadium, the Astros lineup has remained somewhat more consistently unproductive.  They batted just .190 (58 at bats) in Houston, with four walks, two doubles, one home run, and nine strikeouts.  Then dipped even further to .119 (92 at-bats) in three games at the Stadium, with 12 walks, five doubles, no home runs, and 25 strikeouts.

The eyes of Texas will again be on Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa as the series shifts back to Houston.  Without them, the Astros do not win games One and Two.  After starting the series a combined 8 for 15 in the first two games, Houston's dynamic due has since gone just 2 for 22 in three games at Yankee Stadium.

Recall how the Astros barely outscored the Yankees in games One and Two by a 4-2 aggregate in Houston.  The Bronx Bombers, on the other hand, outscored the Astros by an aggregate 19-5 margin through three games at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have two chances to win one game, whereas the Astros must win Game Six in order to force a Game Seven.

Fun!