New York Yankees vs Houston Astros Game 1 of the NLCS: reactions and takeaways
Following a solid performance in Game 1 of their ALCS showdown with the New York Yankees, there was some interesting factors to consider.
Having drawn first blood, the Astros will feel well pleased with themselves as they prepare for Game 2 against the Yankees. Join us for a look at what we learned on opening night of their clash with the Yankees.
Houston Astros put down New York Yankess in Game 1 of ALCS
On Wednesday night, the Houston Astros took down the New York Yankees, 4-2, in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park. With that, the Astros now lead the best-of-seven series 1-0, which means with three more wins, they’ll be appearing in the World Series for the fourth time since 2017. That’s impressive to say the least. Regarding how the game played out, the Astros were actually behind in the second inning after Harrison Bader hit his fourth home run - a single - in six postseason games. Houston would go on to level the score in the bottom of the inning through a Martin Moldonado double.
From there, it would be a case of tit-for-tat until the sixth inning, when first baseman Yuli Gurriel hit a home run to left field to put Houston up 2-1. Chas McCormick would then hit his own solo home run not too long after, which brought the score to 3-1. Finally, it would be Jeremy Peña in the seventh with a homerun as well, taking the score to 4-1. Though the Yankees would get a run back through an Anthony Rizzo homerun in the eighth, they would not be able to overcome the deficit in the end, finally bowing out on 4-2. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the things we learned in game1:
Justin Verlander the architect of Astros’ win
If one thing is clear after Game 1, it’s that the Astros would likely not have got a win were it not for Justin Verlander. A clear favorite for the AL’s Cy Young Award, Justin Verlander has come some distance from his first post season start against the Mariners in which he struggled, to Wednesday’s night’s clinic in pitching. Holding the Yankees to just one run over six innings, the Astros pitcher gave up three hits, one walk, and one hit by pitch, to the tune of 11 strikeouts off of 103 pitches. With that, Verlander became the all-time postseason leader in strikeouts, leapfrogging Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw.
Interestingly, Verlander’s 11 strikeouts is the second most he’s recorded in a single postseason game, with his career-high of 13 against the Yankees in 2017 still the gold standard. In case you’re wondering, this is the fifth time he’s struck out 11 players and the second time he’s done so against the Yankees.
The Astros spread the wealth around
Had you asked anyone, who would be likely to provide runs for the Astros on Wednesday night, it’s quite likely you would have heard names like Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, or possibly even Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. The names you almost certainly wouldn’t heard, however, would be Gurriel, McCormick, and Peña. Yet, those are the guys who launched homeruns in Game 1 and with that got the all-important W. Where Gurriel is concerned, he finished the regular season with eight home runs off of 584 at bats. McCormick and Peña on the other hand were much better with a home run every 25 to 29 trips to the plate.
To add even further perspective, it should be said that Gurriel had been struggling of in the lead up to the playoffs. To be clear, his seventh HR came back on July 1st and since that time had only managed to hit a home run just once across his final 76 games. Where the playoffs are concerned, he’s managed to hit two home runs in his first four playoff games. Indeed, the Astros have been full of surprises where their run production is concerned.
Aaron Judge comes up big with special catch
Though they weren’t able to get the win in the end, mention must be made of the exceptional catch made by the Yankees outfielder, Aaron Judge. It was the Astros’ Bregman who hit a ball to right-center with two runners on base. Indeed, in that moment it appeared as though Bregman was going to have extra bases, but Judge clearly had other ideas as he made the great grab.
What to expect in Astros vs Yankees Game 2?
With Game 2 of the ALCS set for Thursday night, fans can expect the Yankees to start Luis Severino, while the Astros will likely go with Framber Valdez. We’re betting on this one to be an intense affair, with the Astros attempting to take a 2-0 lead in the series and the Yankees doing everything they can to avoid that kind of deficit. The first pitch is expected at 7:37 p.m. ET, so be sure to be ready and of course you can always stick with us, as we bring you updates on the game.