The New York Yankees departed from Houston with a 2-0 deficit in the ALCS. The first two games did not go as planned for Aaron Boone as the Astros’ pitching was relentless and never made themselves vulnerable to Yankee hitting. Dating back to the ALCS in 2017, the Yanks are 1-8 when a postseason game is held at Minute Maid Park.
First and foremost, the offense has failed to capitalize in big moments. For instance, in game one, New York had two runners on, with Matt Carpenter representing the go-ahead run at the plate in the eighth inning. Houston’s closer Ryan Pressly executed a mounting curveball on a two-two count and induced the biggest punch out of the game.
On the flip side, the pitching staff has been rock solid and contained Houston’s biggest threats at the plate. Despite a handful of half-witted pitches, the Yankees staff remains unscathed with runners in scoring position (1-for-9). Additionally, Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve went 1-for-13 at the plate, and the offense, in general, was held to seven runs.
As the Yankees head back to the Bronx to play in front of the home crowd, there are several tasks that need to be addressed. The Bombers know what is at stake, considering the history between these two teams. Yes, playing in the Bronx is an electric atmosphere, but if the Yanks can’t compete, the advantage won’t make a difference.
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Houston’s pitching won’t get any easier
The Astros pitching staff contains an endless string of hard-throwing right-handers. While they lack a southpaw presence, aside from Framber Valdez, each individual is a threat in various situations. Over the course of this postseason, the Houston bullpen boasts a 0.71 ERA which is 19 points lower than the next-best bullpen in the Tampa Bay Rays (0.90 ERA).
The Yankees’ offense was frankly blanked by Houston, and the only scenario for a series win is producing. Between the two games, the offense plated four runs on nine total hits. With runners on, the Yanks are 1-for-8, which may be the source of their stifle. Moreover, Houston has caused the Yankee bats to flail and struck out 30 total batters between games one and two.
Most importantly, the core of the lineup failed to capitalize, although the back of the order has caused minimal damage. From numbers one to four in the order, only five hits came about. Not to mention, each at-bat is thorough and well-structured. However, the outcome is not in favor of the Yankees.
The pitching will only strengthen as the series progresses, and it may be too late for New York to mount a comeback. The Yanks will have two tough matchups for games three and four, which comprises Cristian Javier followed by Lance McCullers Jr. If the lineup doesn’t keep to the script and hit home runs or any form of scoring, this may conclude in a farewell for the Yanks.
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New York Yankees’ pitching staff looking for a few more gems
From the perspective of pitching coach Matt Blake, the Astros offense has been manipulated by Yankee arms. The bases were filled with Houston logos, and New York shut it down before things escalated. As a group, the Bombers allowed 22 players to reach base and managed to limit the damage to just seven runs.
Between Jameson Taillon (4.1 IP, 1 ER) in game one to Luis Severino (5.1 IP, 6 Ks) in game two, the starting pitching has been on point. The ALDS seemed to reconfigure Aaron Boone’s pitching blueprints, yet there was no issue of availability in Houston.
Wandy Peralta appeared in his sixth consecutive playoff game, and Jonathan Loaisiga was ready to go in game one. Game two was a combination of four relievers, containing Clarke Schmidt, Lou Trivino, Frankie Montas (Who made his 2022 playoff debut), and Miguel Castro.
Gerrit Cole is slated to start in the Bronx for game three as the Yankees pursue their first victory of the series. If 32-year-old Cole can twirl a masterpiece, the most difficult task for Boone’s club is to scrutinize and challenge each pitcher they face.
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