By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor
This wasn’t an elimination game for the Yankees in the Bronx Monday night but they needed a win in the best-of-seven ALCS and they got it at home where they won the most games during the season in the American League. The Houston Astros were shut down for six innings from CC Sabathia and the home run ball for New York led to a 8-1 win.
This was a commanding win on all cylinders and now the Yankees will attempt to win with Sonny Gray on the mound Tuesday night with the Astros leading the series 2-1. And if Gray, who has success against the Astros keeps their potent lineup off the bases, the Yankees may have a chance to get this series back to Houston for a Game 6.
It seems all year the Yankees have thrived in pressure situations. They won three straight elimination games in the postseason and overcame a 2-0 deficit to the Cleveland Indians and at Yankee Stadium they always seem to respond as seen again Monday night.
Houston, winners of the first two games by identical scores of 2-1 at Minute Maid Park, were mowed down by Sabathia who’s now 10-0 after a Yankees loss. The lefthander was aided by an Aaron Judge three-run home run in the fourth inning and some defensive gems from the rightfielder. Judge crashed into the rightfield wall in the top of the fourth.
Said Judge, who has been struggling during this Yankees October run, “It felt good to put a couple more runs on the board. CC was working his butt off, He did a great job tonight. Just adding those extra couple of runs was large for us.”
In typical Yankees style, they used the home run ball to their advantage. Add that the Astros were limited to four hits, three off Sabathia, and it all worked well for the Yankees to get their first win of the series.
Todd Frazier hit a three-run homer in the second inning, the first of his career in the postseason.
From there it was Sabathia and the Yankees bullpen. Houston, a team that led the American League in hitting and had the second best record in the league as champions out of the AL West, saw George Springer and Carlos Correa combine for two hits off Sabathia.
Jose Altuve, the potential AL Most Valuable Player, was held in check going 0-for-4 with a walk.
Said Frazier, “We’ve got three games here and we know we’ve got a good shot. The hopes are still up there and we showed tonight our offense is coming. We had two games where we didn’t do much but our offense is back. I think and hopefully it will keep going tomorrow.”
RECAP: CC was clutch. The offense is awake. Now let's even the series tomorrow. https://t.co/FnxsEPSvgR pic.twitter.com/41Q4QswbmO
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 17, 2017
The Yankees next step is to even the series. Sonny Gray will attempt to make it a bright Tuesday evening in the Bronx for the Yankees and their fans.
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