The Houston Astros put the New York Yankees in an untenable position, winning 5-0 on Saturday in the American League Championship Series.
Houston has won the first three games of this series and could secure its World Series spot on Sunday if it wins.
Astros pitchers limited the Yankees to three short hits, including two on their last turn at bat.
A blunder in Yankees defense after two outs in the second inning opened the door for the Astros. A misjudgment in right field by Aaron Judge and Harrison Bader allowed Chas McCormick to bat. He paid dearly for the blunder by hitting a two-run homer at the expense of starter Gerrit Cole.
“It’s part of baseball,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of his club’s opportunism.
“You have to convince yourself that here is the breach you were looking for. And it’s fascinating how things can come to fruition afterwards. It was a turning point in the match. »
Houston dealt a blow to the locals with a three-point push in the sixth. After a sacrifice ball from Trey Mancini, Christian Vazquez followed up with a two-run single.
In the eighth inning, the Yankees walked two to start the inning, but were unable to push their teammates home.
Defending champions of the American, the Astros won 106 games during the regular season. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers did better, with 111. Houston is set to play in the Fall Classic for the fourth time in six years.
Jose Altuve hit a double in the fifth, halting a 0-for-25 drought since the start of the playoffs.
Starting pitchers on Sunday will be Lance McCullers and Nestor Cortes.
The error is expensive, the Yankee Stadium smiles at the Astros
There has only been one time a club has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series: Boston at the expense of the Yankees in the 2004 All-American Championship Series.
Aaron Judge heard boos after being struck out twice in a row mid-game.
A recent home run record holder with 62 home runs, Judge was 0 for 4 on Saturday night. His current playoff average is .156.
“Obviously we have expectations of him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. But everyone has to contribute. »
Gerrit Cole gave up five runs and five hits in as many innings.
