New game, same story: The Houston Astros took Game 3 of the ALCS from the New York Yankees, using a powerful bowler to completely eliminate any hope of an offense. This time, they dropped just three hits in a 5-0 victory that overwhelmed the Yankee Stadium crowd and led the series 3-0. The Astros are in their sixth straight ALCS and are now just one win away from their fourth World Series win in six years and their third win over New York in the playoffs.
So far, the Astros are undefeated 6-0 in the playoffs.
Cristian Javier, a breakout player in 2022, started the playoffs for the first time on Saturday night after a relief effort on Oct. 12. He struck out five Yankees, walked three, and only allowed one. Houston didn’t quite hit Gerrit Cole, but they applied enough pressure for five runs. First, Chas McCormick hit a two-run homer after Harrison Budd and Aaron Judge’s miscommunication in the outfield extended an inning.
Kerr then left with a hit in the sixth inning, only to watch reliever Lou Trivino let all three runners score. Overall, the Yankees ace was charged five times and won by just three points.
The stagnant Yankees offense reached the low point of a frustrating series. Giancarlo Stanton’s fourth-inning double was their only hit going into the ninth, when the Yankees launched a short but futile challenge. Manager Aaron Boone’s second-unit shuffle — moving Anthony Rizzo to the starting spot — still hasn’t found joy.
Houston trade-deadline acquisitions Trey Mancini and Christian Vazquez made key RBIs in the sixth inning to close Yankee Stadium. The pair are typically relegated to the bench amid reports that Astros owner Jim Crane may not keep general manager James Crick — hired in the wake of the account-stealing scandal.
But whatever the Astros’ long-term future holds, the near-term future includes a chance to sweep the Yankees and head to the World Series. They’ll have Lance McCullers Jr. On the mounds trying to do it at 7:07pm ET Sunday. He’ll face the Yankees’ Nestor Cortez Jr., the hero of the ALDS Game 5 against Cleveland.
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