#26. 2019 AL Champion Houston Astros v. #54. 1954 New York Yankees
Astros 107-57 (Pythag 107-55) Mgr AJ Hinch (5th AL MoY)
1st in AL West
d. Rays 3-2 in ALDS
d. Yankees 4-2 in ALCS (MVP-Jose Altuve)
lost to Nationals 4-3 in World Series
d. #103 1948 Yankees 2-0 (MVP-Michael Brantley)
d. #90 1949 Red Sox 3-0 (MVP-Yuli Gurriel)
d. #122 1999 Braves 3-0 (MVP- Carlos Correa/Josh Reddick)
All-Stars: OF Michael Brantley, 3B Alex Bregman (2nd AL MVP) SP Gerrit Cole (2nd AL Cy Young) RP Ryan Pressly, OF George Springer, SP Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young)
Third straight 100 win season, best record in MLB. Everyone fired in offseason for sign stealing. First team ever to both lead in most pitching Ks and fewest hitting Ks.
Yankees 103-51 (Pythag 101-53) Mgr. Casey Stengel
2nd in AL
d. #75 1913 A's 2-0 (MVP-Mickey Mantle)
d. #10 1907 Cubs 3-0 (MVP-Whitey Ford/Johnny Sain)
d. #23 1936 Yankees 3-2 (MVP-Mickey Mantle/Hank Bauer)
All-Stars: OF Hank Bauer, C Yogi Berra (AL MVP) SP Whitey Ford, OF Mickey Mantle, OF Irv Noren, SP Allie Reynolds
Hall of Famers: Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto, Enos Slaughter
The '53 Yanks advanced to this round in Region 3, here's the sequel.
Yankees-Casey Stengel
RF Slaughter (38) (LH) 102
CF Mantle (22) (SH) 158 5.8
C Berra (29) (LH) 137 5.7
DH Skowron (23) 167 1.9
LF Noren (29) (LH) 138 3.5
1B Collins (31) (LH) 125 1.9
3B Carey (22) 121 4.7
2B McDougald (26) 117 3.8
SS Miranda (28) 79 (SH) .1
SP3 Byrd (29) 104
Bench
RF Bauer (31) 127 2.7
LF Cerv (29) 121
SS Rizzuto (36) 52 .3
LF Woodling (LH) (31) 98
2B Coleman (29) 55
1B Robinson (33) (LH) 103
P Ford (25) (LH) 123 4.1
SP2 Grim (24) 107 2.4
SP4 Lopat (LH)
Stengel starts the series the way he started the regional semi-final, lots of platoons; there will be some short leashes though, given the way Bauer/Rizzuto performed in the comeback win over 1936. The veteran Lopat gets the call for game 4.
Astros-AJ Hinch
CF Springer (29) 150 6.5
DH Alvarez (22) (LH) 173 3.8
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
RF Reddick (32) (LH) 89 1.6
SP1 Cole (28) 185 7.5
Bench
CF Marisnick (28) 80 1.4
1B White (28) 72
3B Diaz (28) 114
2B Kemp (27) (LH) 88
SS Straw (24) 92
P Verlander (36) 179 7.6
SP3 Miley (32) (LH) 116 1.6
SP4 Greinke (35) 154
Greinke didn't meet the minimum IP to start in the tournament - but only 3 Astros did - so as we move to a 4 man rotation, he gets the call and this undefeated Astros team gets even stronger. Marisnick will move into the lineup against LH.
Lineups:
C-Berra
1B-Gurriel
2B-Push
SS-Correa
3B-Bregman
LF-Push
CF-Springer
RF-Bauer
SP1-Cole
SP2-Verlander
SP3-Grim
SP4-Greinke
Pen-Houston
WAR: Houston 8 NYY 3, the run should end for the Yankees, Astros are solidly better, Bregman is the best position player, they have the better seed and home field Substantial favorites here.
GAME ONE
1st: The 2017 LA Dodgers won Region 2 and that means they will meet the Region 7 winners in the Elite 8. Either we will see a Yankee/Dodger matchup, which is always good for historical reasons - or we'll get what is pretty close to a rematch of the 2017 World Series with Astros/Dodgers. Hoping for the latter is Gerrit Cole. 28 year old RH, 20-5, 2.50. Cole's from southern California, went to UCLA, on the same staff as Trevor Bauer. Taken first overall in the 2011 draft by the Pirates and came up mid '13. 4th in the Cy Young in '15, dealt to Houston before the '18 season and finished 5th in the Cy that season. This year, Cole led MLB in Ks, K/9 and finished second in the Cy - behind Justin Verlander, who will be going in game 2. No wonder the Astros are undefeated in the tournament thusfar. 1-2-3
1st: Its Harry Byrd on the mound for Stengel's Yankees. 29 year old RH, 9-7 2.99; he's from South Carolina, joined the Army after HS, signed with the A's in '46, first got the call in '50 and was Rookie of the Year in '52. Byrd lost 20 games in '53 and in the offseason was part of a 13 player trade with the Yankees. 1-2-3
2nd: Moose Skowron singles. The 23 year old is DH'ing today. Skowron's from Chicago, played baseball, basketball and football at Purdue (he played for Hank Stram). Signed with the Yanks in '50 and got called up this year, platooning at first base. Cole gets the next 3, he has 3 Ks.
2nd: Carlos Correa was Astros co-MVP in the semi-final and he walks to lead off the second. Correa's Puerto Rican, Houston took him first overall in '12 at the age of 17 and brought him up in '15, when he was Rookie of the Year. Jose Altuve walks and Michael Brantley doubles to right center, scoring both. Yuli Gurriel singles - Houston's off and running, 3-0. Robinson Chirinos walks, Byrd gets 2 - and then Yordan Alvarez singles home another run. Big, big inning. Yankees 0 Astros 4
3rd: Willy Miranda singles with 1 out. Miranda got the first shot at shortstop in this series; the 28 year old is Cuban, signed with the Senators in '48, came up in '51 and was dealt to the White Sox after the season. After a couple of short stints with the Browns, Miranda was sold to the Yankees in mid '53. Considered a defensive specialist, he backed up Rizzuto this year. That's all.
3rd: Jose Altuve singles with one out. The Astros 5'6 second baseman is 29. Altuve's Venezuelan, signed with the Astros at 16, called up in mid '11. An All Star in '12, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18. In '16, Altuve was 3rd in the MVP and won the award the following season. Altuve hit his 100th career homer this season, got his 1500th hit, was ALCS MVP and hit .303 in the World Series. That's all.
4th: 1-2-3
4th: Robinson Chirinos singles to right. The Astros catcher is 35. He's Venezuelan, signed with the Cubs in '10, dealt to the Rays and came up mid '11. Chirinos was dealt to Texas early in the '13 season and before this year signed with Houston. Two outs later Alvarez singles and Bregman walks and the bases are loaded. Byrd escapes.
5th: Joe Collins walks. The Yankee first baseman is 31; born in Scranton, signed with the Yankees back in '39 and came up in '48. Career Yankee, often sharing at bats at first. That's all, 5 Ks for Cole.
5th: Byrd's done - 27 year old RH Jim McDonald comes on, 4-1, 3.17. Michael Brantley doubles with one out. The Houston LF is 32, went to HS in Ft Pierce, Florida, his dad played for the Mariners. The Brewers took him in the 7th round in '05 and dealt him to the Indians after the '08 season. Cleveland called him up in '09. In '14, Brantley was 3rd in the AL MVP and he made the '18 All Star team. He signed prior to this season with the Astros. Gurriel singles home a run and it's 5-0. Chirinos singles, Josh Reddick singles to score another run. It's a rout. Yankees 0 Astros 6
6th: Miranda doubles, just the third hit for the Yankees. Cole walks Enos Slaughter. The 38 year old Slaughter is platooning in RF. Slaughter's from North Carolina, after HS he played semi-pro and worked in a textile mill. Slaughter signed with the Cards in '36, came up in '38. In '42, Slaughter led the NL in hits and was 2nd in the MVP. He then joined the Air Force and missed the next 3 seasons. In game 7 of the 1946 World Series, Slaughter scored from first on a double in the bottom of the 8th to break a 3-3 tie with the Red Sox; called "Slaughter's Mad Dash" it was one of the more famous baseball plays of the era. Slaughter was purpotedly opposed to integration; he spiked Jackie Robinson in August, '47. Slaughter had 4 post-War top 10 MVP finishes and was dealt to the Yankees prior to this season. Mantle walks and the bases are loaded with nobody out. Cole induces a Berra double play, scoring a run. Yankees 1 Astros 6
6th: Alex Bregman walks. The Astros third baseman is 25, from Albuquerque, went to LSU. Houston took him second overall in '15 and called him up in '16. Bregman was 5th in the MVP last year, 2nd this year. An out later Altuve walks and Brantley singles, to add another Houston run. After the second out, McDonald hits Chirinos - with this game seemingly out of reach, is that a message? We'll see how it plays out. Yankees 1 Astros 7
7th: 1-2-3
7th: Bregman singles with 2 out, Correa singles, that's all.
8th: 1-2-3, 9 in a row from Cole, Houston cruising to a game one win.
8th: 34 year old lefty Tommy Byrne for the Yankees. 2.70. Brantley singles again. 2 outs later Josh Reddick triples him home. Reddick was co-MVP in the Astros semi-final win. Reddick's 32, went to Middle Georgia College and drafted by the Red Sox in the 17th round in '06. came up in '09 and was dealt to the A's after the '11 season. The Dodgers got him at the deadline in '16 and then he signed with the Astros before the '17 season. George Springer singles Reddick home; it's a laugher in Houston for the solidly favored Astros. 31 year old lefty Bob Kuzava is the new Yankee pitcher, 5.45. Alvarez and Bregman single, that scores another run. Correa reaches on a run scoring error - just a wipeout today. Yankees 1 Astros 11
9th: Cole gives way to 35 year old RH Joe Smith, had a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings pitched. 1-2-3
Yankees 1
Astros 11
WP Cole
LP Byrd
18 Astros hits just pound the Yankees in game one. Cole going 8, giving up 3 hits.
Springer 1x
Alvarez 3x
Bregman 4x
Correa 2x
Altuve 3x
Brantley 4 x/2 doubles, 3 game 1 RBI, 3 game 1 runs
Gurriel 2x
Chirinos 4x
Reddick 2x/triple
Slaughter 1x
Mantle 1x
Skowron 1x
Miranda 2x/double
CF Mantle (22) (SH) 158 5.8
C Berra (29) (LH) 137 5.7
DH Skowron (23) 167 1.9
LF Noren (29) (LH) 138 3.5
1B Collins (31) (LH) 125 1.9
RF Bauer (31) 127 2.7
3B Carey (22) 121 4.7
2B McDougald (26) 117 3.8
SS Miranda (28) 79 (SH) .1
P Ford (25) (LH) 123 4.1
RF Springer (29) 150 6.5
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
DH Alvarez (22) (LH) 173 3.8
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
CF Marisnick (28) 80 1.4
P Verlander (36) 179 7.6
GAME TWO
1st: The Astros are now 9-0 in the tournament after blowing the Yankees out in game one of the Region 7 final. Justin Verlander looks to make it a perfect 10. 36 year old RH, 21-6, 2.58. Verlander's from Richmond, went to Old Dominion; the Tigers took him 2nd overall in '04, came up in '05 and was Rookie of the Year in '06 and started game one of the World Series. In June, '07 Verlander no hit the Brewers; in '09 he led MLB in wins and Ks and finished third in the Cy Young. In May of '11, Verlander no hit the Jays and in a June game struck out 14 Diamondbacks. He led the AL in wins/Ks/ERA and won the MVP and Cy Young. Verlander started the All Star game in '12, threw a complete game 4 hitter to clinch the ALDS and finished second in the Cy Young. Verlander struck out 10 A's to clinch the 2013 ALDS, he had a 0.39 ERA in the '13 postseason. In '16, Verlander was 2nd in the Cy Young and he was dealt to the Astros in late '17. In the '17 ALCS, Verlander had a 0.56 ERA. In '18, Verlander was 2nd in the Cy Young, In a game this June, Verlander struck out 15 Brewers. In September he no hit the Jays. In his final start of the regular season, Verlander recorded his 3,000th career K. He won his 2nd Cy Young this year. Mantle opens with a base hit. Verlander gets the next two -- and then Irv Noren hits a 2 run homer to right -- the Yankees jump on top today. Yankees 2 Astros 0
1st: Whitey Ford is given the 2-0 lead today. 25 year old lefty, 16-8, 2.82. Ford's a local, a NYC kid. Grew up in Queens. The Yankees signed him in '47, he was hospitalized with dysentery in '49, was 2nd in the Rookie of the Year in '50 and won the clinching game in the World Series. Ford served the next two years in the Army, came back in '53. He started the All Star game this year. Ford walks George Springer, then Alex Bregman. After an out, Carlos Correa singles home a run. After the second out, Yuli Gurriel doubles home two -- and then Michael Brantley bombs a 2 run homer. The Astros hang a 5 spot on Whitey Ford in the first inning. Yankees 2 Astros 5
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: Jake Marisnick gets the start today against the lefty Ford - and he hits the first pitch he sees over the wall in left. Marisnick's 28, from Riverside, California, the Jays took him in the third round a decade ago and dealt him to the Marlins before the '12 season. He got called up in '13 and was moved to Houston at the '14 deadline. Springer and Bregman walk, after an out, a Correa sac fly scores Houston's 7th run. Yankees 2 Astros 7
3rd: Willy Miranda walks and Mickey Mantle doubles. Mantle's 22, from Oklahoma, signed with the Yankees out of HS and called up when he was 18 and given the number 6, Ruth was 3, Gehrig 4, DiMaggio 5 (it was changed to 7 in late '51). Mantle was injured when he and DiMaggio both went after a Mays fly ball in the '51 Series, tearing his knee. Mantle hit .300 this year. A Berra sac fly scores a run and a Skowron groundout scores a second. Yankees 4 Astros 7
3rd: Yuli Gurriel singles to center. The Astros first baseman is 35. He's Cuban, won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics and a silver in '08. Gurriel defected in '16 and signed with the Astros. He hit 31 homers this year. Brantley singles. That's all.
4th: Joe Collins doubles down the right field line and Hank Bauer follows with a run scoring double; the Yankee offense coming alive in game 2. Bauer's 31, co-MVP in the regional semi and probably going to start the rest of the way after sitting in game one. Bauer's from East St Louis, spent 4 years in the Marines after HS and earned 2 Bronze Stars in the Pacific. Bauer signed with the Yankees in '46 and came up in '48. Bauer started in the All Star game in '52, '53 and this year. After an out, Gil McDougald grounds out to score another run, Miranda walks - it ends here, but how about this Yankee attack? Yankees 6 Astros 7
4th: Yordan Alvarez walks with 1 out. Houston's DH is 22. He's from Cuba, defected in '16 and signed with the Dodgers. Houston got him for Josh Fields in late '16. He came up in the middle of this season, hit 27 homers and won the Rookie of the Year. Correa singles, Altuve doubles to score two and that chases Ford. Jim McDonald is the new pitcher. He gets one then walks Brantley. Chironis doubles home two. The Astros. Man. Yankees 6 Astros 11
5th: Verlander gets two and then Irv Noren hits his second homer of the day. Noren's 29, from Pasadena. Goes to Pasadena Jr. College and then to the military. The Dodgers signed him in '46 when he also played a few games of professional basketball. The Senators buy him after the '49 season and he comes up in '50. Noren broke his jaw in '51 and was dealt to the Yankees in '52. He made his only ever All Star game this year and hit .319 on the season. Collins walks, Bauer singles - that's all. Yankees 7 Astros 11
5th: McDonald gets 2 - Alvarez singles, Correa singles - Altuve doubles both of them home. The Astros. Man. Yankees 7 Astros 13
6th: 1-2-3, Verlander strikes out the side.
6th: 1-2-3
7th: Yogi doubles. The Yankee backstop is 29, from St Louis, played Legion ball with Joe Garagiola and signed with the Yanks in '42. Berra then served in the Navy, getting called up in '46. Berra was an All Star in '48, finished 3rd in the MVP in '50 and won it in '51. Yogi then finished 4th in '52, 2nd in '53 and won it again this year. That's all.
7th: George Springer walks. Springer's 29, from Connecticut, went to UConn. Houston took him 11th overall in '11, came up in '14 and was 8th in the Rookie of the Year. Springer hit 5 homers in the 2017 World Series, winning the MVP. Bregman singles, an out later Correa singles home another run. 34 year old lefty Tommy Byrne enters, 2.70 ERA - Altuve and Gurriel have back to back run scoring singles. Yankees 7 Astros 16
8th: Verlander's day is over, Joe Smith comes on. Gil McDougald doubles with 2 out, thats all.
8th: 1-2-3
9th: Mantle walks - 24 year old Jose Urquidy gets the call from AJ Hinch. 3.95. He walks Yogi - but that's the end.
Yankees 7
Astros 16
WP Verlander
LP Ford
The Astros are 10-0. How do you stop this group? The series heads to Yankee Stadium for game 3.
Springer 4x
Alvarez 5x/3 runs scored game 2
Bregman 7x
Correa 6x/3 RBI, 3 runs, game 2
Altuve 6x/2 doubles, 5 RBI game 2
Brantley 7x/2 doubles, HR, 3 game 1 RBI, 3 game 1 runs
Gurriel 5x/double 3 RBI game 2
Chirinos 5x/double
Reddick 2x/triple
Marisnick 1x/HR
Slaughter 1x
Mantle 4x/double
Skowron 1x
Miranda 4x/double
Berra 2x/double
Noren 2x/ 2 HR, 3 RBI game 2
Collins 2x/double
Bauer 2x/double
McDougald 1x/double
CF Springer (29) 150 6.5
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
RF Reddick (32) (LH) 89 1.6
SP3 Miley (32) (LH) 116 1.6
CF Mantle (22) (SH) 158 5.8
1B Skowron (23) 167 1.9
C Berra (29) (LH) 137 5.7
RF Bauer (31) 127 2.7
LF Noren (29) (LH) 138 3.5
3B Carey (22) 121 4.7
2B McDougald (26) 117 3.8
SS Rizzuto (36) 52 .3
SP2 Grim (24) 107 2.4
GAME THREE
1st: Bob Grim stands on the Yankee Stadium mound, looking to do anything to slow this Astros onslaught. Grim's a 24 year old RH, 20-6, 3.26. Like Ford; Grim's a New Yorker - he went to HS in Brooklyn, signed with the Yankees in '48, this was his rookie season and he won the Rookie of the Year. He gets two - then Correa singles. Aluve doubles him home, that's Alutve's third double of the series and then Brantley singles home Altuve. Brantley's reached 8 times, leading both teams. Astros 2 Yankees 0
1st: Wade Miley is a 32 year old lefty, 14-6, 3.98. Miley's from Louisiana, went to SE Louisiana. Arizona took him in the first in '08, called him up in '11. Miley was 2nd in the Rookie of the Year in '12. The Red Sox got him after the '14 season and a year later sent him to the Cubs. Miley went to the Orioles next and in '17 gave up Adrian Beltre's 3000th hit. Then the Brewers and he signed with Houston before this season. 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: Andy Carey singles with 2 away. Carey's 22, from Oakland, went to St Marys. The Yanks signed him in '51, he came up in the next year. This was his first full season in the bigs. That's it.
3rd: Alex Bregman walks with 1 out. Altuve walks an out later. That's all.
3rd: Mantle singles with 2 away, that's all.
4th: Chirinos singles with one away, that's all.
4th: We have some pitching early on in game 3. 1-2-3
5th: Springer singles but that's all.
5th: 1-2-3, 7 straight retired by Miley -- New York has got to hit the ball.
6th: 1-2-3, Grim and Miley, nice duel today.
6th: Skowron singles with two away; That's it -- Miley's allowed just 3 hits.
7th: Chirinos singles. Two outs later Springer singles and then Bregman singles home a run and now it sure looks like Houston's about to virtually lock this series down. Astros 3 Yankees 0
7th: Bauer singles. 2 outs later Gil McDougald singles. McDougald's 26, he's from San Francisco, signed with the Yanks in '48, Rookie of the Year in '51. McDougald hit two homers in the '53 World Series. That's it.
8th: Tom Gorman takes the ball for the Yankees. 1-2-3
8th: Miley's day is done - Walt Harris is a 34 year old RH with a 1.50 ERA. Skowron singles with 2 away but nothing else happens and Houston is 3 outs from a 3 games to 0 lead.
9th: Allie Reynolds for the Yanks. 37 year old RH, 13 wins, 3.32. Alvarez comes off the bench with 2 outs and walks, thats all.
9th: 24 year old RH Roberto Osuna is on to finish this one up. 2.63.
Bauer doubles. Going to need a few of those.
Noren flies to center.
Carey pops to Skowron.
And McDougald flies to left -- routine for Brantley and the Astros have gone up 3 games to 0.
Astros 3
Yankees 0
WP Miley
Loss Grim
Sv Osuna
Miley goes 7, gives up 5 hits and doesn't walk anyone. And now having won all 11 games in the tournament Zach Greinke is about to get the ball for the Astros.
Springer 6x
Alvarez 5x/3 runs scored game 2
Bregman 9x
Correa 7x/3 RBI, 3 runs, game 2
Altuve 8x/3 doubles, 5 RBI game 2
Brantley 8x/2 doubles, HR, 3 game 1 RBI, 3 game 1 runs
Gurriel 5x/double 3 RBI game 2
Chirinos 7x/double
Reddick 2x/triple
Marisnick 1x/HR
Slaughter 1x
Mantle 5x/double
Skowron 3x
Miranda 4x/double
Berra 2x/double
Noren 2x/ 2 HR, 3 RBI game 2
Collins 2x/double
Bauer 4x/ 2 double
McDougald 2x/double
Carey 1x
RF Springer (29) 150 6.5
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
CF Marisnick (28) 80 1.4
SP4 Greinke (35) 154
CF Mantle (22) (SH) 158 5.8
C Berra (29) (LH) 137 5.7
LF Noren (29) (LH) 138 3.5
1B Collins (31) (LH) 125 1.9
RF Bauer (31) 127 2.7
3B Carey (22) 121 4.7
2B McDougald (26) 117 3.8
SS Miranda (28) 79 (SH) .1
SP4 Lopat (LH)
GAME FOUR
1st: The 128 greatest baseball teams ever put on a field made up this tournament - the Astros have won all 10 games they've played. 36 year old lefty Eddie Lopat tries - somehow - to prevent this sweep. 12-4. 3.55. Like Ford and Grim - Lopat's from New York. Went to DeWitt Clinton HS, ushered at Radio City, signed with the Dodgers in '36, when he eventually made the bigs in '44 it was with the White Sox. The Yanks got him before the '48 season. In '52 he had a 2.53 ERA and in '53 it was 2.42. 1-2-3
1st: 35 year old RH Zack Greinke for the Astros. 8-1, 3.02. Greinke's from Orlando, the Royals took him in the first round in '02, he was just 20 when they called him up in '04. Greinke won the Cy Young in '09 and was dealt to the Brewers prior to the '11 season. The next season he was dealt to the Angels and then prior to '13 Greinke signed with the Dodgers. He was 8th in the Cy Young that year, 7th the following. And in 2015 Greinke was 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA and finished second in the Cy Young. Following the season he signed with Arizona. He won his 200th game in '16. In '17 he finished 4th in the Cy Young and came over to Houston at this year's deadline. Combined this year, Greinke was 18-5, 2.93. Mantle walks, that's all.
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: Collins doubles. That's it.
3rd: 1-2-3, 9 up, 9 down for Lopat.
3rd: 1-2-3
4th: Lopat gets one - and then Alex Bregman homers to dead center - he's reached 10 times, leading both squads. Astros 1 Yankees 0
4th: 1-2-3, 8 straight for Greinke
5th: Brantley singles with 1 out, he's reached 9 times, that's all.
5th: McDougald singles with one out, That's it. Just 2 hits for both clubs so far today.
6th: 1-2-3
6th: 1-2-3 - veteran pitchers going at it in game 4.
7th: Correa and Altuve single with one out, Gurriel then singles and that's a run. Lopat gives way to Tom Gorman, Brantley grounds out - that's another run. Marisnick singles one more in -- this one is all over; the 7th team to advance to the Elite 8 - the hottest team in this tournament - is going to be the Astros. Astros 4 Yankees 0
7th: Collins doubles. That's it -- Greinke's given up just 3 hits and is now 6 outs from the sweep.
8th: Springer singles, an out later Correa walks - Altuve singles home a run, and a Gurriel sac fly scores another. Tommy Byrne comes on for New York to end it. Astros 6 Yankees 0
8th: Miranda singles and then Skowron pinch singles. Mickey Mantle then rocks one -- a 3 run bomb that hits high, high, high up on the foul pole. Mantle trots around the bases to the roar of the faithful - it might be too late but it's the best moment of the series for New York. Walt Harris enters for Houston and retires the next 3. Astros 6 Yankees 3
9th: Allie Reynolds for the Yanks, Chironis singles and then Marisnick ends the series with a homer to right center - the Astros are all out of the dugout now - they know the sweep is moments away - they know they are moving to the Elite 8. Harris hits for himself and he singles- an out later Bregman walks, Correa singles home a run and thats Astros 9 Yankees 3
9th: Harris gets the first two and walks McDougald - Hinch brings on Joe Smith - he strikes out Miranda and that's it. Chironis runs out to the mound to hug Smith, the Astros just roll out to the diamond - the full roster celebrating on the Yankee Stadium infield - Houston is undefeated -- undefeated - they've swept their way to the Elite 8.
Astros 9
Yankees 3
WP Greinke
LP Lopat
Houston hit, they hit some more and then they hit. 12-0 in the tournament.
Springer 7x
Bregman 11x/HR
Correa 10x/3 RBI, 3 runs, game 2
Altuve 10x/3 doubles, 5 RBI game 2
Brantley 9x/2 doubles, HR, 3 game 1 RBI, 3 game 1 runs
Chirinos 9x/double
Hard to pick, this really was spread up and down the lineup - let's say Brantley gets it.
