|
This time with some of the same holdovers and some new
contributors, the Astros enjoyed another celebration over the
Yankees, one that seemed significantly easier.
Capitalizing on a miscue by New York second baseman Gleyber
Torres in the seventh inning, the Astros completed an impressive
sweep Sunday night when Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman
delivered clutch hits in a 6-5 win over the Yankees in Game 4 of
the American League Championship Series.
The Astros advanced to their fourth World Series in six seasons
and became the fourth team to sweep the Yankees in a
best-of-seven series.
"A lot has transpired over the last few years," Houston starter
Lance McCullers Jr. said during a noisy celebration. "A lot has
been said but there's not a lot to say anymore man. We keep
coming here. We keep facing the best of the best and we keep
winning.
"When everything happened a few years ago, we knew the one thing
that we could do is we could win, and we could win and win a
lot. I understand people are still not going to like us. They're
going to boo us but at some point, you have to respect what
we're doing."
The Astros beat the Yankees for the third time to reach the
World Series. After needing seven games in 2017 and six in 2019,
the Astros finished off their first sweep in a best-of-seven
series in team history with many fans clad in orange in the
stands to watch the on-field celebration that culminated with
rookie Jeremy Pena being named ALCS MVP.
"I know how good of a team they have," Trey Mancini said. "To be
able to sweep them in a series of this magnitude is a great
feat."
Houston will open the World Series Friday night at home against
Philadelphia, which beat San Diego earlier Sunday. The Astros
lost to the Phillies in the 1980 NLCS when both teams competed
in the NL.
The Astros rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 5-4 and capitalized
on shaky New York defense in the seventh to regain the lead.
With one out, Jose Altuve hit a ground ball to first baseman
Anthony Rizzo, who was shifted away from the bag. Jonathan
Loaisiga (0-1) slightly hesitated running off the mound and
Altuve's left foot hit the base first.
"To a man, almost, they were saying, hey, boys, here's our
break, and if you think it's a break, you can turn it into a
break," Astros manager Dusty Baker said. "It starts with the
thought process."
After replay upheld the call, rookie Pena hit a grounder to
Torres. Torres fielded the ball but made a throwing error on a
backhand toss to shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
"Normally with this team, whenever the other team gives us a
chance and they make a mistake we capitalize," Mancini said.
Following the miscue, Alvarez stroked a single to right for a
5-5 tie. Bregman then lined a 2-2 sinker into center field off
Clay Holmes for a 6-5 edge.
"You make mistakes like that in the postseason good teams can
capitalize," Houston center fielder Chas McCormick said. "That's
kind of what we do. We've been doing that all postseason."
Pena became the fifth rookie to win MVP honors in a LCS and hit
a tying homer to help the Astros rally from an early 3-0 deficit
before Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single later in the third.
Harrison Bader hit his fifth homer of the postseason in the
sixth to give the Yankees a short-lived 5-4 lead. Anthony Rizzo
hit a tying single and an RBI double.
Torres and Giancarlo Stanton hit RBI singles in the first, but
the Yankees were swept in a best-of-seven series for the first
time since the 2012 ALCS against Detroit.
"It's an awful day, just an awful ending," Yankees manager Aaron
Boone said. "It stings. It hurts."
The Yankees batted .173 in a postseason where they deployed four
leadoff hitters. Star Aaron Judge entered free agency by going
5-for-36 in the postseason after hitting 62 homers in the
regular season to break Roger Maris' AL record.
"I've been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes,"
Judge said." But we couldn't get something done before spring
training. Now I'm a free agent. We'll see what happens."
New York also lost starter Nestor Cortes to a left groin injury.
Cortes exited after allowing Pena's homer and the All-Star
left-hander allowed three runs on two hits in two-plus innings.
McCullers allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five
innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Hector Neris ended the sixth by fanning Judge, and Bryan Abreu
ended a 1-2-3 seventh by whiffing Torres. Rafael Montero worked
a hitless eighth and Ryan Pressly closed out Houston's fifth
pennant-clincher by retiring Judge for the final out.
--Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
