HOUSTON – It's the matchup everybody has been talking about since really when spring training camps opened in February. The two juggernauts of the American League in the Astros and Yankees set for a collision course in October.
Sometimes dreams do come true. It's about to happen tonight with the start of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park. The Astros and Yankees are fairly even in some categories but not all. Pitching is advantage Astros for sure. This season, the two teams met seven times with the Astros going 4-3 against the Bronx Bombers. Houston swept New York in April outscoring the Yanks 18-12. Then in June the Yankees won three out of four games outscoring the Astros 25-21.
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None of that matters now.
That was then and this is now.
Two powerhouses that are both healthy.
Time to play this series out.
ALCS BY THE NUMBERS
210 Combined wins by Houston (107) and New York (103)
60 Home wins by Astros this season. 60-21 was best in MLB
45 Road wins by both Houston and New York
39 Runs scored by the Astros vs. Yankees in 7 games this season
70 Amount of strikeouts Astros pitching had vs NYY in 2017 ALCS
306 Yankee Home Run total this season
36 Home Runs given up by Justin Verlander this season
436 Runs score by Astros against opponents bullpens this season
11 Career postseason home runs by Jose Altuve. Most for 2nd baseman
60 Home wins by Astros this season. 60-21 was best in MLB
18 Consecutive decisions won by Gerrit Cole
3.69 Astros Team ERA
4.27 Yankees Team ERA
PITCHING MATCHUPS —ALCS GAMES 1-3
Game 1 RHP Masahrio Tanaka vs RHP Zack Greinke
Game 2 LHP James Paxton vs RHP Justin Verlander
Game 3 RHP Luis Severino vs RHP Gerrit Cole