YORDAN ALVAREZ

Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez was not called out after a third strike in a win over the Boston Red Sox.

Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez was not called out after a third strike in a win over the Boston Red Sox.

Trey Mancini homered in his first start for Houston to back a sterling performance by Jose Urquidy, and the Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1.

Jarren Duran homered and drove in a career-high three RBIs and the Boston Red Sox overcame sloppy fielding early for a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros.

Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI single with one out in the 10th inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Yankees star Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs with a two-run drive in the second inning for New York against the Kansas City Royals.

Yankees star Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs with a two-run drive in the second inning for New York against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The 6-foot-7 slugger, who became the first player in the majors this season to reach 40 homers Friday, fouled off two breaking balls from starter Jonathan Heasley before sending a 2-2 fastball into the right-center field seats. Judge’s 200th homer came in his 671st career game, behind just Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard, who achieved the feat in 2009 in 658 games.

Justin Verlander pitched one-run ball into the eighth inning and won his MLB-leading 14th game, Aledmys Díaz hit two homers and Yordan Alvarez slugged his 30th home run of the season as the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 11-1.

Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer early, and his tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning led the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Hey guys, it’s Ari Alexander with the Astros coming off a huge week post-All Star break and getting ready for the August 2 trade deadline.

Chad Pinder hit his second grand slam in two weeks, Frankie Montas pitched five innings in what could be his final outing with Oakland and the Athletics held off the Houston Astros 5-3.

Tony Kemp homered and hit a two-run double, Skye Bolt added a two-run shot, and the Oakland Athletics held off the red-hot Houston Astros 7-5.

Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña hit back-to-back home runs off Robbie Ray to begin the game, and the Houston Astros roughed up the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner in an 8-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners that completed a three-game sweep.

The Houston Astros ended the Seattle Mariners’ winning streak at 14 games, with Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez homering in a 5-2 victory.

Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman both homered and the pair combined for five RBIs as the Houston Astros completed a doubleheader sweep of the New York Yankees Thursday with a 7-5 win in Game 2.

Stephen Vogt hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics wrapped up a shaky first half by beating the Houston Astros 4-3.

Skye Bolt homered with a career-high three RBIs, Cole Irvin pitched six sharp innings and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 5-1.

Korey Lee got his first three hits in the major leagues and drove in three runs, leading Jake Odorizzi and the Houston Astros past the Oakland Athletics 6-1.

Now that the full Major League Baseball All-Star squads have been announced, look for the rosters to start changing.

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels were elected Friday to start in the July 19 All-Star Game along with outfielders Mookie Betts and Trea Turner of the host Dodgers.

Justin Verlander got his MLB-leading 11th win, Yordan Alvarez hit his 26th homer and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 to take the series 3-1.

Hey guys, it’s Ari Alexander and it’s been another successful week for the Houston Astros, who are barely behind the New York Yankees for the best record in baseball.

Yordan Alvarez threw out Hunter Dozier at the plate from just short of the warning track in left field to preserve a two-run, eighth-inning lead, then hit his 25th homer as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 9-7.

Yordan Alvarez homered with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6 for their seventh straight win.

The recognition is making it obvious - Yordan Alvarez is having a huge year so far for the Houston Astros.

Martín Maldonado homered twice and Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick added a home run each as the Houston Astros built a big lead early and didn’t let up in a 9-1 rout of the Los Angeles Angels.

Cristian Javier pitched another gem, striking out a career-high 14 while allowing just one hit in seven innings to lead the Houston Astros to an 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Alex Bregman hit a two RBI double early and the Houston Astros held on for a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees Thursday night.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. were elected Thursday to start in the July 20 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

The New York Yankees and Houston Astros will meet Thursday in a one-game series between AL division leaders at Minute Maid Park.

Kyle Tucker had a three-run homer and a stolen base, Yordan Alvarez hit his 23rd home run and Framber Valdez pitched a gem to lift the Houston Astros over the New York Mets 9-1.

The Houston Astros have placed five-time All-Star Michael Brantley on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort.

Two of the top Houston Astros players are atop the American League leader board for All-Star votes, according to an update released Monday.

Aaron Judge drove a three-run homer in the 10th inning for his second walk-off hit against Houston in four days, and the New York Yankees recovered after nearly being no-hit for the second consecutive game, beating Houston 6-3 to split a four-game series between the AL’s best teams.

The Houston Astros have activated rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña from the injured list and optioned outfielder Chas McCormick to Triple-A Sugar Land.

Justin Verlander pitched four-hit ball over seven innings, Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Yankees 3-1 to stop New York’s 15-game home winning streak.

Hello sports fans, KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy checking in with an update on the Astros now that their homestand is over at Minute Maid Park!

Yordan Alvarez homered twice off Carlos Carrasco as the Houston Astros jumped on him early and held on for a 5-3 win over the New York Mets Wednesday.

In Major League Baseball’s first release Tuesday of All-Star voting, Houston Astros Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez lead their respective positions.

Rookie J.

Johnny Cueto and Reynaldo López combined for a three-hitter and Luis Robert tied a career-high with four RBIs as the Chicago White Sox jumped on Justin Verlander early and cruised to a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros.

Michael Brantley’s grand slam was one of three homers in a 10-run sixth inning that propelled the Houston Astros to a 13-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Justin Verlander earned his major league-leading eighth win, Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve homered and the Houston Astros snapped their three-game losing streak with a 9-4 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jesús Aguilar each hit two home runs to power the Miami Marlins to their fourth straight win with a 7-4 interleague victory over the Houston Astros Friday night.

Cal Raleigh and Ty France both homered early and the Seattle Mariners beat the Astros 6-3 to finally win a series in Houston.

Justin Verlander struck out a season-high 12 in seven sparkling innings, Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1.

Mariners manager Scott Servais was ejected for his role in a benches-clearing scuffle in the ninth inning of Seattle’s 7-4 win over the Houston Astros, a game in which Cal Raleigh had a career-high four RBIs and Julio Rodriguez hit a late two-run shot.

On the same day where the Astros announced his six-year contract extension, Yordan Alvarez was named American League Player of the Week.

Yordan Álvarez, Aledmys Díaz and Martín Maldonado each homered and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 10-3 for their fifth straight win.

The Houston Astros are keeping one of their star sluggers around for the long term, multiple reports say.

Yuli Gurriel and José Siri had two hits each, Cristian Javier tied a career high with nine strikeouts and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 to win their series.

Altuve legged out an infield single with one out in the eighth and then fell to the ground past first base.

Hall of Famer Greg Maddux threw out the ceremonial first pitch for Sunday night’s Game 5 of the World Series. Maddux, wearing his Braves jersey, tipped his cap in response to an ovation from fans as he walked onto the field. Fittingly, he threw the pitch to Eddie Perez, who was often his designated catcher.

Alvarez hit .522 with one homer, three doubles, the triple and six RBIs in Houston’s six-game victory. He got nine hits in his last 13 at-bats, raising his postseason average to .441 with two homers and nine RBIs.

Rookie Luis García showed the poise of an October ace, MVP Yordan Alvarez stayed hot at the plate and the Houston Astros earned yet another trip to the World Series, beating the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series.

The Astros lefty was perfect through four, took a two-hit shutout into the seventh and became the first pitcher in the 2021 postseason to finish eight innings on Wednesday.

Hey Siri, this was a first start to remember after all of those years working to get to the majors. Jose Siri homered twice and added a two-run single while becoming the first big league player since RBIs became official in 1920 to have two homers and five RBIs in a first career start as the AL West-leading Houston Astros overwhelmed the last-place Texas Rangers 15-1 on Monday night. “I feel really happy, I feel really proud of myself to be able to accomplish that," Siri, who finished 4 for 5 and scored three times, said through a translator.

After a weekend sweep at the hands of the awful Texas Rangers, the Astros welcome some of the best teams in baseball to Minute Maid Park.

The Astros are likely to win the AL West even if a team like the Angels is better than some might think. But, if the 'Stros are going to be good, there are a few numbers that would certainly bolster their chances.

^ Keep Houston Press Free Support Us LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. Support UsAs long as this last year has felt, it's almost time for spring training again. As spring training approaches, here are a few names to watch early this season. It's more likely that Straw is a stopgap measure until the Astros can find a permanent replacement in center field. Tucker needs to continue to mature and turn into the "next" Springer for the Astros in the outfield.

Alex Bregman was added to the latest list of injured players on the Astros roster this week. The same day in Colorado, MVP runner up Alex Bregman left the game against the Rockies with a hamstring injury. Such is the state of not just the Astros in 2020, but baseball, where injuries have increased twofold over any normal season. Despite all that, the Astros are currently on a seven-game winning streak including a four-game home-and-home series sweep of the Colorado Rockies. For now, these Astros are fun to watch, so we should enjoy it while we can.

There are already a couple of injuries for two of the Astros most important players and we haven't even gotten to March 15. Justin VerlanderThe Astros ace is facing an injury similar to 2015 which cost him the first two months of the season. If he needs some time off and it helps him to get and remain healthy for the rest of the year, great. With Verlander ailing and a lot of question marks already in the rotation, the Astros can't afford another injury to McCullers. Jose AltuveAltuve has been the most important Astros player for the past five years.

It's been a really, really long offseason despite the fact that the Astros played until literally the last day of the offseason. Obviously the news has been dominated by a series of scandals culminating with the commissioners' report that the Astros cheated. As spring training opened, it only seemed to get worse with players weighing in on the controversy and fans booing heartily. Plenty of questions linger around training camp like how new veteran manager Dusty Baker will handle all the off-the-field complications (he'll do fine on the field). In the long run, the Astros are betting Tucker is their guy, but will it be this season?

So without further ado, here are eight Houston sports predictions for the upcoming calendar year. A couple add-on Texan contract predictions Laremy Tunsil becomes the highest paid tackle in football (and then gets trumped by Ronnie Stanley), D.J. The Texans will let Carlos Hyde go and draft a running back in the second round of the 2020 draft. Jonathan Joseph will retire and become the second player inducted into the Ring of Honor. He continues the reign of terror started in his rookie year last season into 2020 by hitting over 50 bombs.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The beloved 2017 Houston Astros World Series-winning team is forever etched in Houston history, but there are some who believe the 2019 version of the 'Stros could be even better.Here's how the two teams compare:The 2017 team had great pitching with Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Charlie Morton, and Brad Peacock. For 2019, Keuchel and Morton are gone and McCullers is hurt, but the Astros still have Verlander, plus Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke.The core of the team is essentially the same as in 2017 with Jose Altuve, George Springer, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick. Marwin Gonzalez is gone but was replaced by veteran Michael Brantley, who is having a great year.An unexpected boost to the Astros this year has been the promotion of Yordan Alvarez. Yordan, who is expected to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award, was still in the minor leagues in 2017, but will hopefully make an impact in this year's series.Catcher Brian McCann is gone, replaced by Robinson Chirinos and Martin Maldonado, who was part of the 2018 team.The closer for the 2017 Astros was Ken Giles, who was traded in 2018 for his replacement, current closer Roberto Osuna. Will Harris is still a go-to-guy in the pen, plus the Astros added set-up reliever Ryan Pressley.The 2019 'Stros are being led by the same man who took them to the 2017 championship, and that's manager A.J.

NEW YORK - Yordan lvarez of the Houston Astros has been unanimously chosen AL Rookie of the Year. The slugging designated hitter earned all 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America revealed Monday night. The 22-year-old from Cuba ranked second among AL rookies with 27 homers despite playing 87 games after debuting in June. He batted .313, drove in 78 runs and had a 1.067 OPS for the pennant-winning Astros. lvarez easily beat out the other AL finalists, with Orioles left-hander John Means second and Rays infielder Brandon Lowe third.

The first of what promises to be a number of postseason accolades for the Astros happened on Monday when rookie outfield/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez was named the American League Rookie of the Year. Alvarez, 22, joins Jeff Bagwell and Carlos Correa as the only other Astros to win a ROY award. After his call up, he not only demonstrated tremendous power, but uncanny plate discipline and pitch recognition for a player his age. He had 27 home runs (besting the previous Astros rookie record held by Correa, 22), 78 RBIs and 28 doubles. Both Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are finalists for the AL Cy Young Award as is their former teammate Charlie Morton (Tampa Bay).

There's only one thing that could have hurt Nationals fan Jeff Adams, and it wasn't a being struck by a baseball but it might have been having to repurchase not one, but two overpriced beers. Good job getting in front of this baseball and protecting the beer, my guy. pic.twitter.com/dkQLZPjaMp Cut4 (@Cut4) October 28, 2019"It hit me in the chest but it was from the other [Astros] team, so I didn't feel anything," Adams said. The ball hit his Chest but JEFF ADAMS says he didn't feel a thing!!! Says the Astros don't hit hard! @fox5dc #WinTheFight pic.twitter.com/EzvLxRIMYU Ike Ejiochi (@IkeEjiochi) October 28, 2019According to spectators, Adams was close to receiving another ball to that chest that night when Juan Soto's solo shot was aimed for left field.

#Astros #TakeItBack #WorldSeries Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 28, 2019Carlos remember that time I predicted your World Series home? #astros pic.twitter.com/RYLKhBq0yd David Nuo (@DavidNunoABC13) October 28, 2019Cole is off the charts (again). Truly elite #WorldSeries #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 28, 201915 career postseason HR for Springer. Brantley and Alex Bregman both sent balls to the warning track in the field, just short of home runs that resulted in outs. It cut the Astros lead to 4-1.The Nationals seemed to be gaining some momentum after Cole walked Ryan Zimmerman.

On Sunday, after two home losses in the World Series, the Astros completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals in D.C. with a 7-1 win, and return home to Houston to try and complete their second title in three seasons. Many struggles the Astros seemed to have through much of the postseason and certainly the first couple games of the World Series were wiped out in the nation's capital. In the end, the Astros headed for home just one win shy of their second championship. The 35-year-old veteran submarine pitcher had never been to a World Series and here he is in game five as a set up man. Overall, the Astros bats have broken out in the last three games for really the first time in the postseason.

The Houston Astros win Game 5 of the World Series to take a 3-2 lead. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Houston Astros have taken the in lead the World Series with a third straight victory over the Washington Nationals, 7-1. Houston has notched three consecutive definitive wins, all on the road, as they have come back from a 2-0 deficit against Washington to lead the series 3-2. The Nationals suffered an early blow when scheduled starting pitcher Max Scherzer was unable to play due to an irritated nerve near his neck. The series takes a day off Monday and returns to Houston on Tuesday, with Justin Verlander slated to start for the Astros and Stephen Strasburg for the Nationals.

#Astros #TakeItBack #WorldSeries Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 28, 2019Carlos remember that time I predicted your World Series home? #astros pic.twitter.com/RYLKhBq0yd David Nuo (@DavidNunoABC13) October 28, 2019Cole is off the charts (again). Truly elite #WorldSeries #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 28, 201915 career postseason HR for Springer. Brantley and Bregman both sent balls to the warning track in the field, just short of home runs that resulted in outs. It cut the Astros lead to 4-1.The Nationals seemed to be gaining some momentum after Cole walked Ryan Zimmerman.

#astros pic.twitter.com/RYLKhBq0yd David Nuo (@DavidNunoABC13) October 28, 2019Cole is off the charts (again). Truly elite #WorldSeries #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 28, 2019Yordan 3 for 3. Brantley and Bregman both sent balls to the warning track in the field, just short of home runs that resulted in outs. It cut the Astros lead to 4-1.The Nationals seemed to be gaining some momentum after Cole walked Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals hope he's available for a Game 7, if necessary.RELATED:The World Series is set to return to Houston on Tuesday for a Game 6.

#astros pic.twitter.com/RYLKhBq0yd David Nuo (@DavidNunoABC13) October 28, 2019Cole is off the charts (again). Truly elite #WorldSeries #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 28, 2019Yordan 3 for 3. Ross finished his night giving up four runs on the two home runs from Gurriel and Correa. Brantley and Bregman both sent balls to the warning track in the field, just short of home runs that resulted in outs. The Nationals hope he's available for a Game 7, if necessary.RELATED:The World Series is set to return to Houston on Tuesday for a Game 6.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTRK) -- After a dominant Game 4 victory in the World Series, the Houston Astros are riding all the momentum going into Game 5.George Springer fell down 0-2 in the count, but fought back and was walked by Joe Ross to start the night. Jose Altuve hit into a double play to erase the lead-off walk. It was announced Sunday afternoon that Max Scherzer was scratched due to neck spasms.RELATED:When speaking to the media, Scherzer said he could barely lift his arm and that it's impossible for him to pitch right now. The Nationals hope he's available for a Game 7, if necessary.RELATED:The World Series is set to return to Houston on Tuesday for a Game 6. Whoever wins Sunday night will be hoping to celebrate on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTRK) -- After a dominant Game 4 victory in the World Series, the Houston Astros are riding all the momentum going into Game 5.George Springer fell down 0-2 in the count, but fought back and was walked by Joe Ross to start the night. Jose Altuve hit into a double play to erase the lead-off walk. It was announced Sunday afternoon that Max Scherzer was scratched due to neck spasms.RELATED:When speaking to the media, Scherzer said he could barely lift his arm and that it's impossible for him to pitch right now. The Nationals hope he's available for a Game 7, if necessary.RELATED:The World Series is set to return to Houston on Tuesday for a Game 6. Whoever wins Sunday night will be hoping to celebrate on Tuesday.

For the record, I hate this rule in the World Series, where I believe DH should be in effect the entire series. Greinke and Chirinos need a great game and one that sees Greinke go at least five to six innings. Altuve has been lights out as usual in the World Series, with solid work in the box from Michael Brantley. Those are a few keys to an Astros win. Stay tuned to KPRC Channel 2 and to our great digital coverage on Click2Houston.com for all of your expanded Astros World Series coverage.

TOP 5 KEYS FOR THE ASTROS TO WIN GAME 3GRIENKE NEEDS TO PITCH DEEPZack Greinke was acquired for moments like he will face tonight and the pressure that goes with postseason baseball. For the record, I hate this rule in the World Series where I believe DH should be in effect the entire series. Altuve has been lights out as usual in the World Series with solid work in the box from Michael Brantley. Those are a few keys to an Astros win. Stay tuned to KPRC Channel 2 and to our great digital coverage on Click2Houston.com for all of your expanded Astros World Series coverage!

That was only followed up by a rough Game 5 at Yankee Stadium in a potential clinch game.So Game 2 should be a successful Verlander start, right? In five appearances in the World Series over his career, he has yet to notch a winning decision. There's just something about George Springer and the World Series. The outfielder homered for the fifth straight World Series game, which is a record for the world championship round.Yordan Alvarez also ripped off two hits on three at-bats. He had entered the series cold at the plate throughout the playoffs.The first pitch is set for 7:08 p.m. Wednesday.

2-0 #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019#Astros give Cole a 2 run lead and theyve ignited the loudest crowd in baseball. 1st inning gets an A+#TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019Cole gives up monster shot to Zimmerman in 2nd. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019AJ is steaming. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019Nationals and Scherzer survive 4th. Michael Brantley took a strikeout, but during Alex Bregman's at-bat, Springer pounced on third base on a Scherzer wild pitch.

2-0 #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019#Astros give Cole a 2 run lead and theyve ignited the loudest crowd in baseball. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019AJ is steaming. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019Nationals and Scherzer survive 4th. "The Astros and Washington Nationals, the National League champions, square off for Game 1 Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.Houston sends in pitcher Gerrit Cole to start. Michael Brantley took a strikeout, but during Alex Bregman's at-bat, Springer pounced on third base on a Scherzer wild pitch.

2-0 #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019#Astros give Cole a 2 run lead and theyve ignited the loudest crowd in baseball. 1st inning gets an A+#TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019Cole gives up monster shot to Zimmerman in 2nd. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019AJ is steaming. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 23, 2019EMBED >More News Videos Houston Astros advance to World Series for 2nd time in 3 yearsEMBED >More News Videos As the 'Stros head into the 2019 World Series, we asked some of them if they had any rituals or superstitions before the game. "The Astros and Washington Nationals, the National League champions, square off for Game 1 Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.Houston sends in pitcher Gerrit Cole to start.

3-0 #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 20, 2019Ryan Pressly told us after game 4 he finally felt like himself again. It was one strikeout and two routine ground balls for the Astros infield.Altuve reached second base on a line drive that went to the centerfield wall. On the very next at-bat, Brett Gardner also sent one to right field that barely was a foul ball. He had hit a home run off Urquidy in the fourth that cut the Astros' lead to two. "We got to go back home and finish the job," Carlos Correa said.The Astros are turning to their bullpen for Game 6.

Getty ImagesHOUSTON - So long to The Bronx and hello, Minute Maid Park! The The American League Championship Series is back in Houston tonight with the Astros up in the series 3-2. The Astros will make it a bullpen game, which likely points to a guy like Jose Urquidy possibly getting the start. STAT FACT: The Yankees are 12-5 using an "Opener" this season, while the Astros are 0-2. Tonight they are back in the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park where they won 60 regular-season games and put up monster offensive numbers all year.

Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros reacts after a security guard was hit by a foul ball in game two of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park on October 13, 2019 inHOUSTON - It won't be easyThe Astros may be the best team in baseball, but the Yankees are second. The Astros may have the top 1-3 pitching staff of any team in baseball, but the Yankees are no slouch. Both the Astros and the Yankees have said they will pitch bullpen games tomorrow, meaning Alvarez might have to exclusively face left-handed pitching. What does a bullpen game entail? It's all hands on deck for Game 6 as the Astros are saving Gerrit Cole for Game 7.

6-1 #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 18, 2019EMBED >More News Videos As the Astros wait to face the Yankees again in the AL Championship Series, they're hitting the town! It was Springer's 13th career playoff home run.The following at-bat, Jose Altuve ran out a slow-moving ground ball to SS, continuing the Astros' momentum. It was the second ground ball that LeMahieu struggled with, and it damaged the Yankees.Bregman scored after yet another bobbled ground ball from the Yankees infield, this time from Gleyber Torres. Closer Roberto Osuna was called in and forced a quick foul pop-out from Didi Gregorius to send them to the ninth.Altuve reached second base after another mishap from the Yankees infield. Torres missed a routine ground ball, and then a wild pitch sent Altuve to third.

#Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 17, 2019Winds blowing so hard at Yankee Stadium you can hear the flags whipping. #Astros #TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/39t9NJrUZM Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 17, 2019EMBED >More News Videos It's a windy day in the Bronx, and it could impact the game in these ways (home run carry, anyone?) EMBED >More News Videos As the Astros wait to face the Yankees again in the AL Championship Series, they're hitting the town! It was Springer's 13th career playoff HhimeThe following at-bat, Jose Altuve ran out a slow-moving ground ball to SS, continuing the Astros' momentum. He got out of the bases loaded jam after striking out Gleyber Torres and Edwin Encarnacion.The Yankees pulled Tanaka after a single from Bregman.

NY weather report for Game 4 tonight: chilly and windy. #Astros #TakeItBack Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 17, 2019Winds blowing so hard at Yankee Stadium you can hear the flags whipping. EMBED >More News Videos As the Astros wait to face the Yankees again in the AL Championship Series, they're hitting the town! It was Springer's 13th career playoff HR.The following at-bat, Jose Altuve ran out a slow-moving ground ball to SS, continuing the Astros' momentum. He got out of the bases loaded jam after striking out Gleyber Torres and Edwin Encarnacion.The Yankees pulled Tanaka after a single from Bregman.

2019 Getty ImagesNEW YORK - The Astros made some changes to their lineup for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. With Gerrit Cole on the mound, Houston shuffled the batting lineup. Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez flip-flopped in the five and six spot. Josh Reddick gets the start in right field and is batting eighth and Martin Maldonado is catching and hitting ninth. Here's what the lineup looks like as the 'Stros look to take the series lead over the Yankees.

You'll hear a lot about the David versus Goliath battle between big market, big payroll and little market, meager payroll. Dueling YoungstersSince joining the team, Yordan Alvarez has not only been a rookie phenom, he has solidified and bolstered an already potent Astros lineup. Ray's Pitching Beyond Charlie MortonThere's not much to say about the Astros pitching. The one advantage might be the fact that Astros pitching tends to give up home runs and the Rays don't. The key will be the Astros getting to Rays pitching early in the game and forcing long bullpen outings, putting pressure on the Rays in a short series.

Alex Bregman hits a home run in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on September 17, 2019 in Houston, Texas. HOUSTON - Justin Verlander picked up his major league-leading 19th win and Yuli Gurriel, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez all homered to help the Houston Astros to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night. Verlander (19-6) added to his case for the AL Cy Young Award by striking out eight and scattering four singles over six scoreless innings. The Rangers haven't scored more than three runs in one of his starts since his last win on Aug. 2. Astros: RHP Gerrit Cole (17-5, 2.62), who leads the majors with 292 strikeouts, is scheduled to start for Houston on Wednesday.

Helped by six of their seven total homers, Houston raced to an 11-0 lead after two innings. Chirinos capped the first with a two-run homer and hit a three-run shot in the seventh. Alvarez hit his second solo shot into the third deck in right field in the second inning. TRAINER'S ROOMAthletics: OF Ramn Laureano was out of the lineup a second straight day after leaving Saturday's game with cramps in his right leg. Astros: 1B Yuli Gurriel was out of the lineup for a third straight game with a sore left hamstring, but he took ground balls and ran prior to the game.

HOUSTON - Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez has been named American League Rookie of the Month and Astros infielder Alex Bregman has been named AL Player of the Month. For Bregman, it's his second career Player of the Month Award, with his other coming in June 2018. Gerrit Cole won the AL Pitcher of the Month Award for both June and July. Bregmans numbers put him in AL MVP talksIn 26 games in August, Bregman led all AL hitters in batting avg. For the season, Bregman now ranks third in the AL in OPS, second in OBP (.416), seventh in RBI (95) and slugging pct.

Matt Olson and Josh Phegley each had two hits for Oakland, which finished with 13 hits - just two for extra bases. The A's have won four straight games and 11 of their last 16. They have gained four games in four days on the Astros, closing to within 6 1/2 games of the AL West leaders. In seven starts since the All-Star break he's 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA. Armenteros gave up five runs and seven hits with one walk in four innings.

Springer connected on the first pitch of the day as the AL West-leading Astros won for the ninth time in 10 games. Greinke allowed three singles in the second, but escaped unscathed when Springer threw out Castillo at the plate to end the inning. White Sox: INF/OF Leury Garcia (bruised finger on right hand) sat out the first game. UP NEXT: Astros RHP Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.87 ERA) starts the second game of the doubleheader against White Sox RHP Ivn Nova (7-9, 4.80). Cole seeks to extend his career-best winning streak to 11 games; the last team to beat him was the White Sox on May 22.

BALTIMORE, MD (KTRK) -- It was quite the night for the Astros in Baltimore.Going into tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles, the Astros had won 7 consecutive games and scored 10+ runs in three of the last four.With the Orioles having one of the highest team ERA's in the MLB, the Astros had a chance to continue their hot streak.It was almost set up for them to make history Saturday night.The Astros scored 23 runs on 25 hits, marking the most runs the franchise has ever scored in a single game and the most extra-base hits.It was an all-around effort for the Astros. Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Aledmys Diaz and Jose Altuve all had at least 3 hits in Saturday's contest.Alvarez continued his historic rookie season and made an even stronger case for Rookie of the Year, hitting 3 HR's Saturday night.Alvarez now has 51 RBI on the season through his first 45 career games. According to Ryan Spaeder, that is the most RBI for a player through their first 45 games.He surpassed baseball legend Ted Williams.Recently-acquired Aaron Sanchez had another strong outing after starting last week's combined no-hitter.Sanchez went for 5 IP with 6 strikeouts and 1 earned run.The final score of the game was 23-2.The Astros are now 77-40 on the season and have won 8 consecutive games. They now possess the best record in the MLB.

Getty ImagesBALTIMORE - Rookie Yordan Alvarez hit three of Houston's six home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs to help the Astros to the highest-scoring game in franchise history with a 23-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. The win was the eighth straight for the Astros, who became the latest team to feast on the reeling Orioles. Alex Bregman, who went 3 for 3, and Alvarez set the tone with back-to-back homers in the first inning. Alvarez added the grand slam in the seventh and a two-run shot in the ninth. The Astros took an early 3-0 lead off Orioles starter Aaron Brooks (2-6) on a two-run homer by Bergman followed by Alvarez's solo shot.

Jake Marisnick #6 of the Houston Astros scores on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park on August 04, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)HOUSTON - Justin Verlander struck out 10 in another dominant Houston pitching performance, and the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 Sunday for a three-game sweep. Verlander didn't give up a hit until Kyle Seager singled with two outs in the fourth inning. The Astros ace took a two-hit shutout in the seventh and exited after Seager led off with a home run. Astros: Houston is also off on Monday before RHP Zack Greinke (10-4, 2.90) will make his Astros debut on Tuesday night at home against Colorado.

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)HOUSTON - Wade Miley had another solid start and the Houston Astros backed him up with a season-high six homers to rout the Seattle Mariners 10-2 on Friday night. Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz also homered for Houston, which improved to 10-1 against the Mariners this season. Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run homer for the Mariners, who lost their second straight after winning their previous six games. Houston got things going when Alvarez sent the second pitch of the second inning into center field for his 13th homer. Miley walked three Mariners early, but didn't allow a hit until Tom Murphy legged out a single on an infield grounder with one out in the fifth.

Jose Altuve #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on July 28, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)ST. LOUIS - George Springer led off the game with a home run, Jose Altuve and rookie Yordan Alvarez also connected and the Houston Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 Sunday. Paul Goldschmidt's team record-tying streak of six straight games with a home run ended for St. Louis. Dexter Fowler had a pinch-hit homer in the ninth for St. Louis, which lost for the third time in 11 games. Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (7-7, 4.63) takes on Chicago Cubs RHP Yu Darvish (3-4, 4.54) in the first of a three-game series in St. Louis on Tuesday.