The Houston Astros picked up another win at home last night 7-1 over the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the ALCS. No home team has lost a game so far in this series and if the Yankees want to advance to the World Series they’ll have to find a way to win Game 7 on the road tonight.
Justin Verlander led the Astros into a Game 7 by dominating on the mound in Game 6. Verlander pitched 7 scoreless innings giving up 5 hits while walking 1 and striking out 8 on 99 pitches. Remember at the trade deadline when no one wanted Verlander because of his age the his contract status. Would the Astros still be in the playoffs with Verlander?
Luis Severino was good for the Yankees early on, but his walks caught up to him. In the bottom of the 5th Alex Bregman drew a lead off walk. Marwin Gonzalez grounded out as Bregman moved up to 2nd base. Evan Gattis drew a walk bring up Brian McCann with runners in 1st and 2nd. McCann hit a ground rule double to right-center scoring Bregman and making it 1-0 Astros. George Springer drew another walk to load the bases with just 1 out. Josh Reddick flew to centerfield, but it wasn’t deep enough to bring a run home and it look like Severino had a chance to get out of the inning with minimal damage, all he had to was get Jose Altuve out. Instead Altiuve ended Severeino’s night with a single to leftfield that scored 2 runs giving the Astros a 3-0 lead. Chad Green came out of the Yankees bullpen to get Carlos Correa pop up to end the inning.
The Astros went to their bullpen to start the 8th inning calling on Brad Peacock to face the top of the Yankees order. Peacock recorded the first out of the inning on a foul out to leftfield. Aaron Judge was up next for the Yankees and he got them on the scoreboard with a solo home run to centerfield to make it a 3-1 game. Peacock got the final 2 outs of the inning on a fly out and a strike out, but I’m sure Astros fans where worried that the bullpen had given up another run.
Green exited the game after pitching 2 1/3rd scoreless innings as David Robertson took over on the mound for the bottom of the 8th. Altuve lead off the inning for the Astros with a solo home run to leftfield to make it a 4-1 game. Correa them doubled and Yuri Gurriel singled to pout runners on 1st and 3rd. Bregman doubled to centerfield to score Correa and Gurriel as Bregman ended up on 3rd after an error on Didi Gregorius. Robertson was removed from the game without recording an out as the Yankees turned to Delin Betances. Gonzalez struck out for the 1st out of the inning, but Gattis managed to hit a fly ball to centerfield that was deep enough to score Bregman and put the Astros up 7-1. McCann singled before Springer grounded out to end the inning.
Ken Giles came in to pitch the top of the 9th and he’s had his issues. After recording the 1st out Starlin Castro singled and Aaron Hicks drew a walk, but that was the end of the Yankees threat as Todd Frasier flew out and Chase Headley struck out to end the game.
So we’ve got a Game 7 on our hands tonight. The Yankees are going with C.C. Sabathia while the Astros have announced that Charlie Morton will get the start for them. This pitching match up is a rematch of Game 3. Sabathia pitched 6 shutout innings as the Yankees won that game 8-1. Morton is looking to bounce back from that Game 3 outing. Morton was tagged for 7 of the 8 runs the Yankees scored in that game. He only lasted 3 2/3rd innings that start.
Now you might think that the Yankees would be the favorite with Sabathia facing Morton, but remember that no road team has found a way to win a game in this series. Will the Yankees find a way to get a road win tonight? and move on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series or will the Astros hold serve at home and move along to face the Dodgers.
Speaking of the Dodgers they announced that Clayton Kershaw will be the starter for Game 1 of the World Series. Kershaw started Thursday nights NLCS clinching game against the Chicago Cubs. Kershaw pitched 6 innings throwing 89 pitches in that start, but with the ALCS going to a Game 7 it gives the Dodgers the opportunity to start the best pitcher in baseball in Game 1. Now the Dodgers are also expecting shortstop Corey Seager to be ready to go for Game 2 of the World series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said is “doing everything to get healthy” and the Dodgers “expect him back for Game 1”.
Charlie Culberson filled in at shortstop for Seager during the NLCS. Culberson hit .455 going 5 for 11 with 2 doubles and a triple. Culberson had 10 total chances on defense and handled them all without committing an error. As well as Culberson played and with Seager trying to come back for injury you have to wonder if the Dodgers will find a spot for Culberson on their World Series roster.
The Detroit Tigers where the first team to fill their managerial vacancy as they signed Ron Gardenhire to a 3-year deal to manage the team.
Gardenhire is familiar to the American League Central as he managed the Minnesota Twins for 12 seasons 2002-2014. Gardenhire has a career record of 1068-1039 in the regular season, but is just 6-21 in the post season.
It appears as though Gardenhire will be taking over a rebuild Tigers team. As we know top players like Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton were traded during the season as was the general managers son Alex Avila. In what isn’t really a surprise move the Tigers announced that they won’t be picking up the $16 million dollar option on the contract of Anibal Sanchez making him a free agent.
Sanchez was a big acquisition for the Tigers in 2012 when they picked him up from the Miami Marlins. Sanchez went 14-8 in his first full season with the Tigers and finished 4th in the Cy Young voting in 2013, but he had his struggles after that season. Sanchez battled some injuries, lost his spot in the starting rotation and even did a stint in Triple-A last season; so it’s no surprise that the Tigers are willing to let him walk away. Now the question is will some team desperate for starting pitching take a chance on him.
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