New York Yankees: Revisiting keys to victory after Game One

After the New York Yankees blanked the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS, it’s time to look back at the keys to the victory.

Play for the big inning: After putting up crooked numbers throughout the AL division series against the Twins, the New York Yankees continued that accomplishment Saturday in Houston. The Bombers scored in four innings in Game 1 of the best-of-seven matchup; in three of those innings, they scored more than one run.

The Yankees were able to score two runs in the 6th inning, two in the 7th inning and two in the 9th inning after scoring one run in the top of the 4th. Thirteen total hits helped the Yankees tack on multiple runs against starter Zack Greinke and relievers Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu.

Keep stranded runners to a minimum: As alluded to in the preview, the New York Yankees were the best team in baseball in hitting with runners in scoring position during the regular season. This Yankees team has that grit to them and can buckle down in big situations and keep the line moving.

The Yankees were 3-for-11 w/ RISP Saturday and had two-out RBIs from Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres (2). They did leave seven men on base as a team, but for the most part, it occurred after a run or two was already driven in during the inning. During the regular season, New York left just 6.42 men on base, good for fourth in the league, according to baseball-reference.