As the American League Championship Series shifts to the Bronx for Saturday night’s Game 3, the New York Yankees are hoping they can shift the momentum away from the runaway train that has been the Houston Astros this postseason.
So far in the 2022 postseason, the Houston Astros are 5-0, sweeping the Seattle Mariners in the Division Series round, then winning the first two games at Minute Maid Park to take a 2-0 edge in the ALCS. The New York Yankees not only have to figure out how to beat the Astros, but they also have to figure how to even get a lead on them, something they have yet to do for an extended period of time this season.
This stunning statistic shows just how the New York Yankees have struggled against the Houston Astros in 2022
It isn’t just in the first two games of the ALCS where the Astros have flexed their muscles against New York. It was also in the regular season, as Houston won five of seven games in what has become one of the most emotion-filled rivalries in MLB.
What has been a big part of Houston’s success against New York? Making the Yankees always play from a level field or from behind.
The #Astros and #Yankees have now played nine times this season:
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 21, 2022
The Yankees have yet to have a lead for a full inning.
By the way, those two regular-season wins the Yankees recorded over the Astros in the Bronx in late June were both walk-off wins. Despite Houston holding a 5-2 mark in the regular season, the Astros outscored the Yankees by just five runs (27-22) overall.
Can the Yankees get and maintain a lead in Game 3 on Saturday? The answer to that question could well determine if New York is able to get back into the series.