ASTROS NEED TO TAME THE YANKEES…AND THE HATE

Another Original And Exclusive Column From The Mind Of DINO COSTA

-October 15, 2019

On paper, it may say that the 2019 ALCS is tied at 1-game apiece heading into Game-3 in New York later today, but then why does it feel as though

the Yankees are up 2-games to none in this series?

Maybe it’s because I get the feeling after the first 2-games in Houston the Yankees have more outplayed the Astros than the other way around by a lot?

Yeah, it’s a 1-1 series as the two teams get ready for Game-3, but Houston has to know that they were more than fortunate to get the win in Game-2 while the Yankees are probably feeling like they let one get away that they

probably should have had.

The path to World Series number-28 for New York has been cleared in ways that have Yankees fans salivating right about now.

While the Yankees were dispatching Minnesota in a 3-game sweep that more resembled a scrimmage for New York, the Yankees biggest perceived threat was also eliminated with the Dodgers bowing out against Washington, and maybe their other biggest threat, Atlanta, they were taken out by St. Louis.

Thus, the National League now features two-teams who wouldn’t figure to give the Yankees too much of a challenge if they can make it back to the

fall classic, as both Washington and St. Louis would no doubt be significant underdogs in a matchup against the Bombers.

(However, the Nationals are more than intriguing but I’ll get to that in another story)

Which, of course, leaves Mt. Houston as probably the Yankees toughest hurdle to get over at this point – and if the Astros bats don’t wake up

starting with tonight’s game at Yankee Stadium, the Astros might not be playing any more home games until 2020.

Thankfully for Houston, two of their key players, George Springer and Carlos Correa, came through with huge hits that allowed the Astros to head to New York with a victory in their pocket – but both of those players have

been struggling big-time so far in the post-season.

Masahiro Tanaka toyed with the Astros hitters in Game-1 and faced the minimum hitters in his 6-innings of work in which he only allowed a single

base hit.

The Astros left 10-runners on base in the Game-2 win they were fortunate to snag – and if not for an alert and fortuitous defensive play by Correa

when he fielded a ricochet off the glove of Jose Altuve and then threw DJ LeMahieu out at the plate, Houston might still be looking for their first

win in this series.

New York seemed unfazed by what Zach Grienke was throwing in Game-1 – and after he left the game – the Yankees beat up on Hoston’s questionable

bullpen to put the game away.

Justin Verlander came up with the kind of outing the Astros needed in Game-2, but let’s not forget that as good as Verlander was, the Yankees were even in that game at 2-2 as Verlander departed the scene after 6.2

innings.

As far as the bats go, the Yankees have scored 9-runs and 19-hits through the first 2 games – with 5 extra-base hits including 4 home runs.

For the Astros, they’ve managed 3-runs through the first two games, with 10 base-hits, with 3 of them going for extra-bases, including 2-home-runs,

both hit in Game 2.

This is not to suggest that the Astros still can’t win this series – of course they can – but if their play in New York remains consistent with the

way Houston performed in Games 1 and 2 at home, and if the Yankees maintain the same level of solid play in their own ballpark that they exhibited

throughout the regular season, then it’ll be light’s out for the Astros and a consolation set of steak knives to take with them into the off-season.

Perhaps some Astros fans are counting on their team to break out offensively on the road in New York, but if that’s the case then Houston

had better account for themselves much better away from their home ballpark than they did in the 2-road games they played against Tampa Bay in the

first round.

The Astros dropped both games in Tampa – and were outhit by the Rays 25-13 while being outscored by the count of 14-4.

Fortunately for Houston, they would seem to hold a significant advantage on the mound tonight with the Yankees throwing Luis Severino while the Astros

go back to their right-handed cyborg in Gerrit Cole.

Severino was hurt all year and hasn’t pitched more than 5-innings in any of the 4 previous appearances he’s made, including going only 4-innings in the

Yankees Game-3 close-out win in the divisional series against the Twins.

While Severino didn’t allow any runs in that game – he wasn’t particularly sharp – and he threw a whopping 83-pitches to record just 12-outs.

If Game-2 was a must-win for the Astros – then this game tonight is a must-must-must win for Houston.

While it’s conceivable that Houston might have success facing Severino, to me, the big question tonight is how Gerrit Cole will handle the amped-up

environment of Yankee Stadium and the “hateful” fans that will be in attendance that Twins pitcher Frank Duffy recently spoke of.

Minute-Maid Park was loud and boisterous and Astros fans provide for one of baseball’s best home-field environments in the game.

And while some have complained that the newer Yankee Stadium doesn’t get as loud as the former ballpark did, make no mistake, from the first pitch of

the evening tonight, Yankee Stadium’s noise will be felt from the Bronx all the way down to the Space Center and back again.

The building will be shaking – and Yankees fans figure to test Gerritt Cole with a cauldron of noise hoping to shake the Houston ace off his game.

Yes, Yankee Stadium hatred will be on display and in full-effect this evening.

It would help Cole tremendously if the Astros could score a few first-inning runs tonight as a way to suck a lot of the energy out of the

Stadium crowd before Cole heads to the mound for his first throws of the night – and that has to be Houston’s gameplan for the rest of the series –

playing from ahead and preventing Yankees manager Aaron Boone from plotting moves with his excellent bullpen, where if the Yankees are ahead as these

games move into the 6th and 7th innings – they figure to win.

Cole has faced the Yankees only one other time this year and that was all the way back in April. Cole recorded a victory (at home) throwing 7-innings, allowing 4-hits and 3 runs that night (April 9). Cole did

allow a home run in that game, a solo shot to Yankees first baseman Luke Voit, who of course, is not on the Yankees ALCS roster.

As far as Yankees hitters are concerned, Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton have fared best against Cole in their careers – but Stanton won’t face him

tonight due to an injury.

Cole has pitched one previous game at Yankee Stadium as a member of the Pirates back on May 18, 2014, where he picked up a win going 6-innings, allowing 7-hits, 3-runs, with 8 strikeouts and 2 walks. Cole also allowed a

home run in that game to the since-departed Yankees third baseman Yangervis Solarte.

But all of that is ancient history – as is the 2 previous starts Cole has made in this post-season against Tampa Bay.

Cole is not only pitching for a Houston lead in the series tonight – but in addition – Cole has further incentive to pitch well on baseball’s biggest stage as he’s hoping to score baseball’s biggest free-agent cash-haul in

the weeks and months ahead.

If Cole can shut down New York tonight and if the Astros can jump on Severino early and often then the Astros will have restored some

much-needed order, swing momentum back in their favor, and find themselves only 2-wins away from heading back to the World Series once again.

Anything less and the Yankees will take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

Excuse me, I mean, a 2-games-to-1 advantage in the series.