Yankees offense continues disappearing act in 5-0 loss as Astros take 3-0 series lead
For the third time in the last six years, the Yankees have been on a collision course with the Astros for a chance to go to the World Series for the first time in 14 years. And if something doesn’ t change in the next 24 year, it will be the third time the Bombers are bounced in the American League Championship Series. Saturday night Cristian Javier and the Astros shut out...
Aaron Judge heard the boos Saturday night and he understood them. For the third time in the last six years, the Yankees have been on a collision course with the Astros for a chance to go to the World Series for the first time in 14 years. And if something doesn’t change in the next 24 year, it will be the third time the Bombers are bounced in the American League Championship Series.
Saturday night Cristian Javier and the Astros shut out the Yankees 5-0 in Game 3 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium and pushed the Bombers on the verge of elimination.
“We’ve had our backs against the wall all year and even in this postseason, especially when we were down against Cleveland. Can’t look too far ahead, gotta focus on Game 4 coming up here tomorrow,” said Judge, who was booed after striking out with bases loaded to end the Yankees’ eighth-inning rally. “Have the fans with us the whole game and we’ll take care of business.”
The Yankees dropped to 0-3 in the best-of-seven. Only one team in the history of baseball has come back from losing the first three games of a seven-game series; the 2004 Red Sox came back to beat the Bombers. The Yankees risk being swept for just the fourth time in franchise history in a seven-game series, the last being the 2012 ALCS when the Tigers took them in four games.
“I mean, they’re really good. Obviously, I think it starts with their pitching, the starters they’re able to run out there, coupled with a lot of really good arms out of the bullpen,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But we got to find a way, and it starts by trying to grab one tomorrow.”
Nestor Cortes will be on the mound Sunday evening to try to extend the Yankees’ season at least to Monday. He’s been their most reliable pitcher all year but won’t matter unless the Yankees’ sluggers quickly find a way to solve Lance McCullers. Coincidentally was the starter who was on the mound the last time the Yankees were shut out in a playoff game back in the 2017 ALCS.
The Yankees are built on power pitching — with the exception of Cortes — and sluggers like Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and Anthony Rizzo hitting balls out of the park. In the eight postseason games, 18 of the 22 earned runs they have scored were via the home run. Saturday was the second straight game when they did not hit a home run. They were 14-26 in games without a home run. As a team, they are 12-for-94 (.129) with four runs, five extra-base hits, nine walks and 41 strikeouts.
“We understand, it’s gonna be tough, but at the end of the day, we just got to do a better job and execute,” said Josh Donaldson, who struck out to end the game to a chorus of boos from those who remained of the crowd announced at 47,569
The Yankees got one hit off of starter Javier through 5.1 innings and struck out 5 times. They rallied to get two runners on in the eighth off the bullpen, but with two outs Aaron Judge grounded out to third base to end the inning.
The Yankees led the majors in home runs, and the AL in runs scored and were second in the league in slugging and OPS in the regular season. They have scored the fewest runs and have the lowest slugging percentage and OPS of the four teams still in the playoffs. They have only one more homer than the Phillies (who were still playing) for the fewest among the final four.
Judge, who hit a Yankee and AL record 62 home runs, is 5-32 with 2 homers and 14 strikeouts in eight playoff games. Anthony Rizzo is 1-for-9 now with a home run in the three games of the ALCS. Giancarlo Stanton, who had the Yankees’ lone hit off Javier Saturday, is 3-for-12. Matt Carpenter made contact Saturday, snapping his streak of eight straight strikeouts in his first postseason eight at-bats. He had a single with two outs in the ninth and is 1-for-9 in this series with seven strikeouts. Donaldson is 1-for-9 with seven strikeouts and Gleyber Torres is 1-for-11 after going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts Saturday.
Judge, who hammered a record 62 home runs this season, has set the tone for this team all year. He carried them through long stretches. It might be starting to weigh too much.
“We’ve got a lot of individuals on this team who can carry the club and I’ve got to step up and do my job,” Judge said. “I haven’t come up with a big hit, I missed a couple the other night, but we’ve still got a lot of ballgame left in us and we’ve got to take care of business tomorrow.”
They will have to figure it out Sunday night or else it will be over.
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