The Houston Astros are headed to the World Series, sweeping the New York Yankees, 4-0, in the American League Championship Series.
Things looked good for the Yankees early on. The Bronx Bombers got out to a 3-0 lead off the backs of Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo RBIs in the first two innings. Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña would erase that deficit quickly, launching a three-run home run in the third inning to tie it up, but the Yankees kept on fighting to retake the lead headed into the final three frames.
As has been the case for the majority of this series, the Astros again built momentum off unforced Yankees errors. The biggest one, which led to Houston taking the lead in the top of the seventh, came when Torres flipped a ball past shortstop Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, allowing Jose Altuve to move into scoring position instead of getting Jonathan Loáisiga out of a jam with a double play. On the very next pitch, slugger Yordan Alvarez rocketed a single into right field to score Altuve and tie the game at five. Houston took the lead on an Alex Bregman single five pitches after that.
The Astros would not allow the Yankees to climb back in, shutting them down with 1-2-3 innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth. In a beautiful/twisted moment, AL home run champion and MVP front-runner Aaron Judge was at the plate to end the Yankees season, grounding out in what may have been his last at-bat in pinstripes.
Surprisingly enough, watching highlights of their fiercest rival completing an 0-3 comeback against their pinstripe predecessors didn't work for the Yankees. Who would have though?
The Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will kick off Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, Oct. 28. First pitch from Minute Maid Park in Houston is to be determined.
