NFL
By: Billy Lewis
The New York Yankees survived past the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS. It took five games (and two rainouts) but in the end, the Yankees ended up back in the ALCS for the first time since 2019. Of course, 2019 saw their season end in a Game 6 defeat in Houston.
The Yankees were expected to beat the Guardians in the ALDS. After a Game 1 win, they seemed to be primed on their way. However, the Guardians won Game 2 in extra innings, and Game 3 on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. The heavily favored Yankees were suddenly on the verge of elimination.
The Yankees turned to their ace, Gerrit Cole, to keep their season alive in Game 4. Cole was dominant, throwing seven innings and only allowing two runs. The Yankees won the game 4-2 and got to fly back to the Bronx with a chance to clinch the series. In the win-or-go-home Game 5, Giancarlo Stanton got the Yankees on the board early with a first-inning three-run home run.
Nestor Cortes started the game on three days’ rest and lived up to his Nasty Nestor nickname. Cortes gave the Yankees five innings, only allowing one run. Aaron Judge would add a home run of his own, and when it was all said and done the Yankees won 5-1 to advance to the ALCS.
The Astros meanwhile swept the Seattle Mariners. It was about as close as a series could be that ended in a sweep. Seattle was winning Game 1 7-5 with two outs in the ninth inning. Yordan Alvarez stepped to the plate with two guys on base and proceeded to hit a three-run rocket to win the game.
Game 3 was Saturday in Seattle. Pitching was on full display as the game went into extra innings in a 0-0 bout. Fans would see the equivalent of two baseball games Saturday. The game stayed scoreless into the 18th inning until Jeremy Pena hit the series-winning clinching home run in the top of the 18th.
Yankees vs. Astros III
The Yankees will meet the Astros in the ALCS for the third time since 2017. The Yankees fell to the Astros in 2017 in seven games. Of course, that series has been mired in controversy due to the fact it has since come out that Houston was stealing signs at home in 2017. 2019 also ended with the Astros on top. This time winning in six games off a Jose Altuve walk-off home run off of Aroldis Chapman.
The Yankees are hoping the third time is the charm in 2022. Houston will be the more rested team as the Yankees had to fly to Houston directly following their Game 5 win in the Bronx. Due to that, Game 1 is going to see Justin Verlander take on Jameson Taillon for the Yankees.
The ALCS will start Wednesday evening. Game 2 will follow on Thursday and then an off-day Friday. If the series requires seven games, they will play five days in a row beginning on Saturday.
In order for the Yankees to win the series, they are going to need length out of their starting pitchers and timely hitting. The Yankees won the ALDS despite only hitting .182 as a team. They were able to maximize those hits by hitting timely home runs during the series.
Yankees hit .182 in this series.
That’s the lowest team BA for any postseason series they won in franchise history.
— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) October 18, 2022
The postseason helps build rivalries and legacies. Losing to teams multiple times in the playoffs will cause you to not like a team. Feeling like you were cheated out of a playoff series like the Yankees were in 2017, will cause that hatred toward the opposing team. The Yankees and Astros certainly have had a fierce rivalry since 2017. The Yankees will be looking for revenge beginning tonight in Houston.
