NEW YORK — In 2017, the Houston Astros outlasted the New York Yankees in what later became a tainted series on their way to their first World Series title. Two years later, the Astros outlasted the Yankees again and the cheating revelations emerged a few weeks after they lost in seven games to the Washington Nationals.
This time with some of the same holdovers and some new contributors, the Astros enjoyed another celebration over the Yankees, one that seemed significantly easier.
Capitalizing on a miscue by New York second baseman Gleyber Torres in the seventh inning, the Astros completed an impressive sweep Sunday night when Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman delivered clutch hits in a 6-5 win over the Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
The Astros advanced to their fourth World Series in six seasons and became the fourth team to sweep the Yankees in a best-of-seven series.
“A lot has transpired over the last few years,” Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. said during a noisy celebration. “A lot has been said but there’s not a lot to say anymore man. We keep coming here. We keep facing the best of the best and we keep winning.
“When everything happened a few years ago, we knew the one thing that we could do is we could win, and we could win and win a lot. I understand people are still not going to like us. They’re going to boo us but at some point, you have to respect what we’re doing.”
The Astros beat the Yankees for the third time to reach the World Series. After needing seven games in 2017 and six in 2019, the Astros finished off their first sweep in a best-of-seven series in team history with many fans clad in orange in the stands to watch the on-field celebration that culminated with rookie Jeremy Pena being named ALCS MVP.
“I know how good of a team they have,” Trey Mancini said. “To be able to sweep them in a series of this magnitude is a great feat.”
Houston will open the World Series Friday night at home against Philadelphia, which beat San Diego earlier Sunday. The Astros lost to the Phillies in the 1980 NLCS when both teams competed in the NL.
The Astros rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 5-4 and capitalized on shaky New York defense in the seventh to regain the lead.
With one out, Jose Altuve hit a ground ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who was shifted away from the bag. Jonathan Loaisiga (0-1) slightly hesitated running off the mound and Altuve’s left foot hit the base first.
“To a man, almost, they were saying, hey, boys, here’s our break, and if you think it’s a break, you can turn it into a break,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “It starts with the thought process.”
After replay upheld the call, rookie Pena hit a grounder to Torres. Torres fielded the ball but made a throwing error on a backhand toss to shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
“Normally with this team, whenever the other team gives us a chance and they make a mistake we capitalize,” Mancini said.
Following the miscue, Alvarez stroked a single to right for a 5-5 tie. Bregman then lined a 2-2 sinker into center field off Clay Holmes for a 6-5 edge.
“You make mistakes like that in the postseason good teams can capitalize,” Houston center fielder Chas McCormick said. “That’s kind of what we do. We’ve been doing that all postseason.”
Pena became the fifth rookie to win MVP honors in a LCS and hit a tying homer to help the Astros rally from an early 3-0 deficit before Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single later in the third.
Harrison Bader hit his fifth homer of the postseason in the sixth to give the Yankees a short-lived 5-4 lead. Anthony Rizzo hit a tying single and an RBI double.
Torres and Giancarlo Stanton hit RBI singles in the first, but the Yankees were swept in a best-of-seven series for the first time since the 2012 ALCS against Detroit.
“It’s an awful day, just an awful ending,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It stings. It hurts.”
The Yankees batted .173 in a postseason where they deployed four leadoff hitters. Star Aaron Judge entered free agency by going 5-for-36 in the postseason after hitting 62 homers in the regular season to break Roger Maris’ AL record.
“I’ve been clear about that since I first wore the pinstripes,” Judge said.” But we couldn’t get something done before spring training. Now I’m a free agent. We’ll see what happens.”
New York also lost starter Nestor Cortes to a left groin injury. Cortes exited after allowing Pena’s homer and the All-Star left-hander allowed three runs on two hits in two-plus innings.
McCullers allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Hector Neris ended the sixth by fanning Judge, and Bryan Abreu ended a 1-2-3 seventh by whiffing Torres. Rafael Montero worked a hitless eighth and Ryan Pressly closed out Houston’s fifth pennant-clincher by retiring Judge for the final out.
–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media
