ALCS Game 3 preview

Scene shifts to Yankee Stadium as Astros lead series 2-0

Fred Faour
Oct 11, 2017, 2:53 am
George Springer looks to get the Astros bats going. Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

The Astros and Yankees play Game 3 of the ALCS today. Here is a preview of the game. Check back during the game for inning by inning updates:

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Yankee Stadium.

TV: Fox Sports1.

Streaming: Fox Sports Go.

Pitching matchup: Charlie Morton vs. C.C. Sabathia.

Series: Astros lead 2-0.

The breakdown: The Astros took the first two games at Minute Maid with fantastic pitching performances from Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. Saturday's dramatic victory was one for the ages, with Jose Altuve dashing home in the ninth on a gusty play. Today's game features a pair of 14-game winners in Charlie Morton of the Astros and veteran C.C. Sabathia for the Yankees. Morton will likely have a short leash, because the Astros can take a stranglehold on the series if they can get by this one. But don't count out the Yankees. They had chances to win both games at Minute Maid and rallied from down 0-2 to beat a terrific Indians team in the first round. 

Series schedule:

 

  

 

 Pitching matchup

Game 1           

Astros 2                              

Yankees 1                                

Keuchel (W), Giles (S), Tanaka (L)        

Game 2

Astros 2,

Yankees 1

Verlander (W), Chapman (L)

Game 3

Today, 7 p.m.

Yankee Stadium

Charlie Morton vs. CC Sabathia

Game 4

Tues., (TBA)

Yankee Stadium

TBA vs. Sonny Gray

Game 5*

Wed.,  (TBA)

Yankee Stadium

TBA vs. TBA

Game 6*

Oct. 20 (TBA)

Minute Maid Park

TBA vs. TBA

Game 7*

Oct. 21 (TBA)

Minute Maid Park

TBA vs. TBA

* Games 5-7 are if necessary.

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Houston drops the game to Arizona

D-backs outslug Greinke and Astros to take series opener

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

With the series win over the Rangers by taking two of three games in the middle of the week, the Astros welcomed the Diamondbacks to Minute Maid Park for a three-game weekend series, Houston's final three regular-season home games. Here is how the opener unfolded:

Final Score: Diamondbacks 6, Astros 3.

Record: 25-26, second in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Zac Gallen (2-2, 3.00 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Luis Garcia (0-1, 2.53 ERA).

Houston scores first, but Arizona grabs a lead against Greinke

Houston would get on the board first on Friday night, with George Springer reaching base in the bottom of the first on an error, moving to second on a walk, then to third on a single, as the Astros loaded the bases with no out to threaten a big inning. Instead, they would come away with just one run, with Springer taking home on a wild pitch, grabbing the 1-0 lead, but leaving runs on the table.

They doubled their lead in the bottom of the third, getting a two-out RBI-double by Kyle Tucker to make it a 2-0 Houston lead. The D-backs responded in the top of the fourth, getting back-to-back singles to lead off the inning before a three-run homer by Kole Calhoun off of Zack Greinke would put Arizona in front, 3-2. Greinke would finish one more inning before Houston would move to their bullpen, striking out the side to bring his total to nine on the night, making the bad fourth inning the one blemish on his night. His final line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, 89 P.

Astros tie it, but D-backs take the opener

George Springer would get Greinke off the hook in the bottom of the fifth, leading off the half-inning with a solo bomb to tie the game at 3-3. Luis Garcia was first out of Houston's bullpen and retired Arizona in order for a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth. He returned for the top of the seventh but would allow a leadoff single, RBI-triple, and wild pitch to bring in two runs. He would face two more batters, allowing a double and getting a strikeout, before Dusty Baker would come out to get him, now down 5-3.

Blake Taylor would make his return from the IL after Garcia, getting back-to-back outs to finish the inning. He continued on in the 5-3 game in the top of the eighth, but allowed a one-out solo homer to Calhoun, his second of the night and fourth RBI. That made it a 6-3 D-backs lead, which would go final as Houston would go scoreless after Springer's home run back in the fifth.

Up Next: The middle game of this three-game set will start Saturday at 6:10 PM Central. The pitching matchup will be Luke Weaver (1-7, 6.70 ERA) for Arizona and Cristian Javier (4-2, 3.22 ERA) for Houston.

astros recap astros vs diamondbacks mlb mlb recap zack greinke george springer kyle tucker kole calhoun astros

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