GAME: New York Yankees (98-76) at Houston Astros (107-65)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 21 - 8:00 PM EST
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Playoff Series: League Championship; Series Tied 3-3
Preview: Yankees at Astros
Gracenote
Oct 21, 2017
The Houston Astros have yet to lose on their home field this postseason and have been difficult to beat at Minute Maid Park of late, while the New York Yankees have lapped the field when it comes to historical playoff success. After watching their offense get back on track in a critical Game 6 victory, the Astros host the Yankees for Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday.
Brian McCann broke out of an 0-for-20 slump on Friday with an RBI double in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie and Jose Altuve notched his first hit in four games moments later, delivering a two-run single as Houston improved to 5-0 at home during the playoffs with a 7-1 win. The Astros, who scored a total of five runs while losing all three games in New York earlier in the week, have won 16 of their last 18 contests at Minute Maid Park dating back to the regular season. Aaron Judge homered late to help the Yankees avoid being shut out following a seven-inning scoreless gem from Justin Verlander. New York likely will need to score more than one run in Houston for the first time this series if it hopes to claim its major league-best 41st pennant - the Yankees already have twice as many as the next-closest team - and face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
TV: 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (1-0, 2.30 ERA) vs. Astros RH Charlie Morton (0-1, 10.13)
Sabathia improved to 10-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 13 turns following a New York loss by allowing three hits over six scoreless frames at home in Monday's Game 3 victory. The outing marked the first time a pitcher 37 years or older blanked the opposition over six innings in a postseason start since Pedro Martinez did so in 2009. It also was Sabathia's first outing versus the Astros this season and first at home this postseason after yielding six runs - four earned - in two starts spanning 9 2/3 innings in Cleveland during the AL Division Series.
Morton lasted only 3 2/3 innings in his head-to-head showdown with Sabathia in Game 3, allowing seven runs and six hits - including a three-run blast by Todd Frazier. The 33-year-old New Jersey native, who is getting the nod over Lance McCullers Jr., will be making only his fourth career postseason start. Morton, who went 14-7 with a 3.62 ERA in 2017, held opponents to a .217 batting average at Minute Maid Park during the regular season while going 10-3 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 home turns.
WALK-OFFS
1. Since the LCS expanded to seven games in 1985, home teams are 18-7 in Game 7.
2. With a win, New York would become the third team to eliminate 100-win clubs in the League Division Series and LCS, joining the 1998 San Diego Padres and 2001 Yankees.
3. Houston can become only the fifth team in major-league history to capture a seven-game postseason series by winning all four of its games at home with a victory on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Astros 5, Yankees 4