Astros force ALCS Game 7 after beating the Yankees in Houston

For much of the game, it was a pure pitcher’s duel.

Justin Verlander, who would make it through the seventh inning without giving up a run, threw 99 pitches, allowed five hits and only one walk, and struck out eight.

Luis Severino looked similarly good, until he didn’t, through his first three or so innings. He pitched 4 ²⁄₃ innings before being pulled, allowing three runs off of three hits, gave batters four free passes to first, and struck out four.

The Astros didn’t have a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning, but after that they broke things wide open on their way to a 7-1 Game 6 win.

With men on first and second thanks to a ground out that advanced the runner and a walk, Brian McCann hit a ground-rule double that drove in one run. After another walk to load the bases, Jose Altuve hit a double of his own to left field to allow both McCann and George Springer to come around and score. Just like that, it was 3-0.

Chad Green came in the game to get the Yankees through the sixth and seventh innings without allowing another run, only to make way for David Robertson in the eighth inning, a decision that would not work out very well for the Yankees.

The Yankees almost scored in the seventh, when Todd Frazier made great contact when hitting a ball to deep center, but George Springer made a great jumping catch to keep Greg Bird from coming around to score from second base.

New York wouldn’t go down without a (mini) fight though, their only run coming from a towering Aaron Judge home run in the top of the eighth inning that would cut the Yankees’ deficit from three to two.

Not even that would last long though, as the Astros got that run back and more in the bottom of the inning.

Against Robertson, Altuve hit a solo home run to make it 4-1, and then after Carlos Correa and Yulieski Gurriel got on base Alex Bregman would double them both home. That was the last of Robertson, and the Yankees put Dellin Betances. Which, based on his track record this postseason was basically them waving the white flag and admitting they were just trying to keep their bullpen fresh for Game 7 and not waste a good arm on a lost cause.

Against Betances they would tack one more run on, an Evan Gattis sacrifice fly that got Alex Bregman home from third (the throw to the plate wasn’t even close) and that’s all they wrote.

Ken Giles came in to close things out for the Astros, allowing two Yankees baserunners before putting a button on the game.

The Astros still have to win another game to make it to the Series, but as with the Yankees they have yet to lose a game at home. That’s what home field advantage (which they have here) is for, right? It won’t be easy, but at least their offense has returned from whatever remote island it was hiding out on to help them come out on top in a must-win game.

Astros fans have just got to be hoping that these seven runs weren’t all they had left in the tank.