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The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros will kick off the MLB American League Championship Series on Wednesday (October 19) night.
The Yankees survived elimination on Monday, besting the Cleveland Guardians in a winner-take-all Game 5 in the Bronx. Meanwhile, the Astros cruised into the ALCS, making quick work of the Seattle Mariners with a three-game sweep.
New York and Houston will clash in the championship series for the third time in six years. The Astros have edged the Yanks in the previous two instances, albeit without controversy and drama.
Houston bounced back from a 3-2 series deficit in 2017 to capture their first World Series title in their history. They emerged victorious again in 2019, but a sign-stealing scandal has since clouded their accomplishments, including their title in '17.
Although Houston was found guilty of using technology to steal signs from opposing teams during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred allowed the Astros to retain their title and all accolades.
Wednesday's game is the eighth time the two juggernaut will match up this season. Houston is up 5-2 in the season series.
New York will have little time to relish following their epic Game 5 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Instead, the Bronx Bombers will need to travel over 1,600 miles to a hostile Minute Maid Park in Houston, with the first pitch coming just 24 hours after the final out in yesterday's must-win.
With a quick turnaround, the Yanks will hand the ball to SP Jameson Taillon, initially scheduled for Game 5 of the ALDS, before the postponement of the finale meant he may way for teammate Nestor Cortes.
Taillon has had a successful 2022 campaign, hurling 177.1 innings and posting a respectful 3.91 ERA. However, he was rocked in his only career postseason appearance, surrendering three hits (two for extra bases) without recording an out in this year's ALDS.
Taillon has logged 19.2 innings against the Astros, posting a spotty 4.58 ERA and 2.4 HR/9. His lone start in Houston came this season, hurling six innings of two-run ball. Both earned runs came via the long ball, courtesy of C Martin Maldonado and OF Kyle Tucker.
Ace SP Justin Verlander will take the hill for the Astros in the series opener. Verlander will look to bounce back after an abysmal outing against the Mariners in the ALDS, going only four innings while tying a season-high in runs allowed with six.
His most recent outing was likely an outlier, as the veteran remains the frontrunner for the AL Cy Young award after ending the regular season with a 1.75 ERA and 185 punchouts in 175 innings.
The former MVP is no stranger to the playoffs, with Wednesday marking his 33rd career postseason start. He holds a 3.62 lifetime ERA in the playoffs, a far cry from his 3.24 regular season earned run average.
Verlander has faced the Yankees seven times in the postseason, going 4-1 with a 2.76 ERA. He's a career 9-7 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP against the Yankees. Verlander is arguably his sharpest when pitching in Houston, with a 29-12 record to go with a 2.41 ERA and 0.878 WHIP when inside the confines of Minute Maid Park.
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New York Yankees vs Houston Astros Betting Odds
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New York Yankees vs Houston Astros Betting Prediction
A well-rested Astros team behind the arm of Justin Verlander is nothing to take lightly.
Houston is a difficult team to beat, so adding a star like Verlander to the mix doesn't make things any easier. Moreover, the former MVP winner could bounce back gracefully from his Game 1 dud in the ALDS.
Prediction: Astros -1.5 (+130 at SuperBook)
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