Yanks, Judge make Astros CC sick in G3
NEW YORK -- Each of the three October contests between the Astros and Yankees have featured loud chants of "M-V-P!" echoing throughout a sold-out venue. Jose Altuve's fantastic season has continued for Houston, but Monday night's plaudits were for Aaron Judge, as the Yanks' rookie right fielder enjoyed a postseason
NEW YORK -- Each of the three October contests between the Astros and Yankees have featured loud chants of "M-V-P!" echoing throughout a sold-out venue.
Judge crushed a three-run homer in the fourth inning and made several splendid defensive plays, including a fearless crash into the right-field wall in the top of the fourth, as he made his presence felt by powering the Yankees' surge in an 8-1 victory over the Astros in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series presented by Camping World.
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"I get a chance to play baseball every day," Judge said. "I get to live my dream, so you've got to take the ups with the downs. That's what I picked up and learned from my teammates. They've supported me through the good times and the bad times. I get a chance to play in the ALCS with the New York Yankees. It's a dream come true."
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"We've got three home games here, and we know we've got a good shot," Frazier said. "The hopes are still up there, and we showed tonight our offense is coming. We had two games where we didn't do much, but our offense is back, I think, and hopefully it will keep going tomorrow."
Charlie Morton's pitch was 1.54 feet off the ground when Frazier made contact, and that is tied for the third-lowest pitch hit for a homer by a Yankee this season. The lowest was an offering 1.36 feet off the ground that
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"It feels good," Sabathia said. "Obviously you want to go out and have a good performance in the playoffs and give us a chance to get back in the series. Hopefully we did that tonight. We can come out tomorrow, swing the bats and score some more runs."
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Morton was tagged for seven runs on six hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Will Harris relieved Morton and shook off catcher Evan Gattis twice before serving up a 2-2, 93.4-mph fastball that Judge blasted for his second homer of the postseason, capping a five-run fourth inning for New York.
Gattis said he wanted another curveball or a fastball down and away, but Harris threw an elevated fastball.
"It was my game," Harris said. "I threw the pitches I wanted to throw. That was the pitch I wanted to make. And he was ready for it. … I thought I had him set up for it, and I didn't. He was ready."
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Through three games of the ALCS, the Astros have scored five runs and are hitting .169 with only three extra-base hits. They are 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
"We've won two of them, so that's nothing to be upset about," outfielder
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MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Maybin, maybe: The Yankees' five-run fourth inning was set up when Greg Bird's leadoff double fell just in front of Astros left fielder
"I was thinking if I dove for it and missed it, it was probably going to be a triple," Maybin said. "But, of course, you don't know it's going to be bounce into the seats. But we talked about it. A play where you're down, I think you've just got to take a shot, and whatever happens, happens. But just a tough play. You've got to just give those guys credit. They did a good job of taking advantage."
Out of a jam: Sabathia set down eight of the first nine batters he faced before running into trouble the second time through the order with the Yankees holding a 3-0 lead. Walks to
"I was trying to make a pitch," Sabathia said. "He likes to get his hands extended. I was trying to get something in on him and made a good enough pitch where he popped it up to short."
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QUOTABLE
"I put my arm out and say, 'What time is it?' Just a little thing I do. I've been doing it forever, but I guess TV just finally caught onto it. … I'm saying, 'What time is it? It's my time.'" -- Frazier, who looked down at his wrist while rounding the bases for his first postseason homer
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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
When
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UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Yankees manager Joe Girardi unsuccessfully challenged a call in the second inning, claiming Headley had been a hit by pitch. The replay official could not definitively determine whether the ball touched Headley or his uniform, so the call on the field would stand. Headley remained at bat, lining out to right field to end the inning.
One inning later, Astros manager A.J. Hinch successfully challenged a call at first base, as the Yankees' Didi Gregorius was initially called safe on a ground ball to second baseman Altuve. First-base umpire Chris Guccione ruled that
WHAT'S NEXT
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Bryan Hoch has covered the Yankees for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and on Facebook.
Brian McTaggart has covered the Astros since 2004, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter.