The New York Yankees lost game three 4-1, due to a below-average start by the Houston Astros, Gerrit Cole, who the Yankees drafted 28th overall in 2008 (MLB.com). However, Cole decided to stay with his commitment to UCLA. Cole was not at his best but still held the Yankees scoreless over 7 innings. The Yankees now trail the series 2-1. There is no need to panic though, the Yankees can still take the series lead before they head back to Houston.
The Yankees are still very much alive after an off game three. Severino battled for all five of his innings, but the Yankees’ hitters did not take advantage when they had runners in scoring position, which is a rare occurring for the highest-scoring team in baseball during the regular season.
The Pros and Cons of Game Four being Postponed
With game four being postponed on Wednesday, October 16th, the Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, made the decision to send playoff ace, Masahiro Tanaka, to the bump. Tanaka now has a career 1.32 ERA in the postseason, after winning his two starts in this year’s playoffs (Baseball-Reference). Tanaka has been brilliant this postseason and maybe the only reason the Yankees are only down a game in the 2019 ALCS. With Tanaka on the mound, the Yankees should do everything in their power to provide run support and tie this series back up.
On the other hand, the game being postponed means the Yankees have to face ageless Justin Verlander. In his postseason career, Verlander is 14-8, with a 3.18 ERA, and a 9.9 strikeout per nine innings ratio (Baseball-Reference). He has dominated the regular season and postseason for over a decade. This matchup will be one for the record books.
There is a possibility Stanton will need to head to the IL yet again. Thankfully, Mike Tauchman is healthy and could replace Stanton on the roster. He will most likely be a pinch-runner and a defensive upgrade with Cameron Maybin off the bench. Gardner is struggling significantly this series and it is possible Maybin will start in left field in game four. There is also a possibility Austin Romine will start and replace Sanchez, who has struggled in every postseason he has been in.
The ultimate question is: will an extra day help or hurt the Yankees? Aaron Boone has the toughest job in the world right now is creating the best lineup, so that he can get this team back in the win column. Facing Verlander again will certainly not help with that, but to be the best you have to beat the best. If the Yankees come out strong out the gate, get Verlander out of the game early, that is the best chance fo the Yankees to win game four. Let’s see what Yankee team we get: the game one or game three teams. The way the Yankees played in game one has to give fans hope that this team can rebound and get it’s 28th World Series title.