Yankees Face Elimination and Being Swept After 5–0 Loss
Offense non-existent, defensive error costs Cole
The New York Yankees fell to the Houston Astros 5–0 on Saturday to 0–3 in the ALCS.
The odds are against the Yankees as only one of the previous 39 teams has overcome a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series: the 2004 Boston Red Sox.
The offense once again was disastrous, failing to even record base hits.
They finished the game with three hits, two of which came in the ninth inning.
A Harrison Bader error in the second inning lead to a two-run home run off Yankee ace Gerrit Cole, and that’s all Houston needed.
“It’s a pitch I’d rather do over,” Cole said on his home run allowed.
Game summary
Chas McCormick did the damage in the second inning off Cole, as his homer hit the top of the right field wall and went over.
Cole loaded the bases in the sixth with nobody out.
He was pulled for Lou Trivino, who allowed a sac fly to Trey Mancini and a two-run single by Christian Vázquez.
Cole finished with five-plus innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits, walking two, and striking out seven.
Trivino finished the sixth unscathed and threw a scoreless seventh.
Miguel Castro pitched a perfect eighth and Domingo Germán threw a scoreless ninth.
Cole (2–1) picked up his first loss of the postseason.
Offensive performance
Houston pitchers have dominated the Yankee offense.
Three hits and eight baserunners all game is all they could muster.
It’s desperation time, and manager Aaron Boone’s lineup changes have done nothing to fix the slump.
This team misses DJ LeMahieu and Andrew Benintendi more than they expected.
Pitching performance
Cole wasn’t his best, but it wouldn’t have mattered thanks to the woeful offense.
All three games have been winnable games had the Yankees created any traffic/hit with traffic on the bases.
The bullpen continues to look sharp, but it hasn’t been a key factor all series as New York has been down in all three games.
Looking ahead
Nestor Cortes will look to extend the season by at least one day. He will face Lance McCullers, Jr.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. EST.
Let’s go Yankees!
