Today on Pinstripe Alley - 10/19/22

It’s Wednesday, October 19, and the Yankees season is still alive. Pushed to the brink, Gerrit Cole saved the club with seven brilliant innings on Sunday night. The team then buckled down and led wire-to-wire in Game 5, dispatching Cleveland and claiming their spot in the ALCS.

Now, it’s Astros-Yankees Round 3. The first two rounds went to Houston, and on paper, you might think they’d be the favorites here too. The Yankees have arrived tired, banged up, weary from an overnight flight hours after fighting through an elimination contest. The Astros are rested, and have almost all of the key components of their 106-win team intact and ready to go.

But the Yankees are in the fight, and they’ve shown time and again this year that as long as they’re still breathing, they’ll keep pushing forward. They’ll have to show some fortitude to knock off Houston, but they’ve given themselves a shot. All that stands between them and the World Series are the Astros, just as it’s always been.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Houston Astros

Game 1: Jameson Taillon vs. Justin Verlander

Time: 7:37 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Radio: 1280 WADO, 660/101.9 FM WFAN

Venue: Minute Maid Park in Houston

National League Championship Series:

San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Petco Park in San Diego

Game 2: Blake Snell vs. Aaron Nola

First pitch: 4:35pm ET (FOX)

Fun Questions/Prompts:

1. What’s Jameson Taillon’s line in Game 1?

2. How baffled were you by Terry Francona’s and Cleveland’s decisions in yesterday’s Game 5?