Today on Pinstripe Alley - 10/20/22

If you thought entering yesterday that the Yankees had a slim chance of upsetting the Astros in Game 1, you wouldn’t have been alone. Many people doubted the odds after the team had to take a late-night flight over and play a game the very next day after a grueling series with the Guardians, and on top of that the pitching matchup featured the Yankees’ fourth best starter against the presumptive Cy Young winner. Still, the Yankees had a fighting chance to take the opening clash thanks to their ability to work Verlander into a deep pitch count through four innings and Jameson Taillon’s ability to limit the damage to just a single run. They couldn’t capitalize on their fortunes, but the opportunity was there.

Now they’ll attempt to equalize the series and steal away home field advantage with a day in Houston already under their belts and a closer pitching matchup between Luis Severino and Framber Valdez. Before all that, however, we’ve got some content to cover over here. Andrew will run us through the NLCS Game 2 action that went on yesterday before Matt and John react to Game 1 and hand out the player of the game respectively, while Josh hones in on Houston’s bullpen as the area of concern for the Yankees. After that, Andres adds onto the argument for Oswald Peraza to take over at shortstop and Malachi examines the competitive field for 2023 after the wild LDS results across the league.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Houston Astros

Game 2: Luis Severino vs. Framber Valdez

Time: 7:37 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Radio: 1280 WADO, 660/101.9 FM WFAN

Venue: Minute Maid Park in Houston

Fun Questions/Prompts:

1. What would your lineup for Game 2 look like?

2. Will the Yankees need a perfect homestand to stand a chance in this series?