Did I not tell you the Yankees are very dangerous?
Before the American League Championship Series, and after they had won three straight to close out favored Cleveland, I said in this space that the Astros had better be worried. Then Houston won the first two games of the best-of-seven at home, and the Yanks had them right where they wanted them.
It looks to me like a version of the old Subway Series is coming, with the Dodgers going up 3-0 on the careless Cubs. Even though the Astros have two of the last three games at home and Justin Verlander ready to pitch in one of them, the Yankees are showing an unbeatable combination of grit, power and pitching. They scored six unanswered runs in the seventh and eighth innings to rally to 6-4 win in thrilling Game Four to even the series at two apiece with Game Five tonight.
If you doubted Aaron Judge’s ability to hit in the clutch during the post-season, he broke out with a booming homer and a two-run double to spark the comeback. With Judge, Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez getting timely hits from the middle of the lineup, the Houston bats had better wake up or this series may not go seven, despite the home-field advantage.
Healthier than they have been for most of the regular season, the Yankees have a dangerous lineup from one to nine. Lead-off man Brett Gardner may be the best pure baseball player in the game, the consummate team guy who will torture pitchers with long at-bats, slap the ball to both fields, move runners over and even hit the long ball.
Ninth hitter Todd Frazier has a dreadful batting average but seems to have his fingers in every game, hitting an almost impossible home run to right field on a low and outside delivery in Game Three and then triggering the decisive four-run outburst in the eighth inning last night.
The Baby Bombers are a year ahead of schedule, but if they keeping hitting, pitching and refusing to lose, they are going to the World Series from a wild card spot. That’s because they are playing like the best team in the American League. Period.
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