The New York Yankees need to salvage a victory at home
The American League Championship Series has taken a bad turn for the New York Yankees as they face elimination later tonight.
The energy heading into Friday night’s game five for the New York Yankees is low following three straight losses to the Houston Astros. The last two losses took place at Yankee Stadium with tonight’s matchup, possibly being the final game in the Bronx for the bombers this year.
The concept of dropping all their home games after stealing game one on the road is disturbing for many Yankees fans. The dominance of the Astros pitching has made the once-powerful New York offense seem very mediocre and at times, anemic against their best starters. Justin Verlander will be making his second start of the series looking to pick up where he left off in game two and keep New York’s offense dormant.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was immortalized this season for his fiery antics at umpires and declaring his team savages. The team has looked anything but savage at the plate being unable to deliver at critical points of the game, leaving runners on base. The image of CC Sabathia pitching his final game only to leave with an injury was a dreadful sight for Yankees fans in attendance.
The urgency to at least win one game for the home fans is essential even if you don’t bend up winning the series. The loyal fanbase deserves to see their home team as a winner at some point in the series. The Yankees will look to James Paxton for hope in taking the series to Houston for a game six hoping to make Brian Cashman’s investment worth it.
"“There’s a higher intensity,” Paxton said during an interview with the NY Post, ”But overall, it’s the same game. You have to treat it the same way. It’s just being able to mentally treat it the same way even though there is that extra intensity and what we’re playing for.”"
The Yankees aren’t entirely finished for the series, but they need to show a healthy sign of life in game five.
The pressure will be on Paxton to silence the Astros bats and change the dynamic of this game until the Yankees bats can regain savage form.