Yankees' Offense Has Disappeared When They Need It Most
The Yankees pitched well enough to win both Games 1 and 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Astros.
They allowed just seven runs over two games, holding Houston's best hitters—Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve—to one hit in 21 at-bats.
New York was in striking distance throughout Game 2, tied at one run apiece in the sixth inning of Game 1.
And yet, Minute Maid Park in Houston continues to be a house of horrors for the Yankees in October, a venue where their bats routinely vanish when they need it most.
The Yankees descended into an 0-2 hole in the ALCS on Thursday night, coming up short in a winnable contest for the second night in a row. New York continue to struggle mightily on offense, producing numbers that are downright atrocious through these first two games of this series.
A team that leaned heavily on their high-octane offense throughout the regular season is hitting .138 (9-for-65) with 30 strikeouts and four runs scored so far in the ALCS. Two of those runs came after Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez committed two errors on one play in the fourth inning of Thursday's loss. The other two came via solo home runs in Game 1.
Held homerless in Game 2, the Yankees snapped a record streak of 23 postseason games in a row with at least one home run.
The scariest part of this offensive disappearing act is that it's not an anomaly. Whether you widen your lens to examine New York's offensive splits in Houston in the playoffs or simply look at the way the Yankees have been performing over the last few weeks, this is a team that has been unable to produce.
New York is now 1-8 on the road against the Astros in the postseason, averaging 2.2 runs and 12.4 strikeouts per game. Meanwhile, the Yankees have now been held to six or fewer hits in nine straight games dating back to the regular season, the longest streak in a single season in franchise history, per ESPN Stats & Info.
"We've got to score," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Thursday's 3-2 loss. "They're about as tough as there is to score against, but we got to figure out a way and it takes all of us from a game plan standpoint to every guy in that lineup just doing their part to make it a little more difficult on 'em."
Other than a few rallies this series—where New York has inevitably come up empty with runners in scoring position—the Astros' pitching staff has been in complete control. Justin Verlander pitched like an ace in Game 1, jumping into another gear to strike out 11 batters in six innings. Valdez was just as good, dominating New York's lineup with his curveball, striking out nine in seven frames. New York has been unable to make adjustments, failing to put the ball in play and string quality at-bats together.
"We got a great offense," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge told reporters on Thursday. "I think we just got to go back to what got us into this position, what helped us win a division and we'll be where we want to be. If that's contact, moving guys over, if it's coming up with that big hit, we'll figure it out."
Other Yankees chimed in on Thursday, reiterating that this club needs to make an improvement in their ability to put the ball in play. By failing to step up and take advantage of an opportunity to flip home-field advantage to this point in this Championship Series, the Yankees now have their backs against the wall once again.
"I think we're gonna go into this off day, take a step back, take a breath and reflect on what we need to really work on and adjust to get going again. I definitely think we can put some more balls in play," catcher Kyle Higashioka explained. " I think we need to just simplify our approach and get back to basics."
This series isn't over yet, but the Yankees have dug themselves into quite a hole. New York now needs to win four of their next five games in order to advance. And even if they were to win the next three games at home in Yankee Stadium, they'll need to secure a victory on the road at least once, making these two losses sting even more.
It's a scenario that a few Yankees on this roster are familiar with. Judge and starter Luis Severino were there in 2017 when the Yankees faced a similar deficit in the ALCS against Houston, winning their next three games in the Bronx to snatch all the momentum. They proceeded to lose their final two games in Houston, though, scoring one run in those two contests.
If this year is going to be different, it'll take a sudden reversal from this team's offense. It's the only way.
"We've been in this spot before, we've been in these situations before and every single guy in this room knows what they need to do to help us get to the next step," Judge said.
MORE:
- Luis Severino: Alex Bregman Got 'Lucky' on Decisive Home Run in ALCS Game 2
- Why Haven’t the Yankees Used Domingo Germán?
- Matt Carpenter Focuses on Positives After Striking Out Four Times Against Astros
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