The 2019 American League Championship Series gets underway on Saturday evening with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros battling at Minute Maid Park for game one of the best out of seven series.
The Astros may have the edge over the Yankees with their outstanding combination of hitting and pitching, however the Yankees are well rested as they swept the Minnesota Twins, and the Astros needed five games to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Divisional Series.
The Astros won four of seven games against the Yankees during the 2019 Major League Baseball regular season. Houston swept New York in a three game series in Houston from April 8-10 and then the Yankees won three of four games against the Astros at Yankee Stadium from June 20-23.
The Yankees had a record of 103 wins and 59 losses this season. They were seven games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East. The Astros got into the postseason even more comfortably, as they had a record of 107 wins and 55 losses, and a full 10 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics in the American League West.
Why New York can win:
The overall postseason production of the Yankees middle infield of Gleyber Torres and Didi Gregorius has simply been fantastic, offensively and defensively. In the three game sweep of the Twins, Torres batted .417 in 12 at bats, while Gregorius batted .400 in 10 at bats. Gregorius and Torres each notched a home run and Torres hit three doubles. Defensively, Torres and Gregorius combined for 17 total chances and did not commit an error.
Why Houston can win:
The Astros simply have an unbelievable 1-2 starting punch in their rotation that will drive the Yankees nuts. Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are simply magnificent on the mound. What Cole has been able to achieve this season is remarkable. After going 20-5 and leading Major League Baseball with 326 strikeouts in the regular season, Cole’s postseason earned run average is a remarkable 0.57.
My take:
Houston in 6. Yankees starting pitching simply does not match up compared to the powerful Astros.
Betting Insights
- Each of the Yankees’ last four games as underdogs have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The Astros have won 13 of their last 14 Saturday night games at Minute Maid Park.
