The approach Yankees must take in crucial ALCS Game 4 – New York Post, Nypost.com
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October 17, 2019|2: 12 am
Forget Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole lurking in the near future, because that would be akin to putting the hangover ahead of swallowing an ocean of big-bubbled champagne.
Trailing the Astros, 2-1, in the best-of-seven ALCS, the Yankees need to find a way to beat Zack Greinke in Thursday’s Game 4 in the same manner they did when they coppeda 7-0 victory in Houston to open the series.
Without a win Thursday night in The Bronx –following Wednesday’s postponement because of rain– the odds of the Yankees advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2009 become extremely long because Verlander and Cole will be ready to go on regular rest in Games 5 and 7.
So, after winning 103 regular-season games, cruising to the AL East title for the first time in seven years, sweeping the Twins out of the ALDS in three games and pounding the Astros in Game 1 at Minute Maid Park where the hosts went a MLB-best 60 – 21, this is what the Yankees’ 2019 season comes down to: a must-win in a non-elimination situation.
That they have Masahiro Tanaka starting against Greinke has to inject a grown-up dose of confidence after Tanaka blanked the Astros and allowed one hit in Game 1 when he went six innings. In four postseason starts at Yankee Stadium, Tanaka is 3-1 with a 1. 13 ERA. Overall he is 5-2 with a 1. 32 ERA in seven postseason assignments.
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