ALCS Bracket 2022: Schedule, Odds, World Series Predictions Before Game 3
The Houston Astros took a commanding 2-0 series lead into the ALCS Thursday after earning a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees thanks to a home run from Alex Bregman.
The home run has been the defending American League champions' calling card this offseason and the driving force behind 16 of the team's 20 runs, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.
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The Yankees head back to New York in desperate need of a win that will stunt the Astros' momentum and bring a World Series berth back within reach.
They also need star slugger Aaron Judge to wake up, put his past playoff struggles behind him and be the hitter he was throughout his historic regular season.
ALCS Schedule
Game 3: Saturday, October 22 (5:07 p.m. ET, TBS)
Game 4: Sunday, October 23 (7:07 p.m. ET, TBS)
Game 5: Monday, October 24 (4:07 p.m. ET, TBS)*
Game 6: Tuesday, October 25 (6:07 p.m. ET, TBS)*
Game 7: Wednesday, October 26 (7:37 p.m. ET, TBS)*
*If necessary
ALCS Odds
Game 3: Houston (-165); New York (+140)
Series: Houston (-650); New York (+500)
Prediction
The Astros have been among the best teams in baseball all year, and thus far in the ALCS, they have looked it.
They have turned 15 hits into seven runs while holding the Yankees to four runs on nine hits through two games. Their bats are lively, and their rotation is minimizing New York's scoring opportunities.
Nothing about the first two games suggests that trend is going to end.
The Astros have an OBP of .343 to the Yankees' .200, a SLG of .508 to .262 and seven RBIs to four. They are putting hitters in a position to score at a rate significantly higher than that of New York and are cashing in on those opportunities.
On the mound, Houston has an oppressive ERA of 1.00 to New York's .394, and its WHIP is .0722 to its opponent's 1.375. They have stifled the Yankees' bats, and with Harrison Bader the only Yankee hitting consistently, they have the advantage on both sides of the ball at this point in the series.
Maybe the energy and excitement in Yankee Stadium can fuel an offensive onslaught that sparks a sense of hope among players and fanbase alike, but the Astros are playing their best postseason baseball right now.
Even the things that should go wrong have gone right for Houston.
The Yankees are good enough to steal a game or two in the series, but Houston will inevitably cash its ticket to its fourth World Series appearance since 2017, continuing one of the great stretches of postseason success in modern baseball history and its quest to give manager Dusty Baker his first championship.
Prediction: Astros in 5
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