World Series 2022: Updated Predictions Before Astros vs. Yankees ALCS Game 3

The Houston Astros will travel to New York's famed Yankee Stadium for a date with the Bronx Bombers in Game 3 of the ALCS Saturday.

The defending American League champions will look to take a 3-0 series lead and push the Yankees to the brink of elimination.

---

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

---

Prediction

To say that a win for the Astros would give them a commanding lead in the series would be an understatement.

Houston is playing like the best team in baseball; one hellbent on erasing the disappointment of last year's World Series shortcoming. They have excelled on both sides of the ball throughout the ALCS.

On the offensive side, the Astros are exponentially better than the opposition in batting average (.254 to .138), slugging percentage (.508 to .262) and on-base percentage (.343 to .200).

Pitching has been equally as one-sided, with the Astros amassing a 1.0 ERA versus the Yankees' mark of 3.94 entering the pivotal game. The latter did get a bit of good news, perhaps, as it was revealed that Houston's Cristian Javier will start Saturday's game after expected pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. "caught a spare champagne bottle to the elbow" and suffered a cut.

Aside from clearly being a reserve option, Javier also allowed the most home runs of his career (17) in 2022. Not exactly the stat you want hanging overhead before a date with Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader and a New York team that led the Majors in home runs in the regular season.

However, this is not the first time the Yankees have seen Javier, and he had no trouble sitting batters down in their previous encounter.

No matter how dominant the Astros have been in this series, one has to figure New York will find a way to steal at least one game. Saturday night, at home against a pitcher they should be able to get after, feels like as good as any time to make that happen.

Prediction: Yankees win, series 2-1