Astros vs. Yankees: ALCS Game 5 Time, TV Info, Live Stream and More

The Houston Astros will look to secure their second World Series trip in three years Friday night. 

Houston enters Game 5 of the American League Championship Series with a 3-1 lead over the New York Yankees.

The Yankees have slumped at the plate after winning Game 1 7-0, scoring four runs across the three games since, and it won't get any easier for them in Game 5, with Justin Verlander starting for the Astros.

New York will have to try to summon the offensive firepower that landed them first in runs (943) and second in home runs (306) to end the regular season while also trusting starting pitcher James Paxton to shut down the Astros. 

Houston won Game 4 8-3, but the contest started off shaky for the team, as Zack Greinke walked three of the first six batters he faced, the first time he had walked three in a first inning since 2007, per MLB's Sarah Langs. The Yankees didn't pounce when opportunity presented itself then, so it's now or never.

Game Information

Start time: 7:08 p.m. ET

Location: Yankee Stadium

TV: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports Go

Justin Verlander and James Paxton Return to the Mound

If Game 5 is anything like Game 2, we're in for a treat.

The Astros prevailed 3-2 in 11 innings. Verlander provided the team 6.2 innings in which he struck out seven Yankees and allowed two earned runs on five hits. New York started Paxton, who tossed just 2.1 innings with three strikeouts and one earned run on four hits.

Game 4 was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but inclement weather pushed it to Thursday night, which consequently bumped Game 5 to Friday. Pitching matchups were adjusted as a result.

Now, Verlander and Paxton will start Game 5 on regular rest.

Astros hitters will be happy to see Paxton again, based on their success against him in Game 2:

There was speculation that the 30-year-old was tipping his pitches:

Following the game, though, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters he didn't believe that was the case. "We're pretty vigilant on that stuff," he said. Paxton will likely be even more vigilant about it Friday night.

The narrative has morphed beyond Big Maple, however.

"According to a person familiar with the situation, the Yankees' coaches were upset with a whistle coming from the Houston dugout in Game 1 of the ALCS and believed it was part of a sign-stealing program the Astros have long been suspected of using at home," George A. King III of the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch called the accusation "a joke" ahead of Thursday's Game 4. Verlander also addressed it with the media, as SportsTalk 790 shared:

But once he throws the first pitch of Game 5, all that will matter is what each pitcher has accomplished.

Following his seven-strikeout performance in Game 2, Verlander is just 16 away from breaking John Smoltz's all-time postseason strikeout record. The 36-year-old is 14-8 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.04 WHIP overall in the postseason. Specific to seven career ALCS appearances, he is 6-3 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.

Paxton, meanwhile, had never pitched in the postseason prior to this year. In two starts—in the ALDS against the Minnesota Twins and Game 2 of this series—he has a 0-0 record, 5.14 ERA and 1.71 WHIP.

While the eight-time All-Star lost Game 5 of the ALCS to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox last year, he hadn't dropped an elimination game since Game 5 of the 2006 World Series as a member of the Detroit Tigers before that.

Chalk says to side with Verlander's experience, especially in a closeout situation.