ALCS Bracket 2019: Reviewing Top Players and Highlights from Astros vs. Yankees

The ALCS wrapped up in dramatic fashion on Saturday night as Jose Altuve sent the Houston Astros to the World Series with a walk-off, two-run home run in Game 6.

That blast sent the New York Yankees packing, and the Astros will now square off against the Washington Nationals in the World Series after they throttled the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game sweep.

The Yankees won 103 games during the regular season to claim their first AL East title since 2012, then swept the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS. But in the end, the Astros' star-studded roster was simply too much to overcome.

It took the Astros five games to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in a hard-fought ALDS, and they'll now have two days of rest before the World Series begins.

AL Cy Young candidates Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander will take the ball in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively, while Zack Greinke will get the nod in Game 3.

Before the Fall Classic kicks off, let's take a quick look back at this year's ALCS.

ALCS Results

Game 1: Yankees 7, Astros 0

Game 2: Astros 3, Yankees 2

Game 3: Astros 4, Yankees 1

Game 4: Astros 8, Yankees 3

Game 5: Yankees 4, Astros 1

Game 6: Astros 6, Yankees 4

ALCS Recap

The Yankees exploded out the gates with a convincing 7-0 victory in Game 1 of the ALCS. Gleyber Torres (3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) did the bulk of the damage offensively, while Masahiro Tanaka (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER) twirled a gem on the mound.

However, the Astros rattled off three straight wins after that to put the Yankees on the brink of elimination.

It took extra innings to decide Game 2, with Astros shortstop Carlos Correa finally delivering the walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning off J.A. Happ.

Cole was on the mound in Game 3 and the Astros quickly seized a 2-0 lead after two innings. That was all the run support baseball's hottest pitcher would need, as he worked seven shutout innings.

Weather pushed Game 4 back a day, which eliminated the off-day between Game 5 and Game 6. It was again Correa who delivered the big blow to put the Astros up 3-1 in the series, launching a three-run home run off Yankees reliever Chad Green to give the Astros a 6-1 lead in what wound up being an 8-3 victory.

The Yankees were able to stave off elimination in Game 5 after striking for four runs in the first inning of Justin Verlander. DJ LeMahieu (solo HR) and Aaron Hicks (three-run HR) delivered the big blows.

That was all the help James Paxton (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 9 K) needed as he did his job on the mound to force Game 6.

In a bullpen game for both teams, each club used seven different pitchers in Game 6, and the Astros carried a 4-2 lead into the ninth inning. LeMahieu tied things up with a dramatic two-run home run and it looked like the game might be headed for extra innings, before Jose Altuve launched a walk-off, two-run shot off of Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to give the Astros the AL pennant.

Altuve was named ALCS MVP after going 8-for-23 with one double, two home runs, three RBI and six runs scored.

The 2019 World Series kicks off on Tuesday night from Minute Maid Park in Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on Fox.