On Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, the New York Yankees and Houston Astros are playing Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. As for the opener in Houston, it marks the resumption of what’s become a pretty spicy and complicated rivalry in MLB. The game was tied entering the sixth inning, but the Astros then took a 3-1 lead as Yuli Gurriel and Chas McCormick hit solo homers off New York reliever Clarke Schmidt. Here’s how to watch Game 1.
Ace Justin Verlander started for the Astros, who are much more rested than the Yankees coming into this series. Verlander pitched six strong innings and struck out 11 while allowing just one run on a Harrison Bader solo homer. The Yankees countered with No. 4 starter Jameson Taillon, who lasted 4 1/3 innings before turning things over to the bullpen. During the regular season, the Astros took five of seven head-to-head encounters and outscored the Yankees 27-22 in those games. The winner of the best-of-seven clash will advance to the World Series play the winner of the Philadelphia Phillies-San Diego Padres NLCS.
We’ll be here to provide live updates, analysis, and highlights throughout Game 1. You can follow along below.