ALCS Game 1: Astros host the Yankees

Who will take game one?

The Houston Astros and the New York Yankees have not played each other in over three months, and tonight the Astros will host the Yankees in the first game of the American League Championship Series.

The Astros won the regular season series against the Yankees 5-2. Since then, the two teams have improved their records and now lead the MLB as the top two offensive teams of 2017. The Astros have 896 runs scored and 238 home runs on the season.  The Yankees are just shy of that with 858 runs and 241 homers on the regular season. The Astros also had the American League’s second best record of the regular season with 101 wins and 61 losses.

On the Mound

The two teams both have strong arms on the rubber tonight.

Masahiro Tanaka, (4.74 ERA 194 strikeouts) will be on the mound for the Yankees. Tanaka came in during the American League Division Series in game three to pitch seven shutout innings that lead the Yankees to their first win of the series against the Indians 1-0.

The Astros will have LHP, Dallas Keuchel on the hill tonight. Keuchel tossed 5 2/3 innings in the American League Division Series game 2 against the Red Sox. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out seven in the matchup in their 8-2 win. Keuchel has an impressive 0.96 ERA in his three postseason starts. Previously, Keuchel helped in eliminating the Yankees in the 2015 wild-card playoffs.

At the Plate

The Yankees are lead by slugger Aaron Judge finishing the regular season with 128 runs and 52 homers and a .284 batting average. Judge, however, finished the five-game series in the ALDS against the Indians going  1 for 20 with 16 strikeouts and will need to bounce back in order to lead his team offensively against the Astros. Didi Gregorius plays right-handed in the field and bats lefty at the plate and finished the regular season with 153 hits and a .278 batting average for the Yankees.

The Astros offense has been dominant all year and tonight Jose Altuve will look to lead the Astros. Altuve finished the season with 112 runs, a .346 batting average and 81 RBI.

Dreams do come true. #ALCS pic.twitter.com/16I1SqRjHj

— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2017

Tonight

The Astros have not been in the American League Championship game since 2005 while the Yankees’ last American League Championship Series was in 2012.

The first pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.