Game 4 between the Astros and the Yankees in the Bronx will not start on time due to the weather in the area. Estimated start time is 8:30pm ET. You can find updates here.
This is the setup for Sunday’s AL Championship Series Game 4 at Yankee Stadium, where Houston has a chance to give the Yankees their fourth win in a best-of-seven series – a feat previously seen in the 1963 World Series (Dodgers ), ’76 World Series (Reds) and 2012 ALCS (Tigers).
“All I’m thinking about is putting on one more run than they’re making and winning the ball game,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “The Yankees are always dangerous, especially here in New York. We have an opportunity to finish it and win tomorrow so we will try to take every opportunity to try that.”
When is the game and how can I see it?
The ALCS is broadcast on TBS.
All games are available in the US on MLB.TV (requires authentication with a participating pay-TV provider). Live games are also available in select countries outside of the US. For all details click here.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Astros: Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA in the postseason), who finished the Astros’ pennant-winning game in 2017, will take the mound in another crucial situation. The right-hander was pushed back a day after being hit in the elbow during the Astros’ celebration after winning the Division Series but was cleared for the start of Game 4 after a bullpen toss on Friday. The McCullers’ starting Sunday will be his 11th of the postseason and his second this season. He pitched six scoreless innings against the Mariners in the Astros’ 1-0, 18-inning win in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. McCuller’s only other postseason start against the Yankees came in Game 4 of the 2017 ALCS at Yankee Stadium, where he held them to one run with two hits in six innings.
Yanks: Nestor Cortes (1-0, 2.70 ERA in the postseason), the Yankees’ most reliable starter all of the regular season, will start Sunday’s game to ensure his team plays again on Monday. Cortes has been great this postseason, allowing three runs over two starts of the AL Division Series (over 10 innings) against Cleveland. It was a continuation of how he ended the regular season; In his last five games, Cortes posted a 1.32 ERA, allowing for four runs over 27 1/3 innings. Cortes made a regular start to the season against Houston. In a home game on June 26, he allowed three earned runs over five innings with two walks and seven strikeouts in the Yankees’ 6-3 win.
What are the starting positions?
Astros: The first seven batters are unchanged from Game 3, with Trey Mancini getting a second straight start as the designated batsman. One of Cortes’ two career hits is a homer. Martín Maldonado is behind the plate to catch McCullers.
Yanks: Aaron Boone shuffled the lineup in each of the first three games of this ALCS, and he also tried to shuffle and match quite a bit in the ALDS against the Guardians to find a combination that could reliably produce some runs. So far he’s still looking. As a team, the Americans hit .161 (40 to 248) in the postseason. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (4-for-15 this postseason) gets his second start in the series and Harrison Bader returns to the top spot.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Astros: The Astros’ bullpen has a .62 ERA in six playoff games with 13 goals allowed and 39 strikeouts in 29 innings. By using five relievers to follow starter Cristian Javier in a three-hit shutout on Saturday, the Astros didn’t have a reliever throw of more than 20 pitches, so they should all be available for Game 4. That’s in addition to closer Ryan Pressly. who did not start Game 3, and length options at Seth Martinez and regular-season starters Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia.
Yanks: It’s all on deck when the season is at stake. In Game 3, Lou Trivino threw 19 pitches, Miguel Castro 14, and Domingo Germán made his postseason debut with a ninth inning of 24 pitches.
Astros: Houston is as healthy as it has been all season. Outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder surgery) and catcher Jason Castro (knee surgery) were ruled out for the June season.
Yanks: Aaron Hicks’ season ended after sustaining a left knee injury while chasing a pop-up in Game 5 when he collided with Cabrera. He said his estimated recovery time is six weeks. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi (right wrist discomfort), infielder DJ LeMahieu (right foot ligaments) and right-hander Ron Marinaccio (right shin stress reaction) are traveling with the club but have not been included in the ALCS roster.
Who is hot and who isn’t?
Yanks: Bader scored one of the Yankees’ three goals in Game 3 and is 7-for-25 in eight postseason games so far. … Judge was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Game 3 and only has one hit in the ALCS.
Is there anything else fans would like to know?
Astros: The Astros are 12-5 in postseason games against the Yankees of all time, their most wins against any opponent. … Houston’s .706 win ratio in the postseason against the Yankees is the second-best all-time behind Detroit (.769, 10-3). … Dusty Baker has 46 postseason wins as a manager, passed Dave Roberts (45) for fourth place and is now behind only Hall of Famer skippers Joe Torre (84), Tony La Russa (71) and Bobby Cox ( 67). Half of Baker’s postseason wins have come with the Astros in the past three seasons.
Yanks: The Yankees were shut out in a postseason home game Saturday for the 16th time in franchise history and the fourth time since the new Yankee Stadium opened in 2009. … The Bombers have been held to six hits or fewer in each of their last 10 postseason games since Game 5 of the 2020 ALDS, three games more than the Twins did from 1965-69 with seven straight games.