Verlander, homers lift Astros over Yankees in Game 1 of ALCS

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Verlander, late-inning homers lift Astros over Yankees, 4-2, in Game 1 of ALCS

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 10/19/22

On Wednesday night, a solid pitching performance by Justin Verlander, and some timely late-game home runs, helped lead the Houston Astros to a 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

After navigating through some early trouble, Verlander settled into a strong outing on the bump for the Astros in Game 1. The future Hall of Famer pitched 6.0 innings, allowing only one earned run off three hits while striking out 11 to earn the win.

Tied 1-1 after five innings, the Astros supplied some power in the sixth to take charge of Game 1.

Yuli Gurriel broke the tie, opening the bottom half of the sixth inning by blasting an 0-2 pitch from Yankees' reliever Clarke Schmidt into the Crawford Boxes at Minute Maid Park.

LA PIÑA AND NOW CHAS?!

WHAT IS GOING ON?! pic.twitter.com/Z895cAEJIg
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 20, 2022

A batter later, the Astros got to Schmidt again. This time, it was Chas McCormick doing the honors, smashing another solo home run to center field to put the Astros on top 3-1.

Tie game? Fuhgeddaboudit. pic.twitter.com/7rXq5AB6wC
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 20, 2022

In the seventh, young dynamo Jeremy Pena hit his second homer of the postseason, taking a slider from Yankees' Frankie Montas deep over the left-field wall.

To be frank with you, Jeremy Peña really is him. pic.twitter.com/ucx41ApHla
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 20, 2022

Anthony Rizzo would pull New York to within two, hitting a solo home run off Montero with two outs in the eighth. However, after Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson reached base, the Astros called upon closer Ryan Pressly to make a five-out save. Pressly delivered, striking out Matt Carpenter to end the inning.

Pressly returned in the ninth, setting the Yankees down in order to preserve the Astros' win.

The Astros will host the Yankees for Game 2 of the ALCS Thursday at 7:37 p.m.

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