NEW YORK – The Houston Astros will pin their World Series hopes on Justin Verlander in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. With a win, the Yankees advance to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here's what you need to know about Astros-Yankees Game 6:
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Time - First Pitch: 8:08 p.m., EST
Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
TV info - How to watch: FS1, Fox Sports Go App
Starting pitchers: Houston, Justin Verlander vs. New York, Luis Severino
Series: Yankees lead 3-2
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Verlander, Astros try to force Game 7 vs Yanks
Justin Verlander and the Astros try to stave off elimination and force a decisive Game 7 in the AL Championship Series when they host the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park (8:08 p.m. EDT).
Verlander has won all eight outings with Houston since arriving in an Aug. 31 trade, including his first career relief appearance during the Division Series clincher at Boston. The 2011 AL MVP is 10-5 with a 3.18 ERA in his postseason career, and an 11th win would tie him with Greg Maddux and Curt Schilling for fifth place all-time.
Young ace Luis Severino starts for New York in a rematch of Game 2, when Verlander struck out 13 in a complete game and threw a season-high 124 pitches for a 2-1 victory. The Yankees have shown they can adjust, though. Houston’s other Cy Young Award winner, Dallas Keuchel, dominated Game 1 before taking a 5-0 loss in Game 5.
The wild-card Yankees have two chances to win one game in Houston for their record 41st trip to the World Series and first since 2009. After going 51-30 at home during the regular season, the AL’s best mark, New York is 6-0 at Yankee Stadium in these playoffs but only 1-4 on the road.
Didi Gregorius and the Yankees did win a decisive Game 5 in Cleveland to take that Division Series, but the home team has won all five games in the ALCS so far.
New York just outscored the Astros 19-5 in three straight victories at home but was beaten 2-1 in each of the first two games at Minute Maid Park.
The Yankees’ top hitters are heating up as October wears on. Once mired in a postseason slump, Aaron Judge is batting .313 with two homers in the ALCS. Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius each had two hits in Game 5.
Sanchez was hitless in the series before ripping a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning of a 6-4 win in Game 4. On the flip side, Judge has 24 strikeouts, two shy of the Yankees’ Alfonso Soriano in 2003 for the most in a single postseason.
