Three takeaways from Yankees' ALCS Game 1 win over the Astros

Thomas Lott

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Three takeaways from Yankees' ALCS Game 1 win over the Astros image

The Yankees have taken a 1-0 lead in the American League Championship Series after a 7-0 win over the Astros on Saturday.

Masahiro Tanaka dealt, Gleyber Torres dominated and Houston made mistakes.

Now the Astros turn to Justin Verlander for Game 2 with hopes of stopping the bleeding.

The Yankees counter with James Paxton.

Three takeaways from Yankees' ALCS Game 1 win over the Astros

Inexcusable

Every single out in this series could matter. It may very well be a sweep by the Yankees, but if it goes how everyone thinks it will, this could be a very long and drawn out series. Taking that into account, Alex Bregman cannot make the mistake he made in the fifth inning of Game 1.

And let's make this clear, yes, Aaron Judge made a great play reeling in a line-drive shot off the bat of Yordan Alvarez, but Bregman was absolutely in the wrong here. On the play in question with Houston down 1-0, Alvarez hit a line drive to right with Bregman on first base. It might have looked like a hit, but it definitely was not a sure thing. Bregman took his lead off of first and did not go halfway. He looked like he was trying to get a head start on getting to third, but Judge caught the ball.

Yes, Bregman slipped on his way getting back but he was waaaaaayyyyyy too far off of the base in the first place. Judge then caught him with relative ease to double him up at first and the Astros' chance was over.

Bregman is an MVP candidate, but that was not an MVP play. And the Yankees did win this game by seven runs, but in a one-run game, that mistake is inexcusable.

Did you hear? Gleyber Torres is 22

We poke a little bit of fun here because it would seem that every single Twitter account has 22 written in massive numbers next to Gleyber Torres' name and it is required to mention it every time he breathes. But what he has done this postseason is incredibly impressive regardless of his age.

Torres drove in five runs in Game 1 and now has nine runs batted in in during the 2019 playoffs. It cannot be ignored how good he has been this postseason and he only has a little ways to go before he catches up with Juan Soto who is 20. Get that? He's 20.

Again, we kid. Torres has been awesome and he deserves a ton of credit for the Yankees' success.

We told you this could happen

When Masahiro Tanaka was announced as the Game 1 starter for the Yankees some people were surprised. We weren't. Tanaka has been lights out in his postseason career and he has been doubly as good against the Astros.

Coming into Game 1 Tanaka had a 2.00 ERA (four runs in 18 innings) in three career playoff starts vs. the Astros. He had given up just two runs over his previous 13 innings against them. The Astros struggle against him and it's not surprising at all that he gave up just one hit and no runs in six innings of work in Game 1.

The Astros tend to struggle against men who really know how to pitch. That's why they struggled with Charlie Morton this year and David Price last year, but they got to guys like Tyler Glasnow and Chris Sale. If a pitcher knows how to work the corners and keep guys off balance the Astros can struggle. That's exactly why they had issues with Tanaka and likely will again in a potential Game 5.

Thomas Lott