Astros Force ALCS Game 7 as Justin Verlander Dominates Yankees

The 2017 American League Championship Series will go the distance after Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros shut down the New York Yankees to capture a 7-1win in Game 6 on Friday night at Minute Maid Field.While it wasn't quite a redux of his masterful nine-inning performance in Game 2, Verlander was brilliant with the Astros facing elimination.Over the course of seven scoreless innings, Verlander scattered fivehits and registered eightstrikeouts to baffle a group of Yankee hitters that had hit its stride back in the Bronx.Verlander threw 71 percent of hispitches for strikes, including a curveball to Todd Frazier that encapsulated the Yankees' struggles against the 2011 AL MVP:The Astros offense wasn't nearly as electricits first hit of the night came with two out in the bottom of the fourth inningbut a jolt in the fifth inning produced a breakthrough against Luis Severino (4.2 IP, three strikeouts, three earned runs).Brian McCann got the party started with a double to deep right field to score Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve snapped an 0-for-12 slump three batters later when he laced a two-run single to left, as Fox Sports MLB documented:The Yankees threatened with two on and no out in the top of the seventh for their best opportunity of the night, but the opportunity proved fleeting.After Verlander got Aaron Hicks to strike out swinging, Todd Frazier smoked a fastball to deep center field that George Springer plucked out of the air:According to MLB.com's Andrew Simon, Statcast suggested Frazier hit his blast hard enough to leave most parks:Verlander worked out of the jam one batter later, at which point MLB Network's Jon Morosi relayed a key stat that underscored his dominance:The Yankees got on the board in the eighth when Aaron Judge mashed a solo home run off Brad Peacock, but Altuve countered with a jack of his own in the bottom half of the inning to restore order and fuel a hit parade that allowed the Astros to quell concerns of an implosion once and for all.Now headed for Game 7, the Astros will try to complete their comeback Saturday evening (8:08 p.m. ET, FS1) in Houston against Yankees starterCC Sabathiawho went six strong with five strikeouts in an 8-1 Game 3 win.The Astros, meanwhile, will roll withGame 3 starter Charlie Morton on normal rest as opposed to rushing Lance McCullers back out.
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