Strange but true:

HOUSTON — The Yankees have been chasing, chasing, chasing hard for two solid months, first the Red Sox, then the Indians, and most recently these Astros, and now suddenly they will be playing from in front in this ALCS. For the first time in this postseason they’re expected to win, even if they can no longer count on the frenzied atmosphere in the Bronx unnerving the opponent.

And Houston fans, in fact, are going to want to return the rough treatment, especially after hearing and reading quotes from their beloved Astros, making it sound as if they’d had their lunch money stolen from them in New York.

The ballpark here has never been considered the most hostile of environments. What could be tough about a place that goes by the name of Minute Maid Park — other than the chicken fried steak, of course?

But I have a feeling Houstonians are going to be out to prove they can be as loud and intimidating as New Yorkers.

Will that bother the Yankees? They did have a losing record on the road this season, going 40-41, and they’re 1-4 in the postseason, but none of that matters as much as the fact they prevailed in the one must-win game they’ve played on the road — Game 5 in Cleveland.

That speaks to their mental toughness, which has been such an unshakeable trait all season, especially in this postseason.

Still, there is something about being underdogs that allows teams to play freely, without pressure, and it’s especially rare for the Yankees.

And it feels different now. They’ve looked like a more complete team so far, and after the whipping they put on the Astros in New York, the Yankees for the first time must be thinking this is their series to lose.

No less fascinating, however, is the dynamic in the other dugout.

The Astros have been the lead horse in the race all season, running away with the AL West early, and then reinforcing their status as a juggernaut by pounding the Red Sox in the ALDS.

Now, for the first time in 2017, their lead is gone. They’re playing from behind and they’re not hitting, which has led to their own manager talking about the reality of anxiety in the playoffs and how it has affected their approach at the plate.

Does returning home negate that pressure? Or does being faced with elimination add to the burden?

It all makes for great psychological intrigue, but at this time of year it also comes back to which team is tougher mentally, and on that count the score isn’t close, judging by the way the Astros reacted to the hostility in the Bronx. It doesn’t mean the Yankees are a lock to finish off this series, but at this point it would be a big surprise to see them fail to do so. Because let’s be honest, here in mid-to-late October this is no longer some underdog, howdid-we-get-here ballclub. We might still call them the Baby Bombers, but young stars like Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino have come of age before our eyes, each of them fighting through tough times in this postseason only to respond when it counted most. Meanwhile, CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka have lived up to their reputations as biggame pitchers, and the deep bullpen, as advertised, has given the Yankees the type of advantage GM Brian Cashman envisioned when he traded for David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. That pen is so deep it has thrived even without Dellin Betances in the mix due to his control problems, and that was something you wouldn’t have thought possible a couple of months ago. Bottom line, the Yankees have played high-level baseball for some two months, peaking at the right time. They might have defeated the Indians in four if not for Joe Girardi’s infamous non-challenge in Game 2 of the ALDS, and they easily could have won either or both of the one-run games here last weekend. Hey, you never know, Justin Verlander could shut them down again, though you have to wonder if there will be any lingering effect from going nine innings and throwing 124 pitches in Game 2. If Verlander does have another gem in him, you’d have to think Astros manager A.J. Hinch would bring back Lance McCullers on short rest, as opposed to Charlie Morton, considering the way McCullers dominated the Yankees in Game 4. On Thursday Hinch hinted at that scenario by noting that McCullers wouldn’t be available out of the bullpen for Game 6, but when asked directly about it, he said, “I do have an idea, but I’m not going to tell you.” So, no, it’s not over by any means. The Astros still have some strong pitching in their tank, and they’ll have a ballpark full of riled-up Texans trying to prove they can outshout New Yorkers any day. Finally, there are those raised expectations for the Yankees. But in the end, it’s hard to see any of it being enough to deny a team that, above all, has played so fearlessly, especially in October.

HOUSTON — The Yankees are entering uncharted territory heading into Game 6 of the ALCS on Friday. For once, their backs will not be against the wall. “Yeah, it does feel different,” Joe Girardi said of leading a series after his team began both the ALDS and the ALCS down 0-2. “We’ve been on a run of we have to win today, we can’t afford to lose today, for a number of reasons. But I think the attitude will be the same, win one game. That is what we’ve kind of talked about, and that’s kind of what we’ve stuck to around here, and that’s what you try to do: win a game on Friday night. Again, we’re facing a great pitcher (Justin Verlander) and a great opponent. But we have to win one game and that’s what we’ll stick to.”

Girardi wished his team, which has won three straight, could have played Thursday.

“Yeah, I think probably everyone would have probably rather played today,” Girardi said. “We understand it. We’ve been on both sides. It’s probably good for our bullpen to have a day off. We rely on them heavily. We got seven great innings out of (Masahiro) Tanaka (in Game 5), and used Tommy (Kahnle), but it allows us to probably use Tommy (in Game 6) if we need him. The day off