THE TIES THAT BIND

The connections between the Yankees and Astros reach from players and their families to the coaching staff and front office. Here’s a breakdown:

BRIAN McCANN: The veteran catcher spent three years with the Yankees before they traded him to the Astros last November for prospects Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman. While there was no spot for him in The Bronx with the emergence of Gary Sanchez, McCann hit .241 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 97 games with Houston.

CARLOS BELTRAN: A reliable bat in the postseason, Beltran only got to the playoffs once during his 2 ¹/₂ -year tenure with the Yankees. They traded him to the Rangers last summer (for a package of prospects including Dillon Tate) to help Texas’ playoff push before he signed with the Astros in the offseason. The ex-Met is playing in his seventh postseason.

TYLER CLIPPARD: On the departing end of arguably the Yankees’ best trade this season, Clippard was shipped to the White Sox in a package that returned Todd Frazier, Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson. Less than a month later, the reliever was traded to the Astros for a player to be named later or cash. He posted a 6.43 ERA with Houston and was left off the ALDS roster.

LANCE MCCULLERS JR.: One of Houston’s 2017 All-Stars, McCullers has family ties to the Yankees. His dad, Lance McCullers Sr., pitched for the Yankees from 1989-90 during his sevenyear MLB career. In pinstripes, McCullers Sr. went 5-3 with a 4.42 ERA over 63 appearances, all but one in relief. McCullers Jr. missed all of August this year with a back injury and has shifted to the bullpen for the playoffs.

TONY PENA: The Yankees’ first-base coach had a pair of stints with the Astros before landing in his current role. He played the final months of his career in Houston after getting traded midseason by the White Sox in 1997. Pena then began his major league coaching career as the Astros’ bench coach in 2002 before getting hired as the Royals manager that May. He’s been with the Yankees since 2006.

ROGER CLEMENS: In his third year as a special assistant to the general manager for the Astros, Clemens works with the organization’s pitchers and spends time in uniform during spring training. The Rocket won a Cy Young with both the Yankees and the Astros, pitching three seasons in Houston and six in The Bronx.