WARY IT WELL

Astros have 2-0 lead but remain cautious of Yanks

The Houston Astros can’t wait to get their American League Championship Series started against the Yankees.

“For us it’s all tied up at zero-zero,” Astros center fielder George Springer said Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where Houston prepped for Monday’s Game 3. “So that’s how we will approach it. Take it one day at a time just like they will.”

The Astros, of course, held home field in the first two games, beating the Yankees by identical 2-1 scores. Not quite blowouts. And the Yankees know they were a hit or a play away from at least having a split. And being down 0-2 is familiar ground for the Yankees. Just ask Cleveland.

“We’ v e been through enough this year that there’s no panic,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Well, maybe the next time Dallas Keuchel or Justin Verlander steps on the mound for Houston.

The Astros received two superlative pitching efforts in Houston to put themselves in a most enviable position. But they know the danger the Yankees present. The Yankees were down 0-2 in a best-offive against the Indians, given the last rites but arose and struck to beat Cleveland just before the embalming fluid took effect.

“I don’t think anyone in our clubhouse is going to take it for granted that we have a 2-0 lead. This isn’t a best-of-two. It’s the best-of-seven. Our guys know it. We stayed very focused in the best of f ive against Boston, the Division Series,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’re tested enough and have enough players in the clubhouse that understand that there’s no celebratory toast going on around here.

“We don’t think the Yankees are going to concede, and they certainly didn’t concede against the Indians.”

And Hinch referenced history. He didn’t specifically say 2004, but well, if you are a Yankee fan, you crush whatever happens to be in your hand when that year is mentioned and the thought of the Red Sox rallying from 0-3 down to win the pennant flashes. So yeah, comebacks happen.

“Whether you have a long memory of back in the day of some unique things that happened or whether it’s a short memory and you look back at the last series that this team played, they’re going to fight for their season. They’re not going to concede,” Hinch said.

So to the Astros, the series is just starting Monday.

“Just because we’re up two, that doesn’t mean anything,” Springer said. “That’s a good team over there. And they are good. You saw what they’re c a pa bl e of. They came back and won three against Cleveland.”