SENDING A MESSAGE
NEW YORK — A.J. Hinch took the mic and defended his Astros.
Then the best team in Major League Baseball reminded the Yankees which team is really in charge of this American League Championship Series.
“This” is a tricky word right now, though.
Because after an 8-3 Astros victory in Game 4 on Thursday night inside a screaming Yankee Stadium that was soon silenced, it could be “that” ALCS by Friday evening.
The Astros lead this series 3-1. The Astros have won two consecutive games in the Bronx after New York began the series with a shutout inside Minute Maid Park.
The Astros followed up Carlos Correa’s 11th-inning walk-off home run in Game 2 with huge back-to-back road victories, inside a ballpark they couldn’t win a game in during the 2017 ALCS.
The Astros are one win away from returning to the World Series for the second time in three years.
“We definitely are in control of this series right now and it's up to us to finish the job,” veteran right fielder Josh Reddick said.
You wake up, and the Astros are pretty much being accused of cheating (or old-school sign stealing, depending on your view of the modern baseball world).
You watch a fiery Hinch, more than two hours before the first pitch, answer a single question with an almost 400-word answer.
“The problem I have is when other people take shots at us outside this competition,” Hinch said before Zack Greinke outdueled Masahiro Tanaka. “When you guys ask me this question, my face, my name is by my quotes, my opinions — my reaction is all for you guys to tweet out and put on the broadcast. But we have people that are unnamed, or you guys have sources that are giving you information. I suggest they put their name by it if they’re so passionate about it, to comment about my team or my players.”
Then you watch Greinke escape a bases-loaded first inning with only one New York run. Greinke settle, then lock in, as the fifth inning approaches. Greinke endure a blatant missed strike, then Ryan Pressly shut down the Yankees in the fifth, as another bases-loaded opportunity ends in Yankee Stadium silence.
“Zack did a great job,” Alex Bregman said. “In the first, he executed pitches. Just barely a tick off, maybe. … He did a great job of kind of not letting that get too big and staying within himself and sticking to his game plan. He got us off on a great start to win this game.”
The Nationals are waiting on a World Series opponent while serious stuff happens in Washington, D.C.
The Astros have looked like that opponent since February and came one victory away Thursday, even after Josh James gave up a two-run blast to Gary Sanchez in the bottom of the sixth.
“We have confidence every time we take the field,” Bregman said. “We believe in each other, always.”
Greinke deserved the win this time, but only lasted 41⁄3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and four walks while striking out five on 83 pitches (49 strikes).
I’m sure MLB will apologize to the Astros’ No. 3 starter for the missed 2-0 strike to Judge, which led to an undeserved walk and Hinch immediately turning to Pressly.
I’m also certain that robot umps can’t be that far away in 2019.
Either way, it was 6-1 Astros after Correa rocketed his second big home run since the instant joy of Game 2. You started counting innings. Hinch handed the ball to Will Harris and Co., as the Yankees kept running out of Game 4 outs. Then it was 7-3 road team, after the Yankees’ third fielding error of the night.
“We’ve got a good team,” said Greinke, summing up the 2019 Astros in one sentence.
New York tried it all at the start. The stadium lights went dark, and the ballpark became a heavy metal concert. Judge was cheered like a World Serieswinning hero with a few rings. Jose Altuve was mercilessly booed. And when Greinke got in early trouble, Yankee Stadium went for blood.
There was only one problem. New York, with all its power, couldn’t do a thing with complex baseball terms such as “men on base” and “runners in scoring position.” The Yankees left 10 on in Game 4 and are 0-for-13 with RISP since the series moved north.
George Springer cranked a three-run home run. Correa cranked a three-run home run. Pressly pitched through a stadium of noise on baseball’s biggest stage. Harris fired through the Yanks.
It was done, and the silence was sweet.
Bon Jovi blared as the stadium emptied out. Astros fans in orange increasingly stood out. A desperate Yankees fan screamed, “"Let's get our (bleep) together! Wake up!"
“They didn't have much to say,” said Reddick, referring to an outfield section that was almost empty by the time Roberto Osuna recorded three final outs.
Another Astros W in the Bronx.
Another World Series was one victory away.