HOUSTON — Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros try to force a decisive Game 7 in the AL Championship Series when they host the New York Yankees tonight.
Verlander has won all eight of his outings with Houston since arriving from Detroit in an Aug. 31 trade. Now the Astros need to win his ninth game to keep their World Series hopes alive.
Young ace Luis Severino starts for New York in a rematch of Game 2, when Verlander struck out 13 in a complete game and threw a season-high 124 pitches for a 2-1 victory.
The wild-card Yankees have two chances to win one game in Houston for their record 41st trip to the World Series and first since 2009. After going 51-30 at home during the regular season, the AL’s best mark, New York is 6-0 at Yankee Stadium in these playoffs but only 1-4 on the road.
The home team has won all five games in the ALCS so far. New York just outscored the Astros 19-5 in three straight victories at home but was beaten 2-1 in each of the first two games at Minute Maid Park.
