Astros Advance To The World Series Over Yankees

HOUSTON (AP) – Jose Altuve  has powered the Houston Astros into their second World Series in three seasons. Altuve launched a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth to give the Astros a 6-4 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. The blast came a half-inning after DJ LeMahieu belted a two-run homer to knot the score. It appeared the game would go to a 10th inning after Chapman retired his first two hitters. But George Springer kept the ninth inning alive with a walk before Altuve wrapped up the third pennant in Astros history and set up a meeting with the Washington Nationals in the Fall Classic. The Yankees chipped away after Yuli Gurriel’s  three-run homer put Houston ahead 3-0 in the first inning. The Yankees got within 3-2 on Gio Urshela’s  solo shot in the fourth, but Altuve provided an insurance run for the Astros by scoring on Alex Bregman’s grounder in the sixth. Altuve scored three of the Astros’ six runs and had two of their six hits. Robert Osuna  got the victory despite surrendering LeMahieu’s bomb. The outcome would allow Houston manager AJ Hinch to start Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday. Cole is 19-0 in his last 25 starts since a May 22 loss to the White Sox.