By Press Association
George Springer and Carlos Correa hit three-run homers as the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 8-3 Thursday night to move within one win of a second trip to baseball’s World Series in three years.
The Astros lead the seven-game American League Championship Series 3-1 after two straight wins in New York, putting the 2017 World Series winners on the brink of a showdown with the NL champion Washington Nationals, who have been waiting since sweeping the St Louis Cardinals 4-0 in the National League pennant series.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are at risk of going a decade without a World Series appearance for the first time since the 1910s.
Game 5 will take place in New York tonight.
New York set out to dominate early, putting pressure on Houston’s starter Zack Greinke through a hard-fought 28-pitch first inning, but fell short of taking advantage on the scoreboard, gaining only one run.
Houston steadied and then pounced, with Springer hitting Masahiro Tanaka for his homer in the top of the third for a 3-1 lead, and after Tanaka was retired Correa made it 6-1 in the top of the sixth by slamming Chad Green into the bleachers.
The Yankees fought back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Houston added two more in the eighth and ninth to secure the result.