ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 02: Lance McCullers Jr. #43 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 02, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
2022 ALCS Game 4 Preview: facts and storylines for Astros vs. Yankees
It shaped up to be the most challenging game of the series for the Astros, who had to go into Yankee Stadium and not just deal with the hostile crowd, but the Yankees’ best pitcher, Gerrit Cole, in Game 3. When the game went final, though, it showed that the Astros were, and are, in control of this series.
Houston now gets to keep the pressure on New York, with the Astros needing just one win in the next four games to eliminate the Yankees and advance to their fourth World Series in the last six seasons. Here’s a quick look at the game ahead:
Game Facts
When: Sunday, 10/23/2022, 6:07 p.m. CT
Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
TV/Streaming: TBS / Watch TBS App
Pitching Matchup: Lance McCullers Jr. (4-2, 2.27 ERA) vs. Nestor Cortes (12-4, 2.44 ERA)
Series: HOU leads 3-0
Series Schedule
| Date & Time (Central) | Location | Pitching Matchup | |
| Game 1 | Final: HOU 4, NYY 2 | Minute Maid Park, Houston | Verlander vs. Taillon |
| Game 2 | Final: HOU 3, NYY 2 | Minute Maid Park, Houston | Valdez vs. Severino |
| Game 3 | Final: HOU 5, NYY 0 | Yankee Stadium, Bronx | Javier vs. Cole |
| Game 4 | Sun 10/23/2022, 6:07 p.m. | Yankee Stadium, Bronx | McCullers Jr. vs. Cortes |
| Game 5* | Mon 10/24/2022, 3:07 p.m. | Yankee Stadium, Bronx | Verlander vs. Taillon^ |
| Game 6* | Tue 10/25/2022, 5:07 p.m. | Minute Maid Park, Houston | Valdez vs. Severino^ |
| Game 7* | Wed 10/26/2022, 6:37 p.m. | Minute Maid Park, Houston | Javier vs. Cole^ |
^ Projected starters
One game away
Both teams are one win away. The Astros are one win away from advancing to the World Series and have four games to get that victory. The Yankees are one loss away from having their season end in disappointment, making each game a do-or-die scenario. So far in this series, New York’s offense cannot crack Houston’s terrific pitching, making their lineup the hot topic.
In Game 4, we’ll see how they handle the highest of high-pressure situations, as they will need to put runs on the board to save their season. Although they haven’t been terrible, the Yankee’s pitching staff will be under similar pressure to keep Houston from putting up big innings that will put the game out of reach for their struggling offense.
For Houston, do more of the same
We’ve been saying it all year, this group of pitchers that Houston has assembled is terrific and has been the cornerstone of their run to this point. On Sunday, they’ll look to replicate a winning formula: have your starter get into the middle or late innings with a lead or at least in a close game and hand the ball off to the bullpen to do the rest.
Just like the Yankees will have nearly everyone available to try and avoid elimination, the Astros, having just had a day off on Thursday and getting several days off if they can complete the sweep, can call on virtually anyone from their bullpen. The key for Houston will be trying to start each pitcher with a clean inning, so ideally, Lance McCullers Jr. and those that follow can avoid getting into too many jams that could cause a scramble to get someone in the game quickly.
