Astros, Yankees set ALCS Game 5 lineups
The Astros and the Yankees have announced their starting lineups ahead of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series presented by Camping World. The series is tied at two games apiece.
The Astros are rolling with the same starting nine they used behind starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel in Game 1, though manager A.J. Hinch is mixing up his batting order. Hinch's first four hitters -- George Springer, Josh Reddick, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa -- remain at the top, but it's Yuli Gurriel who will hit fifth vs. Yanks starter Masahiro Tanaka.
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Gurriel, who cleared the bases with a double off New York reliever Player Page for David Robertson on Tuesday night, singled off Tanaka in Game 1. Alex Bregman will hit sixth, followed by Carlos Beltran, Marwin Gonzalez and Brian McCann.
Altuve, Bregman and Reddick all have a home run lifetime off Tanaka, while Springer and Correa have each taken the right-hander deep twice.
ASTROS
- George Springer, CF
- Josh Reddick, RF
- Jose Altuve, 2B
- Carlos Correa, SS
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Carlos Beltran, DH
- Marwin Gonzalez, LF
- Brian McCann, C
Dallas Keuchel, P
The Yankees found the going tough in a 2-1 loss in Game 1 to Keuchel, tallying four hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts against the Astros' ace. Joe Girardi's lineup for Wednesday looks a bit different than the last time New York faced Keuchel, with Chase Headley filling in for Matthew Holliday at designated hitter. Girardi also moved the switch-hitting Aaron Hicks ahead of Starlin Castro, and the left-handed-hitting Greg Bird was moved down in the lineup. Todd Frazier is hitting eighth ahead of Headley, who singled as a pinch-hitter in Game 4 on Tuesday.
Headley and Hicks are the only two Yankees starters with a homer off Keuchel in their careers. Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge, hitting first and second for New York, respectively, both notched hits off Keuchel in Game 1, as did Castro and Bird.
YANKEES - Brett Gardner, LF
- Aaron Judge, RF
- Gary Sanchez, C
- Didi Gregorius, SS
- Aaron Hicks, CF
- Starlin Castro, 2B
- Greg Bird, 1B
- Todd Frazier, 3B
- Chase Headley, DH
Masahiro Tanaka, P