But it was Springer’s catch that kept the Yankees at bay, assuring that there will be one more game to determine who will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. The Yankees will start C. C. Sabathia in Saturday’s Game 7, and the Astros will counter with Charlie Morton. It will be the fifth time the Yankees have faced elimination in the 2017 postseason.
If the Yankees are buoyed by the presence of Sabathia, an unflappable veteran who won the decisive fifth game of their division series at Cleveland, it is also worth remembering that whichever team has been at home in this A.L.C.S. has played with verve and confidence.
While the Astros looked frazzled at Yankee Stadium, their defense has stood out in all three games here. In addition to Springer’s catch and a slick early double play started by shortstop Carlos Correa on Friday night, there was the Game 1 gem turned in by left fielder Marwin Gonzalez, who threw out Greg Bird at the plate. And there was the Game 2 rat-tat-tat relay from right fielder Josh Reddick to Correa to third baseman Alex Bregman that cut down Brett Gardner at third.
The Yankees, whose only run on Friday came on Aaron Judge’s long…
