ALCS: Astros sweep Yankees for fourth pennant in six years

AP photo by John Minchillo / Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel and third baseman Alex Bregman celebrate after a 6-5 win against the host New York Yankees on Sunday night to complete a sweep of the ALCS. AP photo by John Minchillo / Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel and third baseman Alex Bregman celebrate after a 6-5 win against the host New York Yankees on Sunday night to complete a sweep of the ALCS.

By MIKE FITZPATRICK / The Associated Press October 23, 2022 6 min read

NEW YORK — A delay for weather Sunday night before Game 4 of the American League Championship Series turned out to be only that.

There was no stopping the Houston Astros from finishing off the New York Yankees on their way to the pennant, something that has almost become an October ritual in recent years.

Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman delivered big hits, and the Astros advanced to the World Series again, finishing a four-game sweep of New York in the ALCS with a 6-5 victory aided by another defensive gaffe from the Yankees.

Taking advantage of a costly error by second baseman Gleyber Torres to produce the go-ahead rally in the seventh inning, Houston repeated as the AL champ and won its fourth pennant in six years.

Rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña hit a three-run homer off ailing New York starter Nestor Cortes to help the AL West Division champions overcome an early 3-0 deficit. Peña was picked as the MVP of the series.