In the top of the eighth inning of Game 2 of the ALCS, the Houston Astros caught a big break.
Five outs away from winning Game 2 and taking a 2-0 series lead over the New York Yankees before the series shifts to the Bronx, the Astros had 25-year-old reliever Bryan Abreu on the mound to face Aaron Judge.
Judge hit 62 home runs during the regular season and broke the single-season American League record for home runs.
Judge came close to yet another on Thursday night, sending one to the track in right field that took Kyle Tucker straight to the wall.
Unfortunately for Judge and the Yankees, Tucker managed to pull it down, which helped the Astros preserve their lead.
And the city of Houston exhaled all at the same time ?
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/xOqfi2YKuG
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 21, 2022
Judge Robbed Of HR
Close, but no cigar!
Judge was mere feet away from giving the Yankees their first lead of the night and giving them a chance to walk out of Houston with the series tied at a game apiece.
Tucker had other ideas though, and brought down the fly ball, robbing Judge of his third home run of this postseason.
That may have been the difference in the game right there.
If it had left the yard, then perhaps the Yankees could have turned Clay Holmes in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to tie the ALCS.
But there was no such luck for Judge and the Yankees.
Houston held on to win by a final of 3-2, and will take a 2-0 series lead with them to New York as they sit just two wins away from their fourth American League pennant since 2017.
Now, the Yankees find themselves with their backs to the wall.
Luckily, they have Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes lined up for Games 3 and 4.
NEXT: The Yankees Can't Stop Doing 1 Unfortunate Thing
