NEW YORK — By the end of the eighth inning, there were swathes of empty seats in Yankee Stadium. Thousands of fans were already out the door, on the streets, murmuring their disbelief at what had just happened in Game 4 of the ALCS. The New York Yankees didn't just come up short in an 8-3 loss to the Houston Astros, but they were embarrassed—reduced to playing garbage time after vowing a stirring comeback in this series.
Instead, the Astros made sure the U.S. saw every advantage they hold over the Yankees: better starting pitching, a more dangerous offense, untouchable bullpen.