MLB Playoffs: New York Yankees, Houston Astros Will Meet in ALCS

The 2022 American League Championship Series is set. The New York Yankees and Houston Astros have moved on to the ALCS, after beating the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners in the American League Division Series. The ALCS between the Yankees and the Astros begins Wednesday at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

The American League Championship Series is set.

The New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians in game five of the American League Division Series, ending the Guardians' magical season.

The Yankees will advance to the American League Championship Series, where the Houston Astros await them.

Unlike the National League playoffs, the top two seeds in the American League both reached the ALCS. The Astros, 106-56, and the Yankees, 99-63, finished with the two best records in the American League. Both teams received a bye from the Wild Card Series, and both teams were able to handle business with their ALDS opponents.

The Yankees needed five games to finish the Guardians at home Tuesday afternoon, taking game five, 5-1.

The Astros swept the Seattle Mariners, but the Mariners put up a noble fight. The Mariners led game one and game two by considerable margins, but were unable to hang on, as the Astros came back and won both games. Game three of the ALDS went to 18 innings, as the Astros won 1-0 on a game-winning home run from Jeremy Pena, and Seattle fans got two games for the price of one.

The Astros and Yankees have met three times in the postseason since 2015. The Astros have ended the Yankees season in all three meetings.

The Astros shut out the Yankees 3-0 in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game.

Two years later, the Yankees had a 3-2 lead over the Astros in the ALCS, but were unable to seal the deal, as the Astros came back and went on to win the 2017 World Series.

Then in 2019, the clubs met again in the ALCS, as Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run off Aroldis Chapman to send the Astros to the World Series.

Of course, both the 2017 and 2019 playoff matchups have been tainted by the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the postseason since the scandal was uncovered after the 2019 season.

The Astros took five of seven games between the two teams during the 2022 regular season.

The ALCS begins Wednesday in at Minute Maid Park in Houston.