It took extra innings for the Astros to come out on top in this thriller and the series is shaping up to be an exciting one.

Three takeaways from the Astros' Game 2 win over Yankees


The American League Championship Series is tied at 1-1, as Houston claimed a 3-2 win against the Yankees Sunday.

It took 11 innings for the Astros to come out on top in this thriller and the series is shaping up to be an exciting one.

Here are three takeaways from Houston's win:

The Astros found their bats

New York outhit Houston 13-3 in Game 1, but the Astros did a much better job making contact on Sunday. Houston notched seven hits against the Yankees this time. After being held scoreless on Friday, Houston scored two runs, via a George Springer home run and a Carlos Correa RBI through the first nine innings.

But the Astros' biggest hit of the contest came in the 11th inning as Correa drove in the game-winning run with a walk-off solo shot.

Houston only tallied one more hit than the Yankees, but that's a big turnaround from the 10-hit deficit they faced in Game 1.

Justin Verlander bounced back in a big way

Justin Verlander got drilled by the Rays on three days rest in the American League Division Series last week. After urging the team to let him start against Tampa Bay, he forked up four runs in 3 2/3 innings in his team's loss, allowing the Rays to tie the series at 2-2. But he brought much better stuff Sunday.

Verlander gave up five hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings but had better movement on his pitches, notching seven strikeouts. Only New York's Aaron Judge was able to take him deep with a two-run shot in the fourth inning. The ace's momentum should help his confidence as the postseason progresses. 

Houston could've done a lot more damage

The Astros scored the third-most runs (920) in MLB this season and it's only a matter of time before they capitalize more on their scoring opportunities.

Houston was among the MLB leaders in runners left on base per game in 2019, averaging 7.15 per contest, (via TeamRankings). But it more than tripled that on Sunday, as it left 22 runners on base against New York.

The Astros have consistently struggled to live up to their potential offensively in the postseason, and they can't afford to continue doing that at this point.