ANALYSIS: Are the Astros good enough to beat the Yankees? No question, but the Yankees perhaps like beating the Astros even more than the Red Sox these days because New Yorkers think Houston stole potential World Series titles in 2017 and '19 with that cheating scandal -- the Astros beat the Yankees in the ALCS in both years. Of course, the Bombers aren't exactly non-cheaters themselves. Jameson Taillon (8-1, 2.70 ERA) has become one of the AL's top pitchers for NYY and is 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA and 33 strikeouts over his past six starts. It's Framber Valdez for Houston and while he's excellent, New York is 16-7 vs. southpaws.