But Ottavino threw a slider over the heart of the plate that Springer blasted to left field for a homer that tied the score at 2-2. “I have a lot of confidence in my slider, obviously, but credit to him: He didn’t miss it when I made the mistake,” Ottavino said of Springer.
As the innings progressed, Boone cycled through his other stout relievers. He pushed Kahnle to two and one-third innings, his longest outing since Game 1 of the 2017 A.L.C.S. After Chapman tossed a scoreless ninth inning, Boone turned to C.C. Sabathia, Jonathan Loaisiga and Happ, all of whom struggled during the season.
Sabathia, a longtime starter who had recently dealt with shoulder soreness, got one out in the 10th inning. But Loaisiga walked both batters he faced. Happ escaped that inherited jam, but faltered himself an inning later on the first pitch he threw to Correa.
It was here that the absences of Dellin Betances (Achilles injury) and Domingo German (administrative leave) were felt acutely. The Astros, thanks to Verlander’s long outing, were able to outlast the Yankees.
“We pitched really well,” Britton said. “It came down to making one more mistake than they did.”
The battle of slim margins could be further complicated by weather: Forecasts were calling for rain on Wednesday before and during Game 4, which is set to start at 8 p.m. If postponed, Games 4 and 5 would be pushed back a day.
That might prove most beneficial for the Astros, since the quality of their starting pitching drops off significantly after Verlander, Cole and Greinke. Wade Miley, the Astros’ fourth starter during the regular season, was left off the A.L.C.S. roster after a rough September. Greinke, who started Game 1, could pitch on Thursday on regular rest.