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Yankees Fans Feel Good About Their Team's Chances Against Astros

By Eddie Small | October 6, 2015 5:13pm | Updated on October 6, 2015 5:17pm
 The Yankees face the Astros tonight in a win-or-go-home Wild Card game.
New York Yankees Wild Card Game
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The 2015 season for the New York Yankees could end in just a few hours, but fans of the Bronx Bombers seriously doubt it.

"Their pitching is going to hold them up, and we're going to get an early lead and hold the lead," said Yankee fan Johnny Briggins, who was relaxing outside of the stadium this afternoon. "Alex Rodriguez is going to hit a home run tonight."

The team's first trip to the postseason since 2012 begins at 8 p.m. with a one game Wild Card playoff against the Houston Astros in Yankee Stadium. The winner gets to move on and face the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series, while the loser gets to go home and start planning for next year.

Although the Bombers will be facing AL Cy Young candidate Dallas Keuchel, fans were not worried that his arm would prove to be too much for the team's bats.

"He's been solid all year, but he's on the road," said 20-year-old Yankee fan Aaron Catalani, who is going to tonight's game. "If you look at his road stats, they're not as good as when he's at home."

Fans were similarly dismissive of the team's string of losses — six out of their last seven games — at the end of the season.

Yankee fan Andre Eason, who is attending tonight's game as well, dismissed the slow finish as a strategy by Yankee manager Joe Girardi.

"I think he's been weak the last couple of games on purpose," he said. "I think he's going to come out with some fire today."

The Yankees will put up Masahiro Tanaka to face Keuchel, and Cary Goodman, executive director of the 161st Street Business Improvement District, was confident that he would pitch a gem.

"I have a lot of faith in Tanaka and think that we’re going to see an outstanding performance from him," he said.

Goodman also predicted that "A-Rod and [Carlos] Beltran are going to lead a bombardment. We’re going to see the return of the Bronx Bombers."

To help give the team good luck tonight, Goodman said he would wear the same hat he wore when he was fortunate enough to make a cameo in Gatorade's farewell ad for Derek Jeter.

"I had the good luck to see him and make that commercial, so I wore it today," he said, "because if they don’t win today, there’s no sense wearing it any other day."

The crosstown Mets made it into the playoffs this year as well, and although both teams are still multiple series away from meeting for baseball's grand prize, Yankee fans said they were already hoping for the first Subway Series since 2000 and didn't waste any time picking on their foes in Queens.

"The Mets are hot," Briggins said, "but the Yankees are all-time."