AJ Hinch and Didi Gregorius Provide Interesting Comments on Near-Home Run in Game 3

The ALCS entered the confides of home run-friendly Yankee Stadium Tuesday, which gave the New York Yankees the advantage on paper. Unfortunately for the Bronx Bombers, the bats died and couldn't capitalize on a down performance from Houston Astros ace Gerrit Cole, leading to a series deficit

New York was oh so close to finally getting to Cole in the bottom of the fifth inning, as shortstop Didi Gregorius looked to have hit a masterful three-run homer to the short porch of right field. However, the ball died and defied the camerawork, and Josh Reddick caught it. But was it the same ball these teams would've used three weeks ago? Certainly worth asking.

In the postgame scrum, Astros manager AJ Hinch had some rather interesting comments regarding the almost-homer by Gregorius.

"Off the bat -- first off, I think every fly ball in 2019 is a homer," said Hinch, via Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.

And doesn't that really sum it up, folks?

Adler then spoke with Gregorius after the game, who said he missed all of it, but was seeing "if maybe something was gonna happen."

That was the story of the game for the Yankees, as every fly ball died down at the warning track. The Astros didn't have that problem, as Jose Altuve and Josh Reddick hit solo homers in the first and second innings, respectively, but Martin Maldonado ran into a little dead ball bad luck of his own twice in this one.

So, are the balls different? Or is Hinch's calibration just...off now?

Now down 2-1, the New York Yankees will try to bring the bats back to life in Game 4 on Wednesday (weather permitting). Maybe they can bring a few old balls, too.