Yankees finally have a Carlos Correa slayer after David Bednar tightrope vs. Astros

The game was over. O-V-E-R. All the Yankees had to do was retire the Astros' eight and nine hitters, then keep one of their fearsome sluggers off the bases while holding a five-run lead. But, of course, you've seen Yankees-Astros before. It went haywire quickly.

Both Victor Caratini and Taylor Trammell notched hits against David Bednar, and one of them had his bat confiscated in a pointless pause. Jeremy Peña was robbed by a leaping Anthony Volpe, but the door was open. Yordan Álvarez reached. Jose Altuve reached. Carlos Correa, with the bases juiced, faced a 3-1 pitch. The door, jarred open by the bottom of the lineup, was now flapping off its hinges.

And then it just ... closed? Correa took a devastating breaking ball in the upper quadrant, then swung right through 97 on the inner half, up and off the plate.

It wasn't a strike ... until Correa decided it was, of course.

Yankees closer David Bednar wriggled out of jam vs. Astros against Carlos Correa, Christian Walker

From that point, all that Bednar had left to do was - oh, come on, REALLY? - take care of Christian Walker, who was 1-for-4 with a homer and five RBI against him in his career to date.

Walker, late on a few fastballs and befuddled by the breakers, swung over a final curve that seemed to sweep inward across the entire plate.

It was over. The game was actually over. The Yankees' closer had a Devin Williams ninth, in terms of pitch count, but a David Bednar ninth when it came to the end result.

Hope umpire Brian Walsh enjoyed his vantage point from third base. He probably should've! After all, any Astros loss means vengeance for his beloved Dodgers.

Bednar is more than likely unavailable Friday night in the Bronx, in Aaron Boone's mind, but don't let him hear that. He's ready to go. He'd love to go.

The situation and command (after five days off) could've been better, but the poise was phenomenal. Yankee fans know that there's no cooler customer than Correa in the clutch - except, perhaps, the man who faced two make-or-break pitches against him on Thursday night and executed them both perfectly.

Tack on an 0-for-11 from Jose Altuve in this three-game series (including a massive strikeout against Fernando Cruz to kill a rally), and this was hardly your typical Yankees-Astros showdown.

It was, though, theater. As usual. With a better twist ending.