NEW YORK -- For a few brief moments during Game 4 of the ALCS on Tuesday night, you could hear a pin drop at Yankee Stadium.

Yuli Gurriel yanked a bases-clearing double down the left field line in the sixth inning, giving the Astros a 3-0 lead. Given the way Lance McCullers Jr. was throwing, and the fact Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander are looming in Games 5 and 6, there was a palpable nervousness in the Yankee Stadium crowd.

About an hour later, the ballpark exploded when Aaron Judge banged a game-tying double off the left field wall in the eighth inning. And a few minutes after that, the energy was cranked up another notch when Gary Sanchez shot the go-ahead two-run double into the right-center field gap.

"That's what baseball is supposed to be like," said Chase Headley following Game 4. "The fans were going nuts. What a baseball game all around."  

For the first time since the ballpark opened in 2009, the new Yankee Stadium sounded -- and shook -- like the old Yankee Stadium in Game 4. Close your eyes and you would've thought you were across the street and the old park. The only thing missing was the late Freddy Schuman roaming the upper deck and banging away on his frying pan.

"It was special again tonight. Every home game has been special," said Joe Girardi. "I just feel like the fans are back. And I see things that I haven't seen in a while and it reminds me a lot when I was playing here. So it's been fun to watch."

The Yankees, so far this postseason, have had a decided home-field advantage. They are a perfect 5-0 in the Bronx, including three wins in eliminate games. They've outscored their opponents 30-12 in those five games. The Yankees had the AL's best record at home during the regular season, so this success isn't out of nowhere. It's a continuation of what the Yankees did all year.

"We love playing at home," Aaron Hicks said. "It's a field that we're comfortable with, that we know the dimensions of. We just play well in front of our fans. The energy that they're bringing is amazing." 

As beautiful and modern as the new ballpark is, it undeniably lacks the charm of the old Yankee Stadium, charm that can only be built up over decades of winning and history. The new Yankee Stadium has been called sterile and a mall with a ball field in the middle, which isn't necessarily wrong. That's the vibe it gives.

The crowd atmosphere the last few seasons lacked the electricity of the old ballpark as well, and there were no shortage of theories why. Tickets are too expensive and the "real" fans have been priced out. The ballpark structure itself doesn't bottle up sound as well. 

Another explanation? Expectations. The Yankees have lived with the "World Series or bust" mantra for decades -- that is their own doing, of course -- so when they did win in that ballpark's inaugural season in 2009, it felt more like a relief than anything. They were expected to win and they did win.

The 2017 Yankees were not expected to win. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Or a transition year, as they called it. FanGraphs projected the Yankees to go 79-83 and finish in last place in the AL East this year based on the talent on their roster. And after going 84-78 in 2016 and selling at the deadline, a .500-ish record didn't seem unreasonable.

Instead, the Yankees went 91-71 and finished with the second best run differential in the game and exceeded all expectations in 2017. They fell behind 3-0 to the Twins in the first inning of the Wild Card Game. They fell behind 2-0 to the Indians in the best-of-five ALDS. Their season was supposed to be over more than a few times. Instead, they're still alive, still fighting.

"The crowd played a huge part (in the Game 4 win)," added Todd Frazier. "It's the best place to play. It's the most raucous crowd you'll ever be a part of in the best way possible."  

As ridiculous as it sounds for a team with a $200 million payroll, the 2017 Yankees are underdogs, at least in the eyes of their fans. There's a genuine "they're not supposed to be here" excitement about the team for the first time since the mid-1990s. They're young, their fun, and above all else, they're exceeding expectations. The fans appreciate it. The atmosphere at Yankee Stadium says so.

"I got a chance to see it a lot as a player," said Girardi prior to Game 4. "I sit there and when I see it I smile because I appreciate what our fans are doing. And I think they're a big part of this. The feeling that they're giving our players inside, it's pretty special."