Series Recap: Yanks Take the Series Against the Astros!
Photo Via: YahooIt is amazing how much moods can change in a three game series in baseball. The nerves settled in prior to game one, but the Yankees turned it into focus and drive. There were not really any baserunning mistakes or defensive miscues born out of poor effort throughout the three games. The Yankees came to play. Ultimately, the last game was spoiled, but the series win was the goal.
Game 1 (Astros 3, Yankees 7)
The crowd BROUGHT it for this one. There were props, signs, costumes, and chants going all night. Everything from inflatable trash cans to Oscar The Grouch and much, much more.
Things got scary in the first inning when Alex Bregman launched a solo home run off Domingo Germán before the Yankees even came to bat. But in the bottom of the first, D.J. LeMahieu led off with a great at bat. He started off down 0-2 in the count and ended it a few pitches later with a single up the middle. The next batter, Giancarlo Stanton, came into play with a 9-game hitting streak. But we truly did not know at that point that he was on the brink of a real tear. Stanton hit a 2-run bomb to left field, which gave the fans life once again.
To follow, Judge, Urshela, and Torres all reached base to load the bases with one out. However, the Yankees were only able to scratch one more run across on a double-play from Clint Frazier. In the fourth inning, Germán got himself into a jam. Michael Brantley unloaded a home run into the third deck in right field. Yuli Gurriel nearly gave the Astros the lead, but instead tied it up on a double just over Clint Frazier’s glove and off the top of the wall.
In the sixth inning, the Yankees turned a fantastic double play, which helped keep the game tied 3-3.
In the bottom of the inning, the Yankees loaded the bases once again. With two outs, LeMahieu hit a slow roller to Bregman. LeMahieu beat the throw to first base, but it went by Gurriel. Two runs initially scored, then Rougned Odor rounded third base and the throw to the plate brought Martin Maldonado to the third base side of the plate. Odor collided right into Maldonado, but was able to touch home plate to give the Yankees a 6-3 lead. Both players were removed from the game due to injury.
Stanton smacked another hit to drive in LeMahieu a 7-3 lead, which the bullpen held onto. Lucas Luetge earned the win with a scoreless inning, and Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and Chad Green each threw a scoreless inning of their own.
Yankee of the Day: Giancarlo Stanton (3): 3 for 5, HR, 2B, BB, R, 3 RBI.
Game 2 (Astros 3, Yankees 6)
A muggy night in the Bronx brought us another Yankees victory over the Astros. It also brought us another Giancarlo Stanton home run, bringing his hitting streak to 11 games. After D.J. LeMahieu was hit by a pitch up-and-in, Stanton hit a monster shot for a 2-0 lead.
The Astros answered right back and scored 3 of their own, which would have been 4 if a Gardner to Urshela to Sánchez relay did not cut down Carlos Correa at home plate earlier in the inning.
In the fifth inning, it was Giancarlo Stanton again driving in a big run: this time with an RBI double.
The Yankees rallied in the eighth inning, scoring 3 runs against Brooks Raley and Joe Smith. Aaron Hicks singled home the first run, Gardner hit a sac fly for the second, and who else but Stanton hit an RBI single to make the score 6-3. Aroldis Chapman closed it out, picking up a pair of strikeouts in the process.
Yankee of the Day: Giancarlo Stanton (4): 3 for 4, HR, 2B, BB, R, 4 RBI.
Game 3 (Astros 7, Yankees 4)
The one game where you are supposed to win. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole took the mound against Lance McCullers Jr. on Thursday afternoon. The Yankees obtained an early lead and you could probably guess how. In the third inning, Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo home run.
Yordan Àlvarez responded with a solo dinger of his own, so the score became 1-1 in the fourth. But in the bottom of the inning, Clint Frazier hit a short porch home run to bring in two runs and make the score 3-1 Yankees.
Neither team scored again until the top of the seventh. Yordan Àlvarez smashed another solo homer off of Gerrit Cole. One inning later, the Yankees decided to put Chad Green in the game, as Cole was at 92 pitches. Green put two runners on base with one out and Jose Altuve stepped up to bat. On a full count, Altuve slapped a 96 mph high fastball over the left field wall for a 5-3 Houston lead.
The Yankees tried to answer with a rally, but were only able to gain one run. It happened on a bizarre play where Gleyber Torres scored from first base on an infield single.
Justin Wilson did not do the job that was asked of him. Instead of keeping the Yankees in the game, he allowed a home run to Maldonado (his first of the season), which put the Astros lead at 7-4. In the bottom of the ninth, Stanton hit an absolute rope, but Bregman made a diving play and turned it into a game-ending double play.
Yankee of the Day: Aaron Hicks (2): 3 for 3, BB, R, RBI.
Series Talking Points
Giancarlo Stanton On Fire: Stanton was an absolute freak this series. He went 8 for 13 (.615) and homered in all 3 games. Stanton’s hitting streak now stands at 12 games. There is not much to say other than that the Yankees are so much better when ‘G’ is playing well.
Aaron Judge Strikeouts: After seemingly making an adjustment in the series versus the Tigers, Judge looked completely lost at the plate against the Astros. At one point, Judge struck out in 7 consecutive plate appearances. It was ugly. It is so important for Judge to figure out whatever is wrong and get back on track for this team. After dealing with lower body soreness last week, there is definitely fair reason to be concerned.
Bullpen Management: In the third game, Aaron Boone decided to pull Gerrit Cole after 7 innings and 92 pitches. With your $324M ace on the mound, I understand there are long-term considerations. But you do have to try to win today’s game at some point. In a rivalry game and with ample days to give Cole extra rest, I would have liked for him to pitch the 8th against the bottom of the Astros lineup. I know Cole must have wanted the ball, so hopefully he is not pulled early in a big game again. The Yankees’ formula could have been to give Cole the 8th, then Chapman the 9th.
Series Totals
Hitting
D.J. LeMahieu: 3 for 12 (.250 AVG), 2 BB, 1 HBP (.400 OBP), 3 R, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 4 K (.650 OPS), 0 SB
Aaron Judge: 1 for 13 (.077 AVG), 1 BB (.143 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 9 K (.220 OPS), 0 SB
Aaron Hicks: 6 for 10 (.600 AVG), 2 BB (.667 OBP), 2 R, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K (1.367 OPS), 0 SB
Giancarlo Stanton: 8 for 13 (.615 AVG), 2 BB (.667 OBP), 3 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 3 K (2.128 OPS), 0 SB
Gleyber Torres: 2 for 9 (.222 AVG), 4 BB (.462 OBP), 3 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.684 OPS), 1 SB
Gary Sánchez: 0 for 2 (.000 AVG), 1 BB, 1 HBP (.500 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.000 OPS), 0 SB
Gio Urshela: 4 for 10 (.400 AVG), 3 BB (.538 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 K (1.038 OPS), 0 SB
Clint Frazier: 1 for 6 (.167 AVG), 1 BB (.286 OBP), 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K (.952 OPS), 0 SB
Brett Gardner: 2 for 5 (.400 AVG), 0 BB (.333 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K (.733 OPS), 0 SB
Kyle Higashioka: 0 for 7 (.000 AVG), 1 BB (.125 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 K (.125 OPS), 0 SB
Mike Ford: 0 for 7 (.000 AVG), 0 BB (.000 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 4 K (.000 OPS), 0 SB
Rougned Odor: 0 for 2 (.000 AVG), 1 BB (.333 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.333 OPS), 0 SB
Tyler Wade: 0 for 1 (.000 AVG), 0 BB (.000 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.000 OPS), 0 SB
Pitching
Domingo Germán: 5 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 HR, 6 Ks, 5.40 ERA
Jordan Montgomery: 6 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 4 Ks, 4.50 ERA
Gerrit Cole: 7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 HR, 4 Ks, 2.57 ERA
Wandy Peralta: 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 2 Ks, 0.00 ERA
Justin Wilson: 1 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 HR, 1 K, 18.00 ERA
Luis Cessa: 0.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 HR, 0 Ks, 0.00 ERA
Lucas Luetge: 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 0 Ks, W, 0.00 ERA
Chad Green: 1.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HR, 3 Ks, 20.25 ERA
Jonathan Loaisiga: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 2 Ks, W, 0.00 ERA
Aroldis Chapman: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 2 Ks, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA
Mike King: No appearances.
Albert Abreu: No appearances.