After an abysmal season opener, Hiroki Kuroda is on the mound for game two against Jarred Cosart in hopes of getting the star studded team on track. In five of his six Major League seasons, Kuroda has made at least 30 starts and tossed at least 180 innings. He has the lowest career ERA (3.40) of all the Japan born pitchers with at least 450 innings in the Majors. Last season he was 11-13 with a 3.31 ERA but has a track record of success against the Astros, mainly from his time in the National League with the Dodgers
At the second half of last season Cosart went 1-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 10 starts, earning him a spot on the Major League roster for the first time. He had more walks than strikeouts over that period so command will be critical against a power filled Yankees lineup. “You saw what they did this offseason,” Cosart said of the Yankees. “They spent a lot of money to bring in the best. The Yankees and Red Sox, they want to win a World Series each year, and they’ve got a lineup that’s going to allow them to do that. Our job is to execute pitches and hope for the best.”
The Astros will have the honor of holding the first of many ceremonies this season paying tribute to Derek Jeter. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte will take part in the ceremony tonight. Jeter will be presented with gifts on behalf of the Astros franchise, and he said that it was good to get re-acquainted with Clemens last season when Houston honored Mariano Rivera. “It’s always good to see those guys, especially Andy, being with Andy for so long. Rocket as well,” Jeter said. “I don’t know what they have planned, but I look forward to seeing them.”
Notes on the game
CC Sabathia struck out six on Tuesday, giving him 1,002 strikeouts since joining the Yankees in 2009. He’s just the 12th pitcher in Yankees history with 1,000 strikeouts. Â Roger Clemens (1,014), Al Downing (1,028), Bob Shawkey (1,167) and Rivera (1,173) are ahead of him.
In his career against Houston, Kuroda is 4-0 with a 1.39 ERA in eight starts, seven of which came with the Dodgers.
Houston has not started a season 2-0 since 2003.
First pitch at 8:10 PM on Yes
