In a major test against the Houston Astros, it looked like the New York Yankees were on track to make a statement and take the series. Yet, the Astros proved why they’ve been rolling along this season, leaving the Yankees to hear choo choo noises in their sleep as they fly back to the Bronx.
Following a 3-4 road trip, the Yanks find themselves three games out in the AL East.
GAME 1
Playing on little rest the Yankees out battled and held down the high octane Astros in their 13-4 victory.
BIG MIKE ANSWERS THE BELL
Michael Pineda gave New York his best road outing of the season. Although Houston jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the fourth, Pineda kept their vaunted lineup in the yard, yielding only two earned runs through six innings.
TENACIOUS WITH TWO OUTS
The Bronx Bombers scored nine of their 13 runs with two outs. They’d scratch back big time in the sixth. A Didi Gregorius infield single and an Austin Romine walk helped chase Lance McCullers Jr.
Facing Michael Feliz, Ronald Torreyes notched an RBI-single to left. An infield single by Chris Carter squared the game at three. Ensuing batter Brett Gardner knocked an RBI-single to right. A Jacoby Ellsbury single to center would make it 5-3 New York. Gardner would score on a wild pitch and increase the lead to 6-3.
GRAND GARDY PARTY
Facing Reymin Guduan in the seventh, Gardner busted the game open with a grand slam to right, giving the Bronx Bombers a 10-3 advantage. Gardner joined Hideki Matsui as the only two Yankee left fielder’s with three grand slams in the past 40 years.
New York would tack on three more for good measure in the ninth, enabling Bryan Mitchell to cruise to a three-inning save.
GAME 2
The second game appeared as though it would be a carbon copy of the first matchup. There was tons of fanfare surrounding the call-up of Clint Frazier. Yet, by the time it was all said and done, New York would find out exactly what it gained and lost in the Andrew Miller trade in their 7-6 loss.
HOMER HAPPY HOUSTON
Unlike the first game, Yankee pitching couldn’t keep a lid on the powerful Astros lineup. Jordan Montgomery was victimized twice, Yuli Gurriel tagged him with a two-run homer to left in the fifth and Carlos Correa took him to deep right in the sixth. Who knows how much the long wait affected Montgomery in the sixth but it was quite the contrast from facing the Chicago White Sox.
Evan Gattis also touched up Dellin Betances in the eighth with a blast to left.
RED ALERT
Frazier was tested early in right field with a soaring drive off the bat of George Springer. At the plate, the heralded rookie made some history. Starting a five-run rally in the sixth, Frazier collected his first major-league hit with a double to left off of Francis Martes. The next inning it was “Downtown goes Frazier,” with his first major-league home run with a solo drive to left off Tony Sipp. Frazier became the first New York rookie to homer and double in his debut and the first rookie since Mike Pagliarulo to record two extra-base hits in his first game. Lots of mentions for Pags this week.
🎙Sterling: …and DOWNTOWN GOES FRAZIER!!! 🦁 #RedThunder #Yankees pic.twitter.com/6hRnFzZM06
— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) July 2, 2017
DEJA VU SIXTH
Speaking of the sixth, following the aforementioned double by Frazier, Gardner singled to chase Martes from the game. Jacoby Ellsbury walked against Will Harris to load the bases. Gary Sanchez followed with a looping drive RBI to right. Capping off the scoring was a grand slam by Didi Gregorius, which gave the Bronx Bombers a 5-2 advantage. Gregorius became the seventh Yankee to post 10 or more home runs this season.
MINUTE MAID MELTDOWN
Houston, we have a problem. Once again the Yankees bullpen imploded and this time it was the twin tower rockets and I’m not talking Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson.
After fanning Springer, Betances walked Jose Altuve and, as is custom, could not hold him at first as the All-Star second baseman swiped second and third. A Correa ground out to second plated Altuve. The ensuing batter Gattis homered, cutting it to 6-5. Carlos Beltran coaxed a walk and was pinch run for by Josh Reddick. An error by Chris Carter allowed Reddick to advance to second. Then Reddick stole third and Marwin Gonzalez walked, ending the day for Betances.
Aroldis Chapman entered and couldn’t locate either, giving up a two-run double to left to Gurriel, who gave the Astros a 7-6 advantage.
GAME 3
The series finale was about as ugly as it could get. Houston doubled the Yankees to death with five, Correa notched a four-hit afternoon and homers by Gonzalez and Gurriel made for an outburst and an 8-1 Astros win.
RELENTLESS ASTROS
Unlike his last outing, it was not a walk in the park for Luis Severino. Sevvy was rocked around, allowing nine hits and six runs in 5.1 innings.
OFFENSIVE FRUSTRATIONS
Despite pushing Astros’ starter Mike Fiers from the game with 105 pitches through four frames, the Yanks lineup couldn’t capitalize. A loud out to right by Gardner with two on and two down in the second was about the closest the would come to breaking through.
An RBI-single to right in the ninth by Carter kept the Yankees from being shut out for the first time this season.
ON DECK
At 43-37 on the campaign, the Yankees return to Yankee Stadium to face the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series starting Monday night.
Pitching probables include Marcus Stroman vs. Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ vs. CC Sabathia, Marco Estrada vs. Michael Pineda.
