N.Y. Yankees: Kicking Astros

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Showdown for first place looms ahead.

New York Yankees: Bombers Take Three of Four From Defending Champs; Closing In On Boston Red Sox.

In the immortal words of Rick Flair, if you want to be the man you have to beat the man.

Over the last four days the Bronx Bombers did just that.

Wooo!

In their first meeting since last year's ALCS, the Yankees went into Houston and took three out of four from the defending World Series champions.

After dropping Monday's series opener, six different Yankees pitchers outlasted a singularly brilliant performance by Astros starter Justin Verlander.  With two runners on base and one out in the top of the ninth, and the game locked in a scoreless tie, Gary Sanchez blasted a home run to straight away center off reliever Ken Giles giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead en route to a dramatic 4-0 final.

Luis Severino then provided the bullpen with a well deserved game off on Wednesday with a nine inning gem - an increasingly rare complete game shutout - in which he allowed just five hits and a walk, and fanned ten batters.  He averaged an economical 12 pitches per inning, while throwing 110 total pitches with 83 (75%) going for strikes.  With his fifth victory of the season, Severino remains tied for the American League lead.  Giancarlo Stanton went deep twice as the Yankees took their second straight game by an identical 4-0 final score.

Masahiro Tanaka was cruising along in Thursday's series finale.  But with the Yankees leading 3-0 Tanaka ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh when he surrendered consecutive hits and struck a batter to load the bases.  Aaron Boone then summoned reliever Chad Green.  An infield single, a base hit, a passed ball, and a fielder's choice later, and the Astros were now enjoying a 4-3 lead.  Carlos Correa's home run in the eighth then gave Houston a 5-3 lead.  However, the home town crowd's glee was short lived.  The Yankees promptly loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, then tied the game on Gleyber Torres' base hit to short left.  The go-ahead run scored when Aaron Judge reached safely on a fielder's choice.  In the home half of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman fanned the reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve to end the game.

Although the Astros are credited with snapping the Yankees nine game win streak, the Bombers have nevertheless gone 14-3 since enduring weather armageddon at Detroit, and have effectively negated Boston's 17-2 start.  The Red Sox have since stumbled of late with a 5-6 record.  They take the field Thursday night against the Texas Rangers with a mere 1.5 game lead over the surging Yankees.

The Bombers and Red Sox open a three game series at Yankee Stadium next Tuesday.

At the time of this post, the Yankees and Red Sox were tied for second behind Houston in team ERA and ranked second and third in strikeouts among American League clubs.  The Yankees were second in average against; the Sox fourth.  The Yankees were third in WHiP; the Red Sox fourth.

Offensively, the Yanks and Sox are one and two in runs scored.  The Yanks are tied for second in home runs; the Sox fifth.  And at the top of OPS chart are the Red Sox first, and the Yankees second.