In a matinee today, the New York Yankees met up with the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium for the finale of a three-game series and the Astros sweep. The Yankees won the first two games, 7-3 and 6-3, with fans booing the Astros from the start of the games all the way to the end of the games. Today Yankee ace Gerrit Cole would try to get the sweep facing the Astros Lance McCullers Jr; both pitchers were coming off their best starts of the season. It was a beautiful day for baseball in the Bronx. The field was bathed with sunshine, and the game-time temperature was 60 degrees.
In the first inning, Cole faced the Yankees’ most hated opponent Jose Altuve. Altuve singled past short. Michael Brantley hit into a double play. Alex Bregman struck out for a fast half for Cole. DJ LeMahieu led off the bottom of the inning, facing Lance McCullers Jr., he ground out. Giancarlo Stanton being patient he walked. Judge was called out on strikes. Gleyber Torres walked to load the bases. Mike Ford had a line drive directly at the first baseman to end the inning and leave the bases loaded with Yankees. No score.
At the top of the second Yordan Alverez, the DH led off against Cole, and he struck out. Yuli Gurriel blooped to short. Carlos Correa ground out for a 1-2-3 inning for Cole. Aaron Hicks led off the bottom by having a base hit to the right off the first baseman’s glove. Kyle Higashioka struck out. Clint Frazier ground out. LeMahieu struck out swinging. No score.
Tucker led off the third inning by grounding out. Straw flew out to Gardner in left. Maldonado singled in front of the charging Hicks in center. Altuve ground out to short to end the half. At the bottom, Giancarlo Stanton hit a monster homer off the centerfield bullpen wall. Judge stuck out. Urshela singled. Torres reached on a force with Urshela out at second. Ford struck out, but the Yankees took the lead in the game with Stanton’s home run. New York Yankees 1 Astros 0.
At the top of the fourth, Brantley led off by grounding out to Ford at first. Bregman flew out to the diving Aaron Judge. Alverez homered to the second deck of the right-field stands to tie up the game. Gurril flew out to end the half. Hicks led off the bottom, and he had a slow roller that he beat out for a single. Higashioka flew out to center. Frazier homer into the right-field stands for his third home run of the season, a two-run shot. LeMahieu ground out. Stanton struck out to end the inning, but the Yankees went two runs ahead on Frazier’s homer. New York Yankees 3 Astros 1.
The fifth inning was led off by Correa, who ground out to Torres. Tucker lined to; first, Ford flipped to Cole for the out. Straw ground out to Ushela for another 1-2-3 inning for Cole. At the bottom, Aaron Judge ground out to third. Urshela got a hustling double through the hole in left. Torres went down on strikes. Ford flew out to left to end the scoreless inning for both starters.
Still, on the mound after 70 pitches and 8 ground outs, Cole faced Maldonado, who singled to left. Altuve flew out with LeMahieu running all the way to right field territory to catch the ball. Brantley hit into a double play to end the half. McCullers Jr. still in the game with 90 pitches,w Hicks led off the bottom by walking. Higashioka, with one on and no outs, went down looking. Frazier got a line drive to Altuve for the first out of the inning. LeMahieu, 0 for 3 in the game, ground out to second to end the inning. New York Yankees 3 Astros 1.
Leading off the seventh was Bregman, who flew out to Judge. Alverez hit a home run into Monument Park. Gurril struck out swinging. Correa went down looking end the top half. At the bottom, Andre Scrubb came in to replace McCullers Jr., who pitched really well. Stanton struck out swinging. Judge ground out to third base. Urshela flew out to the right-field wall. Yankees 3 Astros 2.
Chad Green took over for Cole at the top of the eighth inning. Tucker walked. Diaz hit to third, Urshela made an amazing diving catch but couldn’t get Diaz out first; Tucker advanced to third. Pinch-runner McCormick replaced Diaz. Maldonado struck out. Altuve got a three-run homer to the left-field stands, knocking Green out of the game. Lucas Luetge replaced him, facing Brantley, who flew out to Hicks, who had to make a long run to make the catch. Bregman hit a two-out single. Alverez got his third hit of the game. Gurril popped out to Tyler Wade in for Ushela at third with two outs and runners on the corners.
At the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Pressly was on the mound for the Astros facing Torres, who singled between first and second. Ford struck out swinging for the first out. Hicks singled, the ball was bobbled, and Torres with excellent base running and the shift on went to third and the scored shocking the Astros. Higashioka, with one on and one out, hit into a double play to end the inning. Houston Astros 5 New York Yankees 4.
With Justin Wilson on the mound for the ninth, Tucker walked. McCormick struck out. Maldonado had a two-run homer, probably putting the game out of reach for the Yankees. Altuve flew out to Judge, but the Astros picked up two runs. At the bottom, with last licks on the line for the Yankees, Gardner walked to the plate and singled up the middle. LeMahieu struck out. Stanton hit into a double play ending the game and preventing the sweep. Final score Astros 7 Yankees 4. The winning pitcher was Andre Scrubb, the loser Chad Green and the save went to Ryan Pressly.