New York Yankees Recap: Yankees shut out the Astros again in historic game

The New York Yankees faced the hated Houston Astros again tonight in the second game of the three-game set. Last night the Yankees shut out the Astros 4-0 at Minute Maid Park. With Gerrit Cole on the mound tonight, the Yankees were hoping to take the series. Cole has not pitched well in his last three outings, was to face the Astros’ Zack Greinke. Luke Voit was back in the lineup, and Kyle Higashioka was catching Cole. Cole ended up pitching a complete game with 129 historic pitches. The Yankee shut out the Astros for the second time 1-0.

In the first inning, Greinke faced the Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu, who ground out to short. Aaron Judge ground out to short center. Luke Voit swung and missed to give Greinke a 1-2-3 inning. At the bottom with Gerrit Cole on the mound, Jose Altuve led off against the Yankee ace and flew out to first. Michael Brantley hit the first pitch and flew out to Locastro in left. Yuli Gurriel struck out for a 1-2-3 matching inning for Cole. No score.

At the top of the second inning, Giancarlo Stanton led off by walking. Gleyber Torres flew back to the warning track on left for the first out. Gio Urshela got a base hit to left, moving Stanton to second base. Brett Gardner flew out to left for the second out. Kyle Higashioka catching for Gerrit Cole, flew out to far left to end the inning stranding two. The bottom was led off by Yordan Alverez, who struck out swinging. Kyle Tucker struck out on a 99 mph fastball. Abe Toro flew out to short for the second quick inning for Cole. No score.

Speedster Tim Locastro led off for the Yankees in the third and lined out to Altuve. LeMahieu struck out. Aaron Judge got home run number 21 on the season to far left. Luke Voit struck out to end the half, but the Yankees took the one-run lead in the game. At the bottom, Myles Straw flew out to center. Martin Maldonado struck out for Cole’s 4th. Robel Garcia flew out to Locastro in left field. New York Yankees 1 Astros 0. Cole has had 3 1-2-3 innings in a row.

The fourth inning was led off by Giancarlo Stanton, who ground out to left. Torres hit to left through the hole for a double. Urshela flew out to the right-field corner with Torres moving to third base. Gardner, who hit a two-run double last night, lined out directly to Brantley to end the inning, stranding Torres. At the bottom, it was the top of the lineup for the Astros. Altuve walked for the Astros’ first base runners. Brantley walked on four pitches. Gurriel struck out swinging. Alverez hit into a double play getting Cole out of trouble. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

Kyle Higashoika led off the fifth by walking off of new Astros pitcher Cristian Javier. Locastro hit into a force out. LeMahieu struck out for the second out of the inning. Judge was called out on strikes. At the bottom, Kyle Tucker flew out to Gardner in center. Toro got the first hit of the game for Houston to shallow center. Straw struck out, but Toro stole second. Maldonado ground out to LeMahieu to end the inning. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

The top of the sixth inning was led off by Luke Voit, who singled against the shift. Stanton struck out swinging. Torres flew out to far right for out number two. Urshela flew out to right to end the half. At the bottom of the sixth, Garcia struck out on a changeup from Cole. Altuve ground out to second. Brantley lined out to first. New York Yankees 1 Astros 0.

Brett Gardner led off the seventh inning by striking out. Higashioka lined out to third. Locastro struck out swinging to end the half. At the bottom, down by a run, Gurriel singled to left for the first hit by the Astros in 49 at-bats. Alverez was called out on a 100mph fastball from Cole. Tucker flew out to center. Toro flew out to Locastro in left. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

The eighth inning was led off by DJ LeMahieu, who singled. Judge ground out softly to first. Voit, after almost getting hit in the head by new pitcher Ryne Stanek walked. Stanton hit into an inning-ending double play. At the bottom, Straw struck out for Cole’s ninth strikeout of the game. Maldonado ground out to short. Garcia struck out on Cole’s 108th pitch and 10th strikeout of the game. Yankees 1 Astros 0.

In the ninth inning, Gleyber Torres faced Astro pitcher Ryan Pressly and ground out to third. Urshela hit back to the pitcher for the second out. Gardner singled to left. Higashioka went down swinging. With last licks on the line for the Astros, it was Gerrit Cole out in the bottom of the ninth facing Altuve who got a base hit to center. Brantley flew out on Cole’s tenth pitch of that at-bat. Gurriel went around for strike three. Alverez struck out on Gerrit Cole’s 129th pitch of the game.

The final score was the New York Yankees 1 and the Houston Astros 0. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, with a complete game 129 pitch game. The loser was Zack Greinke.