In a disappointing defeat, the New York Yankees fell to the Houston Astros 7-4 on Thursday afternoon. While starting pitcher Gerrit Cole had a phenomenal performance, lasting 7.0 inning and allowed five hits and two runs, the bullpen simply couldn’t get the job done. The Yankees’ relief has been stellar the season, but it was only a matter of time before they lost their mojo, with Chad Green giving up three runs in less than an inning and Justin Wilson giving up two runs to finish the game.
Ultimately, this is a game the Yankees should’ve won, as their offense didn’t do enough, and the pitching failed that when they needed it most.
It would’ve been quite the birthday gift for Jose Altuve, who smacked an eighth-inning home run to give the Astros a two-run lead.
Good news and bad news for the Yankees:
As stated above, Cole had himself another great performance, as he currently holds a 1.61 ERA. Chad Green, who has also been solid this season with a 2.50 ERA, unfortunately, had a tough result.
Offensively, Giancarlo Stanton continues to rake, hitting another home run in the third inning, making it three consecutive games with a long ball. He currently has nine home runs on the season over 27 games played, representing his comeback after spending the last few seasons dealing with injuries.
There was some negative news in the content, as starting third baseman Geo Urshela left the game with a knee injury after making a diving stop at the top of the eighth inning. It was clear that he felt discomfort after trying to stand up — the Yankees are already dealing with an injury to Rougned Odor.
“He’s getting an MRI now so we’ll know more in the next couple hours,” Boone said after the game. “He was stable when [trainers] put him through different knee tests and stuff. We’ll know more probably in the next couple hours.”
Urshela represents a massive part of this Yankees team, especially on defense. He currently has a .287 average with a .342 on-base percentage this season, and he had earned two hits and a walk before going down toward the end of the game.
Hopefully, the MRI returns negative, and Gio will only be out for a short period of time, as the Yankees need to continue winning games and maintaining their rhythm.