Credit: YES Network
HOUSTON, TX — Instant Reaction to the Yankees 8-4 win over the Astros, improving to 78-62 on the season.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a walk by Wells and singles by Volpe and McMahon. Getting the lead early is big, helping to take the crowd factor out of the equation and it helps to make your pitcher more comfortable.
In the fourth inning, Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm Jr. combined to make a really nice play, throwing Altuve out on the bases to end the fourth inning. Altuve’s slide seemed to knoch Chisholm over, injuring his knees. Chisholm was removed from the game. More on that below:
The Yankees had a big fifth inning scoring three runs on the Astros. First was a Ryan McMahon solo home run, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead, then two singles from Grisham and Rice and a walk to Judge loaded the bases for Bellinger who singled home a run. After a pitching change and a strikeout of Stanton, Caballero would take a bases-loaded walk on a pitch clock violation, giving the Yankees a 4-1 lead.
Carlos Rodon’s Final Line: 6.0 IP | 3 H | 2/1 R/ER | 2 BB | 3 K | 109-69 P/S | 3.12 ERA
Carlos Rodon labord to get through six innings, to no fault of his own. There were three errors committed behind him — including two in the sixth inning, both had help from everyone’s favorite umpire Brian Walsh. Rodon only gave up three hits, and two of them were to Yordan Alvarez. All three hits were extra-base hits.
Luke Weaver was the first out of the bullpen and immediately gives up a solo home run to Jesus Sanchez. This is the second consecutive game Weaver has given up a run. After striking out the next two, back-to-back singles from Pena and Alvarez would knock Weaver out of the game with the tying run in scoring position.
Fernando Cruz came in to clean up Weaver’s mess, and Cruz struck out known Yankee killer Jose Altuve to end the inning.
The Yankees picked up their teammates in the top of the eighth inning, scoring four runs in the inning, to put some distance between them and the Astros. Stanton lead the inning off with a walk, being pinch-ran by Dominguez. After a Wells walk and a Volpe strikeout, Ryan McMahon lined his third hit of the game right to shortstop and hit trickled into right field. Dominguez scored with his speed. Then, Trent Grisham stepped up to the plate and crushed a clutch three-run home run, to make it 8-3 Yankees in the eighth inning.
Fernando Cruz stayed in the game for the eighth inning and retired the side after a Correa leadoff single. Cruz has solidified himself firmly in the circle of trust of Yankee relievers going down the stretch.
David Bednar came in for the ninth inning and struggled a lot, but somehow he only gave up one run, despite loading the bases with one out for Correa and Walker. Bednar struck them both out to end the game
In that ninth inning the Yankees asked for this to be reviewed. The Yankees noticed an issue with Tramel’s bat, and after a long review, the bat was taken into the umpires room.
The Yankees now enter their three-game set with the Blue Jays three games back of them for the AL East lead. The Yankees also moved a half game up on Boston in the wildcard chase.