HOUSTON – The Houston Astros broke the hearts of the New York Yankees and their fans by winning the first game of this make-up doubleheader 3-2 in walk-off fashion.
This victory is a big step because now the Astros have taken the season series against the Yankees. Now the race is on to secure the top spot in the AL playoff bracket. The Astros are 3.5 games behind the Yankees and have a chance to move even closer in the second game. How will the New York Yankees respond in game 2 after another walk-off loss against the Houston Astros? Can the Astros sweep the Yankees in this doubleheader and move closer to the top spot in the overall AL standings?
Game 2 of this doubleheader features Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (7-5, 3.65 ERA) against Yankees right-hander Domingo German. This is German’s season debut as he was on the 60-Day IL due to a right shoulder impingement. MVP candidate Houston Astros DH Yordan Alvarez would be in the starting lineup for the first time since July 9 in Oakland. Yankees hitter and left-fielder Giancarlo Stanton would also be in the starting lineup this game as he did not start in Game 1.
Right out of the gate, the Astros started off with back-to-back home runs by Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman giving them a 2-0 lead. It would not stop there as in the bottom in second. A pitch hit Martin Maldonado; Jeremy Pena doubled to left field, putting Maldonado on third, and then Alvarez came up big again, doubling to deep center field bringing in Pena and Maldonado home to extend the lead 4-0. Alex Bregman whose bat has been really hot the last month and a half singled to shallow center bringing Alvarez home from second base to give the Astros a 5-0 lead against the Yankees.
Luis Garcia got off to a decent start, but his pitching count was starting to get high by the third inning. The Yankees would respond in the top of third, Aaron Judge walked, and then Gleyber Torres homered to left (375ft) to cut into the Astros’ lead to 5-2. Garcia would allow two runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in five innings. For German’s season debut, it was not the kind of start the Yankees were hoping as he would allow five runs on six hits with two strikeouts in three innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, Astros still leading 5-2, Yankees reliever JP Sears comes in the game. Astros hitter J.J. Matijevic walked, and Chas McCormick stepped to the plate and hit a home run to right field (408ft) to put the lead back up to five runs, 7-2. Astros reliever right-hander Brandon Bielak comes in top of the sixth and did not allow a single run in three innings. By the time the final inning came, it looked like the Astros were going to sweep the series, but the Yankees, being the offensive team they are, would not go down easily.
In the top of the ninth, Bielak’s pitch count and tiredness were starting to show, the Yankee offense that had been quiet most of the night finally got something going. Yankees hitter Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to deep right, and D.J. LeMahieu, who came into pinch hit for Tim Locastro, singled to right field, putting two men on base with no outs. After a wild pitch by Bielak, both runners would advance to second and third. Anthony Rizzo pinch hit for Kyle Higashioka flew out to centerfield. The player that Houston Astro fans dislike the most and MVP candidate Aaron Judge hit his 34th home run of the season up into the train tracks in left field, bringing the score closer, 7-5. Astros skipper Dusty Baker decided to take out Bielak and bring in pitching reliever Rafael Montero who helped save the Astros in Game 1, and now has to try to do it again in Game 2.
The Yankees were once again threatening to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth, just like in game 1. Torres singled to right field to put more pressure on Montero with only one out. Yankees hitter Matt Carpenter steps to the plate and would be the tying runner. Back on June 30th, Carpenter would be the last batter as he would strike out and end the game for the Yankees in a 2-1 loss. This time Carpenter grounded into a double play to end the game and give Montero his seventh save on the season.
The Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 7-5, swept the series, 5-2 record this season against the Yankees, and improved to 61-32 overall this season. The New Yankees dropped to 64-30 on the season, still have the best record in the AL, but are only 2.5 games ahead of the Astros. Yordan Alvarez, back from his injury, went 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Alex Bregman went 2×4 with a home run and 2 RB1s. It will be interesting to see which of these two teams will finish in the top spot in the American League and who will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Houston Astros will travel to Seattle to take on one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, the Seattle Mariners, who have 14 game winning streak. The New York travel to Baltimore to take on their AL East division rival, the Baltimore Orioles, who are .500 this season and showing signs of improvement.
Written by James Leyva
