Any time you can take a series in New York, it’s a good day, even if you’re the 2017 Astros.
For the 2026 .500 Astros, coming off a 3-and-6 homestand, and winning the rubber match against future Hall of Famer and former Astro Gerrit Cole… “How sweet it is.”
This game began as a pitcher’s duel between one of this generation’s best, Cole, and journeyman Hayden Wesneski, whom the Astros hope will help fill gaping holes in their starting rotation.
The Astros broke through first in the third inning when a hit-by-pitch and a single somehow scored a run: the hit-by-pitch to Jeremy Pena, the single by Isaac Paredes. Yes, Pena scored from first on a two-out single.
The one run held until the sixth inning, when Christian Walker’s two-run homer just barely over the right-field wall gave the Astros a 3-0 lead.
However, the Yankees finally got to Wesneski in their half of the sixth on a Ben Rice double and two sacrifice flies. Wesneski finished his night completing five official innings, allowing three hits and two walks, while striking out six.
The Astros took back that run in the seventh off Yankees reliever Yerry Do Los Santos on a leadoff homer by Jeremy Pena.
The Yankees gifted the Astros with their fifth run with a flub for the ages. A two-out double by Walker resulted in a run when the Yankees committed two errors on the same play. First, on a routine grounder by Yainer Diaz, George Lombard let the ball bounce off his glove. The ball landed in the glove of third baseman Jose Cabellero, who airmailed a throw that had no chance anyway, scoring Walker.
This was Lombard’s sixth error in six straight games. Yankee commentators say it’s a case of the yips, as young Lombard is viewed as a defensive specialist.
After Steven Okert finished Wesneski’s sixth inning, AJ Blubaugh blanked the Yanks through the eighth, and then Josh Hader overpowered them in the ninth in a non-save situation.
With tonight’s win, the Astros assume a one-game lead in the AL West over the Rangers, who were idle tonight.
The Astros take a trip across the Hudson to face the Mets tomorrow.
Feature photo from @astros on X, Source Link. (cropped)
Nothing better then curb stomping the Yankees
I know I sound like a broken record. This Astros team has a chance, but it’s grossly mismanaged. I’d have fired Espada and keep Brown till the end of the season to move players from/to Sugar Land
We absolutely have a chance to get tin the playoffs. We control are own destiny. But then you start penciling in starters for 5 game series and things look bleak.
It’s easier to focus on the plate approach. We can win a few games over hitting the opposition and getting early to their BP. Then, the only young player that Espada is willing to play is Cam. Of course, all folks don’t steal bases. And so on and on and on. Espada is too flawed and full of fallacies and magical thinking to manage in the big leagues.
5 game series is already optimistic. I’m not even sure if they have the starters to match up for the 3 game wild card series.
But baseball gonna baseball. We just watched this team unable to win series against the A’s and angels and then win against NYY on the road.
Plausible that we can win a wild card. But I hear what you’re saying. It seems very far off
Final score of 5-1 will always feel magical b/c of 2017 WS game 7.
I was there. I took a video of the final out and the crowd reaction to springer squeezing the ball in his glove to seal it,and I still watch it not infrequently.
It was our anniversary, so that was a nice present. (although neither my wife nor I remembered it was our anniversary until we were standing in line to enter the stadium. 😂 )