Hunter Brown Faces Cam Schlittler in Game 1
Hunter Brown has become a good pitcher, and the Yankees are bullish that Cam Schlittler, who has pitched well in three career starts, will become one. Hunter Brown poses a difficult challenge for the Yankees in the first game of this three-game series.
The Yankees could get swept in Yankee Stadium in this series. Hunter Brown has a 9-5 record this season with a 2.47 earned run average and a stellar .98 walks plus hits per innings pitched. Hunter Brown could baffle the free-swinging Yankees. Do you think the Yankees will get swept in this series?
Hunter Brown Against Cam Schlittler
Hunter Brown poses a grave challenge for the Yankees. He has great numbers this season with a 9-5 record, a 2.47 earned run average, and a .98 walks plus hits per innings pitched. The Yankees will start youngster Cam Schlittler. He has pitched well in two career starts so far, but has been snakebit by a lack of run support.
That is likely to be the case tonight. In two games, Schlittler is just 1-2 with a 4.58 earned run average and a 1.68 walks plus hits per innings pitched. He does have 21 strikeouts, and he throws almost one hundred miles per hour. He needs to pitch well tonight, as the Yankees will score only a few runs.
In terms of hitting, both teams are good. The Yankees are led by Aaron Judge, who has 24 doubles, two triples, and 37 home runs while hitting .339. However, he has looked rusty since returning from the disabled list.
Giancarlo Stanton is 10 for 38 with four home runs over the last 10 games. He has been on fire recently, but Judge needs to play the field if Staton is to be more than a pinch-hitting threat. Jose Altuve leads the Astros with 19 home runs while slugging .458. Yainer Diaz is 12 for 35 with two doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI over the last 10 games.
Cheaters Prosper
There was a big scandal with the Astros in 2017. They had a camera in centerfield taping video of the signs the catcher was putting down for pitches. The footage from the camera was shown in the locker room.
Someone watched and relayed the information on what pitch was coming to someone in the tunnel between the dugout and the locker room. That person banged on a trash can to signal to the batter what pitch he could expect. The Astros beat the Yankees in the 2017 American League Championship Series. The Astros won to go to the World Series, and the Yankees went home.
There is a lot of bad blood between the Astros and the Yankees. Expect Astros Jose Altuve and recent trade acquisition Carlos Correa to get booed. That said, the Astros are having a good season this year. The Astros have a 29-27 record on the road and a 64-51 record overall. They are 44-21 in games when they record at least eight hits.
The Yankees have gone 34-22 at home and 61-54 overall, but they are struggling mightily. The Yankees have a 32-19 record in games when they hit two or more home runs. It seems they do not score if they do not hit home runs. Unfortunately for them, Hunter Brown does not give up many home runs.
Conclusion
The Houston Astros and their starting pitcher, Hunter Brown, present a great challenge for the Yankees. The Astros are good, and so is Hunter Brown. There is an unfortunate history between these teams that will hang over the series.
If the Yankees make mistakes against Houston in this series, they will likely lose all three games. It will be interesting to see if Aaron Judge plays right field in this series, and it will also be interesting to see who closes for the Yankees.
