Astros Provide a Tough Test For Yanks: September 2-4

The Astros of Houston are a formidable team and present a challenging road test for the Yankees. Can they beat good teams? They will need to be in the playoffs. The Yankees did dress like cowboys on the plane ride down to play the Astros. Jasson Dominguez was the start of the show. Walking into the visitors’ clubhouse at Rate field as the Yankees prepared for a three-game series against the Astros, many players dressed up. The Yankees have Max Fried pitching for them in the first game of the three-game series. That sets up about as well as it could. How many games do you think the Yankees will win against the Astros?

Preview Of Pitching Matchups As Yanks Play Astros

Max Fried has pitched better for the Yankees in his last two starts, following a bad stretch dating from July 1st. This follows a great start to the season, a Cy Young start. It all nets out to a 14-5 record with a 3.06 earned run average. The fact that he has pitched well in his last two starts bodes well for the Yankees.

He is pitching in the first game of this series on Tuesday evening. He is ace-like. Overall, he is 12-7 with a very good earned run average of 3.18. This should be a well-pitched game in the second game of the series. Will Warren starts for the Yankees. Warren has been good this season, but has struggled of late. He must throw strikes, not nibble, and keep the ball in the ballpark.

He has done neither of late, but if he wants to succeed against a very talented Astros team, he must. That all nets out to a pedestrian 8-6 record for Warren and an earned run average of 4.30. He does have 149 strikeouts in 136 innings pitched. Expect him to strike out some Astros. Speaking of them, Jason Alexander, not the one from Seinfeld, starts for them.

The Astros’ Top Journeyman

The journeyman is 4-1 for the Astros with a 4.61 earned run average in 8 starts. This could be an opportunity for the Yankees. In the third game of the series, Carlos Rodon starts for the Yankees. He has scuffled of late, but has not allowed an extra base hit in his last few starts, and he leads baseball with 15 wins.

The All-Star is having his best season with the Yankees. He is 15-7 with a 3.18 earned run average. He is pitching against Cristian Javier. He is relatively inexperienced, having made only 4 starts with just 16 innings pitched. The Yankees struggle with pitchers they have not seen, but this is another opportunity for the Yankees.

Hitting Preview of Yanks at Astros

Aaron Judge is pursuing history for the Yankees. He hit two home runs in Chicago, and he passed Yogi Berra for fifth place all-time on the Yankees home run list. The list has been the same since 1957. Judge only needs 3 more home runs to tie Joe Dimmagio for fourth on the Yankee list. Other hot Yankees hitters include Trent Grisham, who is close to a 30-home run season, and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is close to a 30-home run and 30-steal season.

For the Astros, you have to look at Jose Altuve. Altuve is batting .273 with 23 home runs, but he always kills the Yankees. Carlos Correa has had a resurgence since the Astros acquired him via trade. He also plays well against the Yankees. Finally, Christian Walker is a dangerous hitter for the Astros, even though he probably has not had as good a series as either he or they would have wanted.

Conclusion

The Yankees need to prove they can beat good teams. They have an opportunity right now against the Astros in this three-game series that begins tomorrow. Parentectically, it is odd the Yankees are not playing on Labor Day. Then again, neither are the Dodgers. It does not get easier for the Yankees, who head to Detroit after this series. These are the teams the Yankees would be playing in the playoffs, so the time is now. They need to take one game at a time. They have a great chance tomorrow.