The Yankees Come Back From the Dead To Beat The Astros And Magically Take The Series Against The Defending Champs
This fucking team, man. How the hell did they just pull that one out? How do they keep doing this? After blowing a 3-0 lead in the 7th I became content with splitting a road series against the defending champion Astros. There was nothing wrong with a 5-2 road trip, but then it happened. The Astros went to their bullpen and boy oh boy it wasn’t pretty.
To try and close it out for the Astros in came Will Harris. Credit to the Ghost of Neil Walker for starting the rally with a leadoff walk as he stayed patient and laid off some tough pitches. Next up was Miggy Andujar who took a 1-2 cutter and found the hole on the right side as the Astros shifted heavily on the righty. That set up 1st and 2nd with nobody out for the pinch-hitting Aaron Hicks. He worked the count full and ripped a line drive to left field that loaded the bases with nobody out. Just like that the Yanks were set up as A.J. Hinch made a pitching change, bringing in Brad Peacock. There was nothing better at this point than the camera panning to Ken Giles in the dugout with his stupid hood over his face. I cannot stand this guy.
Due up for the Yankees was rookie phenom Gleyber Torres. Since being called up all Torres has done is hit the ball and brilliantly field his position. It probably hasn’t been talked about enough of how good this 21 year old has been since donning the pinstripes, but we’ve got a superstar in the making hitting 9th for us.
Torres stepped to the dish with ice in his veins and hit a looping single into left field, scoring two and tying the game.
What more can we possibly ask from this kid who has hit .317 since being called up. I truly fall in love with him more and more everyday.
Gardner would fly out to shallow center, drawing an off-line throw from Springer, but the ball was hit too shallow to try to score on. Judge came up next and hit a slow roller to third. It would have taken an amazing turn at second to get the sprinting Judge for a double play, but in the process Altuve mishandled the transfer and didn’t even attempt a throw. Who said Judge can’t come through in the clutch? Just like that, this Yankees team had rallied from the dead to take the lead and head into the bottom of the 9th with a 6-5 lead.
Aroldis Chapman stepped in and immediately discarded Marwin Gonzalez on a 99 mph fastball for the inning’s first out. Brian McCann then popped out to first, leaving the game up to Evan Gattis. Chapman would get Gattis to strike out swinging, but the ball bounced away and allowed him to reach first. George Springer then singled, which of course put the result of the game on the bat of Jose Altuve. I was super nervous, but Roldy attacked, attacked, and attacked, striking out the AL MVP on three pitches to end the game. The Yankees had taken three of four from Houston on the road.
It’s really beginning to feel like 2009 all over again as you cannot kill this team. The Yankees finish this tough road trip between Anaheim and Houston 6-1 and have won 12 of their last 13 games. Like I said last night, my hope for this brutal 13 game stretch was 7-6. Well, we’re 6-1 now as the Indians come to town tomorrow night. For a 28 inning stretch during this series, the Yankees held the vaunted Astros lineup scoreless. That’s insane! We’re clicking on all cylinders just at the right time. I don’t care about division standings in the month of May, unlike others within my division that don the color red, but this is the team we had hoped they’d become during the spring. It’s scary.
Barstool at the Ballpark is sold out for Saturday, I’ll try to add a few more seats if I can, but if not I can’t wait to see everyone there as we keep this baby rolling against the Tribe.
We’re about to record another episode of The Short Porch which will be out later today. Make sure to subscribe and tune in.