As I've previously said, this is a week of statement games for the Yankees. I wanted them to win at least 2 out of 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays, and they swept all 3. Good statement. I wanted them to at least split with, if not take 3 out of 4 from, the Houston Astros. So far, statement is well in progress.
Last night was Hole In the Rotation Day, the time in the starting rotation when Chad Green had the start, pitch 2 innings, and we hoped he wouldn't screw things up too much. He didn't, allowing no runs and just one hit.
Nelson Cortes took over from there, and was a little shaky in his 3 innings, allowing 2 home runs in the 5th. Tommy Kahnle allowed a run in the 6th inning.
It ended up not mattering, because the Yankees unloaded the lumber on the Astros. As they did twice in the previous series' finale against the Rays, the Yankees had a 6-run inning, in this case the 4th. The inning included home runs by Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu.
The Yankees added 2 runs in the 5th, and 2 more in the 7th, the latter courtesy of a home run by new acquisition Edwin Encarnacion.
It was 10-2 Yankees going into the top of the 8th. In the 7th, Aaron Boone figured that a laugher like this game was a good time to see what David Hale can do on the mound. The answer turned out to be "bad things." He hit his 1st batter of the game, and also allowed a single, but got out of the 7th with no damage on the scoreboard.
But he began to lose his control in the 8th, as 2 singles and a wild pitch led to 2 runs scoring. For once, Boone made the opposite mistake of the Brian Cashman era, and left an ineffective pitcher in for too long. He sent Hale back out to pitch the 9th, and he made the game a lot more interesting than it should have been. He allowed home run, walk, flyout, fielder's choice, double, infield single.
This game never should have become a save situation, but Hale made it one. Boone took him out, and brought Aroldis Chapman in to get the last out. He did.
Yankees 10, Astros 6. WP: Cortes (2-0). SV: Chapman (20). LP: Framber Valdez (3-3).
With the win, the Yankees moved to 4 1/2 games ahead of the idle Rays in the American League Eastern Division, and 7 games ahead of the idle Boston Red Sox. The Yankees also moved ahead of the Astros into the 2nd best record in the AL, behind the Minnesota Twins, which does matter for Playoff position.
*
And how did the Yankees think Nestor Cortes for his fine pitching performances, including being the winning pitcher again last night? Why, of course, they sent him back down to the minor leagues.
Hey, somebody had to be removed from the roster so that Aaron Judge could be activated today. I get that. But why would you send Cortes down, when Hale almost blew another game, and Luis Cessa has already blown some games?
Supposedly, the Yankees have reached their limit as to what they could do with those two, and didn't want to designate them for assignment. To hell with that, get rid of them! I don't care if you get nothing for them, it is addition by subtraction, they do not belong on the Yankee roster!
At any rate, the series resumes tonight, and with the rain having been gotten out of the way this morning, it's been a beautiful afternoon, so we should be able to start on time and get all 9 innings in tonight. James Paxton starts for us, and Mike Peacock for them. Come on you Pinstripes!