New York Faces Justin Verlander In The Opener As Houston Visits The Bronx

When New York opens up a three -game series starting on Memorial Day against Houston  they will face Justin Verlander who is very good at what he does.

The right -hander comes into the opener of this three -game series with a record of 6-2 to go along with a 1.08 earn run average. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/6341/justin-verlander Verlander has held opponents to one earned run or fewer in five straight starts, including a May 1 start against the Yankees in which he threw eight scoreless innings, with three hits and 14 strikeouts. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy  He will oppose New York right -hander Domingo German who comes into the game against Houston with a record of 0-2 to go along with a 5.59 earn run average. "according to http://m.mlb.com/player/593334/domingo-german German has turned in a pair of subpar efforts after a six-inning, hitless gem in his first big league start, surrendering six runs to both the Athletics and the Rangers. He is coming off a loss in Texas in which he completed just 3 2/3 innings."according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

New York comes into the game against Houston who is a member of the American League West with a record of 33-16. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/_/name/nyy/new-york-yankees and is  coming off a series win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. 

In the highly anticipated showdown between fellow countrymen Masahiro Tanaka and Shohei Ohtani, the Yankees' right-hander came out on top, spinning a solid effort that led New York to a 3-1 victory over the Angels on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium."according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

In their first meeting since playing against each other in Japan in 2013, Ohtani worked a 3-2 count before striking out on a low-and-away, 85.6-mph splitter. Although this matchup had been the talk of the series, it was not one that Tanaka viewed to be different from the rest. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

"I think it was a good thing that I was able to face him at this stage, at the Major League level," Tanaka said. "But, I was thinking just get outs there. Yeah, the feeling was pretty much the same." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/

After waiting more than an hour between plate appearances, Ohtani walked on five pitches in the fourth before Tanaka won the final matchup in the sixth, recording another strikeout on an 88.7-mph splitter. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

"He's a challenge. We challenged him a little bit with fastballs up in the strike zone and the off-speed pitch down, but he does a pretty good job of controlling the zone as well," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Ohtani. "Overall, we did a good job of staying away from his slug zone ... middle down, that area where he's really dangerous." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

The Yankees' offense took advantage of Angels starter Garrett Richards' early struggles in the third inning. After allowing a single to Aaron Judge to start the inning, the right-hander walked Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius to load the bases. A free pass to Aaron Hicks put the first run on the board, chasing Richards. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

Jose Alvarez replaced Richards and hit Greg Bird on the elbow pad to push another Yankees run across. Miguel Andujar grounded into a fielder's choice at second base that scored the Yankees' final run of the afternoon. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

"Today was definitely one of the better ones in recent outings," Tanaka said. "To be able to win in a small-margin game like this, I think it's good. Just looking back, that last home run, that is unacceptable." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

We needed an outing from him like that," Boone said. "He did a really good job early of establishing his fastball, he used the cutter a little bit, split was good and then turned it over to our guys lined up in the 'pen there. But, an outing we really needed today. Glad to see him go out there and deliver." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

Aroldis Chapman worked around a leadoff walk to Ohtani in the ninth inning to pick up his 11th save of the season. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

Ohtani remains hitless in his career against Tanaka, who faced him during his final season in Japan. The then-18-year-old Ohtani went 0-for-11 with six strikeouts, one walk and one hit by pitch against Tanaka. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

"I'm not in any position to say if he got better or worse, but I feel like he threw more breaking balls this time around than when he was in Japan," Ohtani said. "It felt a little different because the American pitchers throw mostly fastballs, but he kind of pitched me backwards. That felt a little different." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Judge recorded the hardest-hit ball of the 2018 season in the third inning when he laced a 119.9-mph single to right-center field. Since 2017, Judge has had five batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 119 mph, while Giancarlo Stanton is the only other player in Major League Baseball to log one. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

Richards is a guy that has got a really good fastball," Judge said. "He gets it up to the upper 90s. With a guy like him, I've just got to try to stay short and make contact. With his velo, it'll jump a little bit. For me, I was just trying to stay short and get a pitch that I could drive." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/masahiro-tanaka-bests-shohei-ohtani-in-ny-win/c-278535840

Houston meanwhile comes into the game against New York with a record of 34-20 and is in first place in the American League West. "according to http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/_/name/hou/houston-astros However they're coming off a loss to Cleveland on Sunday where they lost in extra innings. 

The pitchers' duel a distant memory, the Astros and Indians locked themselves in a back-and-forth struggle in the final innings that exhausted nearly every relief option."according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

Although the Astros pounced on a tiring Trevor Bauer and a beat-up relief corps for a six-run eighth inning, a bullpen disaster of their own led to a demoralizing 10-9 loss on Greg Allen's 14th-inning walk-off home run at Progressive Field to split the four-game series."according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

"There were a lot of twists and turns in that game," Astros manager AJ Hinch, who was ejected in the sixth, said. "Whoever lost this game was going to feel like they should've won the game, and that we should be walking out of here with a win." "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

Bauer had stymied the Astros through seven innings with a season-high 13 strikeouts and just four hits allowed. But when Bauer came out for the eighth with 110 pitches -- in part due to the Indians' scuffling bullpen -- the Astros' offense came alive. George Springer hit a one-out double to left-center field, and Alex Bregman  worked a walk that ended Bauer's day at 127 pitches. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

The Indians turned to Evan Marshall  to hold the one-run lead, but the white-hot  Jose Altuve could not be stopped. Altuve singled through the left side for his 10th straight hit extending his franchise -- tying the game at 3. Carlos Correra and Yuli Gurriell followed with singles of their own, which ended Marshall's day, and Evan Gattis broke open the game with a monstrous 406-foot home run to left field off Ben Taylor. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

But all the offense would be for naught, as the Astros' bullpen could not hold the five-run lead. Closer Ken Giles , who had not thrown in the last three games, came in to throw the ninth but found trouble from the start. Jose Ramirez worked a 17-pitch at bat  that ended in a double, and Giles was lifted after giving up two more singles. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

"Obviously it creates some energy in their dugout, because it's a big at-bat," Hinch said. "It's so rare to have an at-bat go that long, it also takes our closer out of the game. It's hard to run him up to 30 or 35 pitches. It completely changed the complexion of that inning, both in putting some energy into the start of their inning and also impacting our pitching. It was quite an at-bat." "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

Will Harris allowed a pair of singles, and Hector Rondon couldn't stop the bleeding, giving up two more RBI singles to bring the game to a tie. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

The Astros offense could not muster much of anything following the big eighth inning. After Gattis' first home run, the team went 1-for-17 until Gattis went deep again, this time off Dan Otero in the 13th inning. But that run was quickly erased on Yonder Alonso's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the frame, and the next inning, Allen ended the game on Brad Peacock's  first pitch of the at bat. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

The tough finish spoiled a strong outing from starter Gerritt Cole , who outdueled his former UCLA teammate over seven innings. Although he was tagged for three runs in the first two innings, he settled in for a dominating afternoon with eight strikeouts. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

Over his final five frames, Cole gave up just one hit -- a leadoff single in the third that was negated on a double play two batters later. He recorded six of his final 15 outs via strikeout and pounded the zone for 73.6 percent strikes during that stretch, including throwing 24 of 28 pitches for strikes to the final eight batters. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

"It was quite a game," Hinch said. "You'd never guess in a game like that how well the starters actually threw. There was a lot of action after the starters came out of the game on both sides." "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Unstoppable Altuve: Altuve could hardly have been hotter over the last few games as he broke his old franchise record for consecutive at-bats with a hit at 10. After picking up two key hits in Friday's rally and going 4-for-4 on Saturday, Altuve singled to center in the first and reached on an infield single in the fourth. The reigning American League Most Valuable Player came through with the key RBI double in the sixth and then capped off the day with an RBI single to spark their six-run eighth."according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

"You don't think about hits, you're not counting hits -- you're trying to win games," Altuve said. "I guess after two games, my teammates say, 'Oh, you got 10 hits.' You're like, 'OK, that's fun.' But in the middle of the game it's hard to think about, 'Oh I got 1, 2, 3, 4 … " "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

Gold Glove Yuli: Things were spiraling out of control for the Astros in the ninth inning until first baseman Gurriel came up with perhaps the best defensive play of the game. With the game tied and two on and two out, Ramirez hit a screaming line drive down the line at 102.3 mph with a 70 percent hit probability. Somehow Gurriel was able to dive and catch the ball to save the game, sending it to extra innings. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

"That's another play that -- again I saw it on TV -- but 100 mph off the bat, game on the line, that's a reaction play," Hinch said. "It certainly kept the game alive.""according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Chris Devenski took a liner off his right leg from Allen to open the eighth, but he made an extremely athletic play to get an out . After the deflected ball made it all the way into foul territory in front of first, he slid in front of the speedy Allen while turning his body and made the backhanded flip to Gurriel for the out. All as planned, of course. "according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-lose-wild-extra-inning-game-to-indians/c-278554172

First pitch is set for 1:05pm from Yankee Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN and Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-05