New York Edges Houston, Wins Their Eighth Straight
The number is eight.
That is how many games New York who is leading the American League East has won in a row including their most recent victory over Houston. One of the players that recently came off the injured list was a big reason why they won.
Giancarlo Stanton mashed a pair of key two-run singles and helped the Yankees extend their winning streak to a season-high eight games with a 7-5 decision over the Astros at Yankee Stadium.
"It's just good to be able to contribute to a win, finally," Stanton said. "However I can contribute and feel good in there, you don't worry about a bunch of firsts and catching up with things now. There's no time for that." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Gio Urshela and Austin Romine cracked homers as the Yanks celebrated their 25th consecutive game with at least one home run, matching a franchise record set in 1941. They are two shy of the Major League record, established by the 2002 Rangers. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
The Yankees own a season-high 5 1/2-game lead in the American League East, and Stanton can at last feel like he is in on the fun. After blasting 38 homers and driving in 100 runs in 2018, playing through injury while several teammates were shelved, he has had to lean on the cavalry this year. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
“We had several guys do a great job stepping up, but nobody can replace Stanton," Brett Gardner said. "Nobody can replace [Aaron] Judge. Those guys are two pretty special big presences in the middle of the order, so it's great to have those guys back." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Ailed by a left biceps tear, a left shoulder strain and finally a left calf strain, Stanton disappeared from the Yanks' lineup after the third game of the season but re-emerged this week, just in time to join the club for what was supposed to be its most challenging stretch of the month. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Instead, the Yankees blended strong pitching and timely hitting to sweep the Rays in a three-game series, then carried that momentum into the set against Houston. Zack Britton squirmed through a ninth inning that featured three walks -- one intentional -- to put his club in position to break out the brooms after Sunday's 73rd annual Old-Timers' Day festivities. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Stanton's big knocks came in the sixth and seventh innings, as he mashed a pair of remarkably similar hard-hit singles off the glove of third baseman Yuli Gurriel. Statcast measured the first at 104.2 mph, the second at 107 mph, and Luke Voit thought that sounded low.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
He hit the ball like 110," Voit said. "What's great about him is it doesn't matter if it's in the air or on the ground. You how he’s going to hit the ball hard and it’s going to find holes eventually. I think that was good for his confidence." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
The first hit gave the Yanks a two-run lead, but Jonathan Holder couldn't hold it, serving up a three-run blast to Yordan Alvarez. Romine responded by knotting the game once more, reaching the first row of the right-field seats with a solo homer off Ryan Pressly.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
After DJ LeMahieu legged out an infield single and Judge reached on a catcher's interference error, Stanton delivered once more by getting his barrel to a 96.9 mph fastball. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
"Those are tough at-bats," Boone said. "Pressly, that's about as tough a draw you are going to have right there. To get into a really good count and smoke a ball, big at-bats by him. I hope everyone takes notice of that." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Asked to elaborate, Boone added: "Sometimes we forget what a good player he is. I hope they saw those at-bats." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Masahiro Tanaka started for New York and limited Houston to Josh Reddick's two-run homer among eight hits over six innings, walking one and striking out one. Reddick's homer, which Tanaka said came on a so-so splitter, snapped a 14 2/3-inning scoreless streak for the right-hander. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
Tanaka's final inning ended as Judge fielded a Max Stassi single off the right-field wall, then smoothly fired a strike to shortstop Didi Gregorius at second base, nailing Stassi by a healthy margin. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
"A lot of things are clicking for us," Tanaka said. "I think guys are coming up with timely hits and pitchers are getting outs when they need to. I think we're just playing good baseball right now.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
The Yankees had been held hitless through four innings by Wade Miley, but Urshela opened the scoring in the fifth with a two-run blast to right-center field. It was Urshela's sixth homer, matching his single-season high. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
"We just keep pounding," Stanton said. "A day like today, we're getting no-hit for [four] innings and there's no stress. Just keep pushing the envelope and having tough at-bats." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/giancarlo-stanton-leads-yankees-to-8th-straight-win
With the win, New York improves to 49-27 on the season.
Houston meanwhile who is leading the American League West was was on the other end of the spectrum as they lost their seventh straight .
When Yordan Alvarez's ball sailed over the wall in right-center field to give the Astros their first lead of the weekend, things were beginning to feel different in Houston's dugout. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
Josh Reddick had delivered a big swing in the sixth to tie the game, and even after the Yankees responded with a pair of runs in their half of that inning, Alvarez answered with a huge three-run homer, the type of hit the Astros have been desperately seeking for days. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"The dugout was really awake for the first time this whole road trip," Reddick said of Alvarez's shot in Houston's 7-5 loss to the Yankees, the Astros' seventh loss in a row. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
But as the old saying goes, when it rains, it pours. And despite the picture-perfect night in the Bronx, the Astros seem to have a black cloud hovering over their heads these days. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
Ryan Pressly, who had allowed three earned runs all season and entered the game in the seventh boasting a minuscule 0.81 ERA, quickly surrendered the lead when Austin Romine pounced on a first-pitch 97-mph fastball, shooting it the other way and into the short porch in right field.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"When things aren't going your way, they're not going to go your way," Pressly said. "Things kind of snowballed on us." “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
The Yankees scored two more runs in the inning, taking the lead on Giancarlo Stanton's hot shot to third, which glanced off Yuli Gurriel's glove for the decisive two-run single. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
He got ambushed on the fastball away by Romine and the inning kind of spiraled a little bit," Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "You don't see him give up runs very often -- certainly multiple runs -- but they just put together an inning on him. Much like the way things have gone in the last week, it went against us." “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
Wade Miley didn't allow a hit until Gio Urshela's two-run homer with two out in the fifth, but the lefty was charged with two more runs in the sixth. The offense picked him up thanks to the two clutch homers, but Pressly's worst outing of the season proved to be too much for Houston to overcome. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"You feel a little snakebitten when everything has to be perfect for us to piece it together," Hinch said. "There are some frustrations that are building just because losing, it sucks. We're not putting things together for an entire game to get a win. You get the lead, there's a lot of momentum. You give the lead right back, it's a little deflating.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"Any time you lose a lead in any ballpark, it's tough. When you lose a lead given the week that we've had; we're all human, we're all pretty frustrated."“according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
Saturday's setback marked the seventh straight loss for the Astros, matching the longest such streak in Hinch's 4 1/2 years as manager. The last time the Astros dropped seven in a row was June 2015, during Hinch's first season at the helm. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
Reddick agreed with Hinch's assessment of the current state of the Astros, taking the manager's "snakebitten" comment to the next level.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"Black Mamba style, yeah," Reddick said. "That's what it feels like. It feels like it's spreading fast and we've got to find the antidote. Hopefully that's tomorrow with JV." “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
That would be Justin Verlander, who gets the start Sunday for the Astros. Verlander is having another strong season for Houston, though he's winless in his past three starts. He's given up three homers in each of his past two outings, and given the Yankees' penchant for the long ball, that's a dangerous formula as the former AL MVP and Cy Young winner looks to get the Astros back in the win column for the first time since last Saturday. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"That's a big boost; he's our horse who goes out there and puts a stop to things," Reddick said. "He's our ace for a reason; he's been an ace for so long in this game, he knows how to stop these things. We wouldn't be more comfortable with anybody else on the mound." “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
Even as they walked off the field with another loss, the Astros were doing their best to take some positives from the night. Reddick and Alvarez had come up with a pair of timely swings, though the lineup as a whole suffered through another rough night with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-9 while stranding 11 men on base.”according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
During the seven-game losing streak, the Astros are 7-for-53 (.132) in those situations, stranding 61 runners in the process. “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
"Tonight was a big step moving forward despite the loss," Reddick said. "The two home runs to get us back in the game were a huge step; those were the swings we haven't had in Cincinnati and the first two games here. We haven't been able to pick up our starters and get us back in the ballgame. This was a step in the right direction, but obviously there's a few more steps that need to be taken." “according to https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yordan-alvarez-homers-as-astros-fall-to-yankees
With the loss, Houston drops to 48-30 on the season.
New York and Houston will finish up their series on Sunday afternoon in the Bronx where New York will look to sweep Houston while Houston will look to salvage a game out of the four game series.