HOUSTON — With just two weeks to go before the trade deadline, the best record in baseball and a huge lead in the division, the Yankees got another reminder that the Astros are going to be a huge obstacle to their World Series hopes. Astros pitchers held the Yankees offense to just two runs over 18 innings and showed the weakness in the team's pitching.
While Jordan Montgomery was solid in the first game of the split doubleheader at Minute Maid Park, the Yankees bats were quieted by Cristian Javier and the bullpen. Domingo German was not exactly a good replacement for Luis Severino while he is on the injured list. The Astros’ JJ Matijevic’s pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Astros a 3-2 win in the first game. Home runs from Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Chas McCormick early made even the late three-run homer by Aaron Judge irrelevant as Houston beat the Yankees in the night cap, 7-5.
With the sweep of the doubleheader, the Astros (61-32) are three wins behind the Yankees (64-29) in the American League race for the best record.
