Ed.: Note the Know Your Enemy series has been rebranded due to the fact that there are a few other blogs who use the Know Your Enemy label for game notes. As we want to be original, this mostly-daily series will now be known as Preparation H(ouston).
And so the Astros limp along in their first AL season getting slayed by everyone not named the Mariners. Coming off a four-game sweep (the first four-game sweep of the Astros since all the way back in August 2012 when the Nationals did it) at Fenway, the Astros head to the Bronx to take on a moderately-successful franchise once known as the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Highlanders.
*The Astros are 1-8 against the Yankees in franchise history, with the lone win coming on June 11, 2003. Why is this significant? It was the Oswalt-Munro-Saarloos-Lidge-Dotel-Wagner no-hitter. (Consider this your daily "Holy Crap That Was Ten Years Ago? Good God I'm Old" reminder).
*You may not have ever heard this before, but did you know that Alex Rodriguez makes more money than the Astros? And the Astros have Seven Wins Above Alex Rodrigez (WAAR).
*The Astros have a four-game losing streak for the third time this season already, and are 3-7 in their last ten games.
*The Yankees, however, are 7-3 in their last ten games and are coming off the right end of a four-game sweep of the Blue Jays.
*The Astros are 4-8 on the road, and the Yankees are 9-4 at home.
*Former Astro Andy Pettitte takes the mound for the Yankees. In his four starts this season, Pettitte is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA. The Yankees are also 3-1 when Pettitte starts - the lone loss coming his last time out, when he allowed 7H/2ER, 10K:1BB in a 3-0 loss at Tampa Bay.
*Lefties are hitting .095/.174/.143 (2x21) against Pettitte this season. Righties have a .286/.326/.452 line, and all three homers Pettitte has given up.
*Pettitte's line with runners in scoring position: .071/.133/.143. With men on: .109/.163/.217.
*All three homers Pettitte has given up have come in the 6th inning.
*Pettitte has only faced Houston once - back on June 11, 2010. He allowed 4H/2ER, 4K:1BB in 7.1IP to get the win.
*Carlos Pena has the most experience against Pettitte. In 50 plate appearances, Pena is hitting .326/.420/.837 with two triples, six homers, 14K:4BB. Ronny Cedeno is 2x11 with 4Ks, and Fernando Martinez is 2x3.
*Lucas Harrell takes the mound for the sixth time this season. The Astros are 2-3 in his starts, and he is 2-2 with a 4.08 ERA. Take out his disaster start against Oakland in G6 and he has thrown 24.1IP, 23H/5ER, 18K:10BB.
*Righties have an .827 OPS against Harrell, while LHBs have an .895 OPS. Four of the five homers Harrell has given up have come against LHBs.
*Harrell has pitched in 21 ballparks - Yankee Stadium will be #22.
*Harrell has only faced three current Yankees in his career, and those three are 7x8 with a walk. Brennan Boesch is 4x4 with a walk, Jayson Nix is 2x3, and Travis Hafner is 1x1.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
