*The Astros beat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon as Justin Verlander dominated and the Astros got some timely hits, namely a three-run home run from J.D. Davis. When I started this post yesterday afternoon I thought, "What did we do to deserve Justin Verlander?" And then I thought of the franchise history, and I thought of 1998, and 2004 and 2005, and then 2011-2014, and I retired that question from my brain.
1968 Watch
Runs allowed through 55 games:
1968 Indians: 137
2018 Astros: 149
*The Astros are 11-8 against New York dating back to the beginning of 2017, postseason included. They've won 14 of their last 19 games.
*Verlander threw 6.2IP, 5H/1ER, 5K:0BB. It's his first walk-less start in his last four outings. Verlander in May: 35IP, 17H/3ER, 45K:7BB. Yesterday was his 10th straight 6+ IP of two or fewer earned runs. Dude is worth every penny and then some. The Astros are 8-0 when Verlander starts and they score 2+ runs in 2018.
*Verlander vs. the Yankees, career (postseason included):
10-7, 165IP, 151H/59ER, 161K:49BB, 3.22 ERA / 1.21 WHIP.
*Verlander tipped his cap to the Yankees lineup for not chasing his slider.
*Speaking of tipping caps, Greg Bird - who accounted for the lone Yankees' run - on facing Verlander:
He uses all of his pitches when he wants to and where he wants to, so that makes for a long day. You just have to grind him out and capitalize when he makes mistakes. You have to tip your cap to him.
*As Verlander left the game, Yankees fans booed him. He tipped his cap. Verlander:
Just having fun. Yankees fans having fun with me, so I decided to have some fun back.
*The New York Daily News' John Harper says Verlander's performance just gives Brian Cashman another checkmark to cross off in the next two months.
*J.D. Davis hit the 5th home run of his career and his first home run of 2018 - a three-run shot that basically put the game away. It was his first go-ahead home run and also his first non-solo home run. (Get it? NON SOLO. I've seen Star Wars, like, once, so I know what I'm talking about.) Davis:
I kind of blacked out around first and second, and when I came around home it kind of hit me. I was like, 'Wow, first at-bat, home run at Yankee Stadium.' It was pretty cool. Being in the dugout with all the guys was special.
*Notably for Davis and Tony Kemp, who inexplicably sat in favor of Jake Marisnick, who went 0x4 with 2Ks (hereby known as a Marisnick), Derek Fisher began his rehab stint for Fresno last night.
*Evan Gattis was 1x2 with 2BB and an RBI. He's gotten on base 2+ times in four of his last six games.
*Carlos Correa was 0x4 with two strikeouts. In his last ten games he's 9x42 with 13K:3BB. In 24 games in May Correa is hitting .205/.307/.398. He hasn't hit a home run since May 19.
*Aaron Judge is now 0x14 with 8K:0BB in his career against Justin Verlander.
*Giancarlo Stanton - mired in an 0x15 slump - got the day off. Boone, who protected his guy from getting an 0x19:
I just felt like it's the right day to do it.
— All we are is Dustin Nguyen (@itsdtrain) May 28, 2018
*From Beyond the Box Score: The Astros' rotation is breaking baseball, literally. BtBS puts Verlander, Cole, and Morton up against Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. And I can cross an article idea for The Athletic off the list.
*Astros opponents from June 7 until the All-Star Break: at Arlington, at Oakland, at Kansas City, Tampa, Kansas City, Toronto, at Tampa, at Arlington, Chicago White Sox, Oakland, Detroit.
*The Mariners beat the Rangers 2-1, so that's 16-8 in one-run games. SIXTEEN of their 33 wins have been by one run. Ten of the Astros' 20 losses have been by one run. Seattle is 14-6 in their last 20 games, 15 of those games have been 1-run games and they're 10-5.
*The USMNT beat the piss out of Bolivia last night, so that's good. 2022 here we come.
