AL East Roundup (June 24): Astros Snap Yankees' 15-Game Home Winning Streak
NEW YORK — Justin Verlander looked like his old self on Friday night, allowing just four hits over seven innings to help the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 3-1 at Yankee Stadium. It snapped the Yankees' 15-game home winning streak.
The Astros got all the offense they needed on one swing when Kyle Tucker hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning.
Verlander, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, is now 9-3 on the season with a 2.22 earned run average. His nine wins are tied for the AL lead along with Toronto's Alex Manoah.
Yankees starter Luis Severino (4-2) worked his way out of jams in the fourth and fifth inning, with two base runners on in each inning. But he couldn't escape trouble in the sixth. He gave up a one-out double to Alex Bregman and then walked Yordan Alvarez. Tucker then drilled a first-pitch fastball into the right-field seats.
"Against a team like this and against a pitcher like Verlander," Severino said, "you have to minimize those mistakes."
Red Sox 6, Guardians 3
The Boston Red Sox continued their winning ways on Friday night, getting a two-run home run from Christian Arroyo in the seventh inning to help beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-3.
Arroyo, who was just coming off the COVID list, had three RBIs in his return. The Red Sox are now 40-31 on the season, nine games over .500 for the first time all year. They are 17-4 in June and 30-12 since May 10.
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (8-5) allowed only two runs in seven innings in his first career outing against Cleveland. The right-hander struck out four without a walk, and has been terrific lately. In his last 10 starts, he is 8-1 with a 1.85 ERA.
Orioles 4, White Sox 1
The Baltimore Orioles were forced into a bullpen day on Friday night, but it worked out just fine. They used five pitchers, but allowed just one run and one hit all night long in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox in Chicago.
Austin Voth, who was pressed into a starting role last Sunday against Tampa Bay, pitched the first three innings on Friday and allowed the only run. Joey Krehbiel (3-3) worked 2 1/3 perfect innings before Bryan Baker and Cionel Pérez each got four outs. Jorge López pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances, helping the Orioles win their third straight and fourth in five games. The White Sox went down in order in each of the final six innings.
"They're pitching with emotion," Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. "They're pitching with energy. They're pitching with a chip on their shoulder. It's fun to watch them. They have great stuff, but they're made right, too."
The Orioles are now 33-39 on the season. They didn't win their 33rd game last year until July 24, a full month later than this year's pace.
Blue Jays 9, Brewers 4
Alex Manoah allowed just two runs over 6 2/3 innings and the Blue Jays bats exploded for nine runs and 13 hits in a 9-4 road win over the Milwaukee Brewers .
Manoah (9-2) cruised to his league-leading ninth win, getting help from a five-run explosion in the second inning. "I feel great," Manoah said. "Probably could have gone a little longer if I didn't walk some of those guys, but we'll continue to get better and work on the next one."
Manoah actual saw his ERA to rise to 2.05 after the 106-pitch outing. The Blue Jays are 26-8 in Manoah's 34 career starts.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk was 4-for-4 on the day, with a two-run home run. Kirk has homered in three straight games, but left this one in the seventh inning with a bruised left hand.
Rays 4, Pirates 3 (10 innings)
Five Tampa Bay pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts without a walk and Harold Ramirez had a game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th to lead the Rays to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. For the complete game story, CLICK HERE
Saturday's AL East games
- Houston Astros (Christian Javier 4-3, 3.07 ERA) at New York Yankees (Gerrit Cole 6-1, 3.14 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
- Pittsburgh Pirates (JT Brubaker 1-7, 4-11 ERA) at Tampa Bay Rays (Corey Kluber 3-4, 3.46 ERA), 1:10 p.m. ET
- Baltimore Orioles (Spenser Watkins 0-1, 6.00 ERA) at Chicago White Sox (Lance Lynn 1-0, 5.71 ERA), 2:10 p.m. ET
- Toronto Blue Jays (Yusei Kikuchi 2-3, 4.94 ERA) at Milwaukee Brewers (Corbin Burnes 5-4, 2.31 ERA), 4:10 p.m. ET
- Boston Red Sox (Josh Winckowski 2-1, 3.68 ERA) at Cleveland Guardians (Shane Bieber 3-3, 3.00 ERA, 6:10 p.m. ET
American League East standings
Around the division
- JUDGE ARBITRATION: Center fielder Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees reached a settlement on his aribtration case on Friday, agreeing to a $19 million deal with a pair of lucrative incentives. Judge initially asked for $21 million while New York countered with a $17 million offer. Here's the story. CLICK HERE
- WHITLOCK STILL AILING: Boston right-hander Garrett Whitlock (right hip inflammation) will not be activated off the injured list when eligible Saturday and won’t start in Boston’s next series in Toronto. “Whit isn’t feeling well, so it didn’t make sense to push him out there,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
