Yankees' Bullpen Falters While Offense Vanishes in Series-Opening Loss to Astros
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On Tuesday night, the Yankees popped bottles in their clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, letting their hair down after back-to-back wins on the brink of elimination against the Guardians.
Just over 24 hours later, however, New York quietly retreated to its clubhouse at Minute Maid Park in Houston, already down 0-1 in the American League Championship Series.
Other than two solo home runs, the Yankees were completely outmatched on offense, vanishing with an opportunity to steal home-field advantage away from their top-seeded foe. New York managed just five hits while striking out 17 times in a 4-2 loss. They left seven runners on base, going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
While Harrison Bader and Anthony Rizzo both left the yard, their solo shots couldn't make up for a lack of traffic on the bases and a failure to cash in on run-scoring opportunities.
Josh Donaldson and Matt Carpenter, New York's No. 5 and 6 hitters, combined to go 0-for-7 with seven strikeouts. Donaldson struck out to end a first-inning rally, stranding two runners on base. Both those hitters punched out in the third with two men on. Finally, Carpenter's strikeout with runners on first and second in the eighth inning, with closer Ryan Pressly on the mound, sealed this team's fate. New York went down without a fight in the ninth.
Ageless ace Justin Verlander was magnificent for the home team, striking out 11 over six innings. Just as the right-hander finished his outing, Houston jumped in front, launching three solo home runs to take the lead. Their bullpen handled the rest.
Yankees right-hander Jameson Taillon did his job in Game 1 of the ALCS, pitching into the fifth while allowing only one run in his first postseason start. At first the decision to summon righty Clarke Schmidt out of the bullpen in relief of Taillon worked out—Schmidt induced an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fifth, shifting momentum in New York's favor.
When Yankees manager Aaron Boone stuck with Schmidt in the sixth, Houston took the lead and didn't look back. Yuli Gurriel smacked a go-ahead solo shot to left on an 0-2 pitch. Two batters later, Chas McCormick drilled another solo homer to right field, another two-strike mistake.
Lou Trivino came in to stop the bleeding in the sixth, but Houston added another long ball in the seventh. Frankie Montas—making his first appearance since September 16 (after a shoulder injury) and his first outing out of the bullpen since the 2020 postseason—gave up a solo home run to Jeremy Peña.
That run turned out to be significant for Houston when Rizzo went deep in the eighth, making it a two-run deficit instead of a one-run game.
MORE:
- Aaron Boone Says Shortstop Will Be Daily Decision After Isiah Kiner-Falefa Returns to Lineup
- Aaron Boone Explains Ron Marinaccio’s Absence From ALCS Roster
- Gerrit Cole: Yankees Shouldn’t Expect Many Mistakes From Ex-Teammate Justin Verlander
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