Astros get another late rally to secure the series win
Astros daily report: Astros 6, Yankees 3
Apr 9, 2019, 10:26 pm
Astros get another late rally to secure the series win
The Astros looked to lock up a series win against the Yankees on Tuesday night. Here's how the game unfolded:
Final Score: Astros 6, Yankees 3
Record: 7-5, second in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Hector Rondon (1-0).
Losing pitcher: Chad Green (0-2).
Star of the game: Michael Brantley was huge for the Astros on Tuesday, starting with his leadoff double in the second inning that would result in him coming around to score Houston's first run, then later in the game tied things up with an RBI-double. He finished the night going three for five at the plate with the run and RBI.
Notes: After getting a couple of good plays from Carlos Correa's defense behind him in the top of the first, Gerrit Cole would allow a two-out solo home run to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. It didn't take the Astros long to tie the game, getting a sac fly from Yuli Gurriel to make it 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Jose Altuve made it back-to-back nights with crushed homers, getting a solo shot in the bottom of the third to make it 2-1 Houston. That score would hold for a few innings as Cole settled in, but he'd run into trouble in the top of the sixth after a botched double play left runners on the corners with one out, providing some momentum for New York that they took advantage of with a two-RBI double to take a 3-2 advantage. Cole would end up finishing seven innings, leaving still in a 3-2 deficit, making it another start where some bad luck and a few bad pitches cost him an otherwise solid start. He'd get bailed out in the bottom of the seventh, though, thanks to a two-out double from Alex Bregman followed by an RBI-double from Brantley to tie the game at three apiece. Hector Rondon kept the game tied with a scoreless top of the eighth, then the bats went to work, just like the night before, in the bottom of the eighth. Gurriel started things off with a single, then two one-out walks loaded the bases for George Springer who got his first hit of the night, a two-RBI double to put Houston back out in front 5-3. Altuve was next and took advantage of the one-out situation with a sac fly to get an insurance run and extend the lead to 6-3. Roberto Osuna had the ninth and retired the Yankees in order to get another save and secure the series win.
Up next: The Astros and Yankees will wrap up the series tomorrow night with first pitch at 6:40 PM. Collin McHugh will look to continue his solid early season for Houston, while his team will face a familiar face on the mound for New York, former Mariner James Paxton.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!