ASTROS DROP 4 STRAIGHT
Yankees beat Astros 4-3 for opening 4-game sweep
Apr 1, 2024, 10:25 am
ASTROS DROP 4 STRAIGHT
Juan Soto had three hits capped by an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning that lifted the New York Yankees to a 4-3 win Sunday that completed an opening four-game sweep of the Houston Astros.
With the score 3-3, Gleyber Torres singled off closer Josh Hader (0-1) with two outs in the ninth inning and stole second base. Soto then singled on a line drive to left field.
“It just put a bow on the series of what we saw in his at-bats,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Soto hit .529 (9 for 17) with four RBIs in his first games with the Yankees after his trade from San Diego, helping New York to its first 4-0 start since 2003 and just its fourth since 1950.
“That's the kind of start I wanted,” Soto said with a laugh. “I grinded really hard this offseason and in spring training to be successful in the beginning of the season.”
The Astros had a shot to tie it in the bottom of the inning against Clay Holmes. Jeremy Peña and pinch-hitter Victor Caratini singled and Jose Altuve hit a hard grounder that third baseman Jon Berti snagged with dive and scrambled to third for a forceout.
Yordan Alvarez hit a drive 2 inches foul of the left-field line and followed with a fly that advanced pinch-runner Mauricio Dubón to third. Alex Verdugo made a sliding catch in left field on a ball hit by Kyle Tucker to end it and give Holmes his third save.
“It's just a lot of fun watching these guys continue to compete, and it’s happening on both sides of the ball,” Boone said.
Nick Burdi (1-0) got the last two outs of the eighth for his first big league win since April 17, 2019 for Pittsburgh against Detroit. Yankees relievers pitched 15 1/3 scoreless innings in the series.
Altuve homered and doubled for the Astros, 0-4 for the first time since dropping their first five in 2011. Houston has lost nine straight home games dating to last year, including the playoffs, and has lost seven in a row to the Yankees.
“I like the fight,” first-year manager Joe Espada said. “That’s what it's all about. Give yourself a chance. You fight to the last out of the game and if you do that you’re going to find yourself in a good spot to win games.”
The Astros trailed by 2 when Altuve got things going in the sixth when he doubled to left field. Tucker’s double with one out in the inning scored Altuve to cut the lead to 3-2 and chase Clarke Schimdt.
Jonathan Loaisiga took over and Yainer Diaz’s RBI single with two outs tied it at 3-3.
Giancarlo Stanton doubled in the second and scored on Jose Trevino's single, and Altuve's homer tied the score in the third. Anthony Rizzo doubled to start the fourth and scored on Berti's single for a 2-1 lead, and Aaron Judge hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Schmidt gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
“Obviously you don't play playoff games in March, but this was a big-time series and a big-time sweep and a really good way to start the season,” Schmidt said.
Houston starter J.P. France allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
UP NEXT
Yankees: New York RHP Luis Gil opposes Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson when the Yankees open a three-game series against the Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Astros: Houston RHP Ronel Blanco faces Toronto RHP Bowden Francis when the Astros and Blue Jays start a three-game series Monday night.
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!