Earlier, Yankees coach Aaron Boone said the Astros’ arrival in the city in the coming days would result in “a series of arm shooting.” For eight innings, however, this sounded like a shot in the arm. dark prediction.
But then the Yankees did what seemed impossible, illuminating what has been an enlightening season. Losing 6-3 and no hits from the first inning, they exploded for four runs in the bottom of the ninth, sending a mocking crowd of 44,071 Astros out of their seats and then out of the Stadium believing that anything it’s possible, reveling in a 7.6 win Thursday night against a team they like to hate.
Aaron Hicks hit a three-run home run against nearest Ryan Pressly, who came in and walked quickly to the first two batters he faced, setting up Hicks ’line in the right field seats. Aaron Judge, who addressed an arbitration hearing with the Yankees on Friday, struck out a single-game winner against reliever Ryne Stanek, continuing his magical, MVP-worthy season.
“This is a pretty special game for June,” Boone said.
Aaron Judge (left), attacked by teammates after his single-game winner, and Aaron Hicks (three-run man who tied the game) were the two heroes of the Yankees’ 7-6 comeback over the Astros. Robert Sabo; EPA
“We don’t want to get lost, you know,” Hicks said. “We’re a team that we’ll keep fighting until the end, until the last out.”
If the next three games in this series look like the opening, it seems to be a fascinating showcase of both teams with the best records in the American League. The Yankees are 52-18, the third-best start in franchise history after 70 games. It coincides with the third-best start after 70 games for any major league team in the last 93 years. This could have been the most difficult and dramatic of all.
“We’re never out of a game,” Judge said.
The Astros jumped to the front early against Jameson Taillon, battling for a rare ineffective start. Before recording an out in the first inning, he ceded a three-run home run to Alex Bregman. The Yankees countered in the bottom of the first with a three-run shot from Giancarlo Stanton in front of Astros starter Framber Valdez, but Valdez settled in and the Fire Department did not receive another hit until the ninth inning.
Yordan Alvarez, who hit two homers against the Mets Wednesday in Houston, hit a three-run homer at Taillon in the third inning. For a stretch, Valdez retired 14 consecutive Yankees batters.
Three times in the last seven years, the Astros have eliminated the Yankees from the postseason, including the 2017 ALCS, won by the Astros in seven games. When it was revealed that the Astros were involved in a sign-robbery scandal that season, possibly robbing the Yankees of a World Series appearance, the Astros instantly became enemies of the state (New York). Jose Altuve was mocked before and during each baptism and responded with two doubles and a single.
Aaron Judge (right) and Aaron Hicks celebrate after the Yankees comeback victory. Robert Sabo Aaron Hicks watches his three-run homer that ties the game in the ninth inning of the Yankees comeback victory. NY Post: Charles Wenzelberg
It looked like the Astros would calm the crowd, but their bullpen made them come in. Pressly walked Stanton and Gleyber Torres to start the ninth inning and Hicks made his third home run of the season.
“Man, it feels amazing,” Hicks said. “When you come in contact with a ball, and you don’t even feel it and you know you’ve blushed well, especially in a situation like this, with two guys in front of me who put me at the base and went up a lot. and tying the game right there was huge. ”
After Jose Trevino made a single in the middle, Pressly was retired for Stanek, who put on Joey Gallo and then, with two outs, Stanek made the crucial mistake of leaving DJ LeMahieu.
This brought Judge to the plate. Stanek was left behind 3-0 and looked like he was throwing around the MLB home run leader. Judge was given the green light and drove the ball into the left field, sending Trevino home with the winning run and sending the Yankees dugout players to the field to attack Judge.
Three relievers – Lucas Luetge, Albert Abreu and Miguel Castro – threw 3 ¹ / ₃ goalless innings to allow the comeback to materialize and give the Yankees their ninth win of the season, first in baseball.
“Wow,” Judge said. “Just from the top down, just starting to get to the base, just go up to Hicks with a few guys at the base to tie him up. Just a lot of good baptisms around. I think [Stanton] I started, I can go through all the guys, every throw was important. Working one of the best closings in the game, working it on this place, and then Hicks coming in really well for us, that was very important. ”