When/where: Friday at 7:10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 6:10 p.m.; Minute Maid Park.
TV/radio: ATTSW on Friday and Saturday, ESPN on Sunday; 790 AM, 740 AM, 93.3 FM (Spanish), 1010 AM (Spanish).
Pitchers: Friday, RHP Justin Verlander (10-6, 3.06) vs. LHP Carlos Rodón (1-4, 5.97) ; Saturday, RHP Hunter Brown (10-9, 4.47) vs. RHP Luis Severino (4-8, 6.64); Sunday, RHP Cristian Javier (9-2, 4.66) vs. RHP Michael King (3-5, 2.96).
Astros (77-58) update: After completing a 5-1 road trip to Detroit and Boston with the franchise’s first sweep at Fenway Park, Houston enters September in a virtual tie with Seattle (76-57) atop the AL West, one game ahead of the reeling Rangers. … The Astros went 17-11 in August thanks in large part to an offense that is healthy and hot. Eight players had an OPS above .820 for the month, including Alex Bregman (.959), Jose Altuve (.952), Mauricio Dubón (.919), Yordan Alvarez (.900), Kyle Tucker (.898 with a team-best eight home runs and 25 RBIs), Yainer Diaz (.895), Jeremy Peña (.881) and Chas McCormick (.822). … Verlander’s 65-20 record in 107 regular-season Astros starts gives him a .765 winning percentage, second-highest since 1900 for any pitcher with one team (minimum 50 decisions). Zack Greinke had a .773 winning percentage in going 51-15 as a Dodger. After Verlander on the list are Pedro Martinez with the Red Sox (117-37, .760) and Roger Clemens with the Blue Jays (41-13, .759).
Yankees (65-69) update: This is hardly the team that reached last year’s AL Championship Series. Despite taking three of four games at Detroit before heading to Houston, New York has an uphill climb to avoid its first losing season since 1992. … The Yankees are 2-2 against the Astros this year, having split a series in the Bronx in early August. … Aaron Judge, whose OPS for the season is 1.004, is hitting only .214 over his last 30 games, during which his 22 hits include 10 home runs. He has just two hits in his last 24 at-bats (.083). … Gleyber Torres is about the only Yankee doing much hitting of late. He produced a .327/.410/.598 slash line for August with seven home runs. … Giancarlo Stanton is two home runs shy of becoming the 58th major leaguer to reach 400. Miguel Cabrera (510) and Nelson Cruz (464 but presently without a team) are on the only active players on the list. … 20-year-old Dominican outfielder Jasson Domínguez, rated as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, is expected to be called up Friday, when MLB rosters can expand to 28 players.
My Thoughts: Those last 2 wins in Detroit, combined with the sweep of the Red Sox, has me feeling that the Astros are starting to hit their stride. It’s not just the wins, but the improved play. With the addition of Brantley, we see a lineup with the type of length that championship teams of the past have had. We see Framber, Verlander, and France starting to shape up as stalwarts in the starting rotation. And as that has happened, we see the BP really stepping up. Now, here come the Yankees, the really struggling Yankees. I am hoping for a series win…2 wins. If the Astros get more than that, they will likely continue to make steps up the ladder in the standings. Let’s Go ‘Stros!!!
TV/radio: ATTSW on Friday and Saturday, ESPN on Sunday; 790 AM, 740 AM, 93.3 FM (Spanish), 1010 AM (Spanish).
Pitchers: Friday, RHP Justin Verlander (10-6, 3.06) vs. LHP Carlos Rodón (1-4, 5.97) ; Saturday, RHP Hunter Brown (10-9, 4.47) vs. RHP Luis Severino (4-8, 6.64); Sunday, RHP Cristian Javier (9-2, 4.66) vs. RHP Michael King (3-5, 2.96).
Astros (77-58) update: After completing a 5-1 road trip to Detroit and Boston with the franchise’s first sweep at Fenway Park, Houston enters September in a virtual tie with Seattle (76-57) atop the AL West, one game ahead of the reeling Rangers. … The Astros went 17-11 in August thanks in large part to an offense that is healthy and hot. Eight players had an OPS above .820 for the month, including Alex Bregman (.959), Jose Altuve (.952), Mauricio Dubón (.919), Yordan Alvarez (.900), Kyle Tucker (.898 with a team-best eight home runs and 25 RBIs), Yainer Diaz (.895), Jeremy Peña (.881) and Chas McCormick (.822). … Verlander’s 65-20 record in 107 regular-season Astros starts gives him a .765 winning percentage, second-highest since 1900 for any pitcher with one team (minimum 50 decisions). Zack Greinke had a .773 winning percentage in going 51-15 as a Dodger. After Verlander on the list are Pedro Martinez with the Red Sox (117-37, .760) and Roger Clemens with the Blue Jays (41-13, .759).
Yankees (65-69) update: This is hardly the team that reached last year’s AL Championship Series. Despite taking three of four games at Detroit before heading to Houston, New York has an uphill climb to avoid its first losing season since 1992. … The Yankees are 2-2 against the Astros this year, having split a series in the Bronx in early August. … Aaron Judge, whose OPS for the season is 1.004, is hitting only .214 over his last 30 games, during which his 22 hits include 10 home runs. He has just two hits in his last 24 at-bats (.083). … Gleyber Torres is about the only Yankee doing much hitting of late. He produced a .327/.410/.598 slash line for August with seven home runs. … Giancarlo Stanton is two home runs shy of becoming the 58th major leaguer to reach 400. Miguel Cabrera (510) and Nelson Cruz (464 but presently without a team) are on the only active players on the list. … 20-year-old Dominican outfielder Jasson Domínguez, rated as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, is expected to be called up Friday, when MLB rosters can expand to 28 players.
My Thoughts: Those last 2 wins in Detroit, combined with the sweep of the Red Sox, has me feeling that the Astros are starting to hit their stride. It’s not just the wins, but the improved play. With the addition of Brantley, we see a lineup with the type of length that championship teams of the past have had. We see Framber, Verlander, and France starting to shape up as stalwarts in the starting rotation. And as that has happened, we see the BP really stepping up. Now, here come the Yankees, the really struggling Yankees. I am hoping for a series win…2 wins. If the Astros get more than that, they will likely continue to make steps up the ladder in the standings. Let’s Go ‘Stros!!!
