Astros at Yankees
The New York Yankees will try once again to solve Houston Astros pitching when the teams continue a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. The Yankees dropped a 5-3 decision in Tuesday's home opener, their fourth straight defeat to the Astros - including last October's wild-card game - and the latest in a long line of lackluster offensive showings.
Including the 3-0 loss to Houston in the playoffs, New York has scored a total of eight runs in the last six meetings and has produced more than three runs just once in a span of 11 encounters dating back to 2014. Cold temperatures and Astros ace Dallas Keuchel had something to do with Tuesday's combined four-hitter by Houston, which also took advantage of a throwing error by Yankees reliever Dellin Betances in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie before adding two more runs. "The personality of our team and strength of our team came out again like it did throughout last year," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. Collin McHugh will try to keep the New York hitters off balance as he opposes fellow right-hander Michael Pineda on Wednesday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ROOT Southwest (Houston), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (2015: 19-7, 3.89 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (2015: 12-10, 4.37)
McHugh finished second in the AL in wins behind Keuchel and is 30-16 in two seasons with Houston, all after going 0-8 to start his career with the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old went 10-2 with a 3.11 ERA after the All-Star break in 2015 and was 2-0 with a 1.88 mark against New York on the year. Current Yankees are a combined 9-for-63 with 24 strikeouts against McHugh.
Pineda established a career high in wins last year in his first full season since 2011. The Dominican Republic native has recorded 215 strikeouts against only 28 walks in two years with the Yankees but opponents hit .278 against him last year - the third-highest mark on New York's staff - and he served up 12 home runs in his final 11 starts. Pineda took a tough-luck loss after eight solid innings at Houston in June but was knocked around for five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Astros at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 26 in his return from a strained forearm.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees got all three runs Tuesday from the bottom of the order, as No. 8 hitter 2B Starlin Castro had a two-run double and No. 9 hitter SS Didi Gregorius smacked a solo homer.
2. Astros RH Luke Gregerson needed 10 pitches in a perfect ninth to get the save in the opener.
3. Houston has won nine of 14 regular-season meetings since the start of 2014 after opening 2-13 against the Yankees.