Astros at Yankees
The New York Yankees used a quick-strike offense to get the jump on many opponents last year, and they have already put that strategy to work in 2016. The Yankees will look for another fast start on Thursday afternoon when they take on the visiting Houston Astros in the rubber game of a season-opening three-game set.
A six-run rally in the first inning gave New York - which led the majors with 125 runs in the opening frame last year - a springboard to a 16-6 rout of the Astros on Wednesday. Newcomer Starlin Castro later homered for the Yankees and has seven RBIs already, making him the fourth New York player ever (Tino Martinez, Yogi Berra and Babe Ruth are the others) to record that many through the first two games of a season. The Yankees' explosive effort overshadowed a two-homer night for Houston shortstop Carlos Correa, who has three long balls in the series. The 21-year-old has 25 homers in 101 career games and is 3-for-7 against Nathan Eovaldi, who gets the start Wednesday for the hosts.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT Southwest (Houston), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Mike Fiers (2015: 7-10, 3.69 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Nathan Eovaldi (2015: 14-3, 4.20)
Fiers came to Houston in a trade with Milwaukee at the deadline last year and gave the Astros a solid stretch run, which included a 10-strikeout no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 21. The 30-year-old, who has 408 strikeouts in 404 career innings, has never faced New York, but Yankees third baseman Chase Headley is 3-for-3 against him. Fiers was reached for 12 earned runs in 22 innings this spring.
Eovaldi boasted the best winning percentage in the American League despite pedestrian numbers in most categories. His best start came at home against Houston on Aug. 24, when he tossed eight scoreless innings to help the Yankees to a 1-0 win. The 26-year-old, a native of Houston, was 5-1 with a 3.22 ERA in 13 home starts last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York DH Alex Rodriguez is hitless in 20 at-bats over his last six games against Houston, including the wild-card game in October.
2. Astros CF Carlos Gomez is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts on the season.
3. Yankees SS Didi Gregorius is 4-for-8 with a home run through the first two games.