Astros at Yankees (Game 2)
Rain forced the New York Yankees to turn Derek Jeter Night into an all-day baseball extravaganza, as the squad will honor one of their all-time greats in the midst of a doubleheader against the visiting Houston Astros on Sunday. Jeter, the franchise's hit king and a five-time World Series champion, will have his No. 2 retired and a plaque placed in his honor on Monument Park prior to the nightcap.
Before that, the teams will play the makeup game from Saturday's postponement, as the Yankees try to slow down an Astros squad that has won five in a row after two straight victories to open the series. Former New York catcher Brian McCann slugged a three-run homer to lead the way in Friday's 5-1 win, which marked the sixth consecutive game in which MLB-leading Houston had held an opponent to three runs or fewer. The Yankees have dropped three in a row following their dominant 20-5 stretch. The twinbill is a single-admission event and the Jeter ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m., with the second game to follow.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Charlie Morton (4-2, 3.63 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (5-1, 4.36)
Morton allowed one earned run in each of his last two starts and has 25 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings over his last three outings. The New Jersey native kept the ball in the park in five of his last six outings, although opponents do have nine doubles and a triple in that span. Morton, 33, faced the Yankees just one time in his 10-year career, but he's seen plenty of Starlin Castro (12-for-27, three homers against Morton) and Matt Holliday (8-for-31).
Tanaka won each of his last five starts to push his career record to 44-17, allowing three earned runs on a season-high 10 hits in seven innings at Cincinnati his last time out. He allowed three home runs over his last two starts after giving up just one over his previous four outings. The 28-year-old owns a 6.89 ERA in three career meetings with Houston and both Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are 4-for-9 against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Houston's 25-11 record is its best ever after 36 games.
2. Astros CF George Springer has an 11-game hitting streak, although he has just one hit in each of the last seven affairs.
3. Yankees closer LH Aroldis Chapman allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings over his last two appearances.