Yankees at Astros
Justin Verlander looks to continue to his dominant start on the mound and help the Houston Astros extend their winning streak against the New York Yankees at home to eight games when the teams meet for the second of a four-game series Tuesday night. Carlos Correa recorded two hits and an RBI as the Astros earned a 2-1 victory Monday for their seventh straight win at Minute Maid Park versus the Yankees, including the playoffs.
Verlander is limiting opponents to a .153 batting average and owns four wins in his first six starts while Correa has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games and is 20-for-50 with nine RBIs in that span. Houston, which beat New York in seven games in the American League Championship series last year, has won three straight contests and ended the Yankees’ nine-game winning streak Monday after the Bronx Bombers had scored 64 times during their run. Brett Gardner had the only RBI for New York in Monday’s loss as the Yankees were held to three hits and struck out 14 times - 10 against starter Charlie Morton. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton whiffed three times in an 0-for-4 performance in the series opener after going 10-for-28 over the previous seven games with a homer and three RBIs.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH Jordan Montgomery (2-0, 3.76 ERA) vs. Astros RH Justin Verlander (4-0, 1.36)
Montgomery remained unbeaten in five starts after registering a no-decision last Thursday while holding Minnesota to two runs on five hits over five innings. The 25-year-old South Carolina native won his previous two starts against Toronto and Detroit, allowing four runs on nine hits combined across 12 innings with nine strikeouts and three walks. Correa is 4-for-6 with a homer versus Montgomery, who went 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in two starts against the Yankees as a rookie last year.
Verlander beat the Los Angeles Angels last time out by giving up two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts over seven innings, without allowing a walk, and has yielded two or fewer runs in five of six starts. The 35-year-old former AL MVP blanked three opponents for his other three victories, including six scoreless innings at the Chicago White Sox on April 20, and has joined Roger Clemens (2004) as the only pitchers in franchise history to win their first nine decisions. Didi Gregorius is 2-for-6 with a homer against Verlander, who is 6-7 with a 3.87 ERA in 18 career games versus the Yankees.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York rookie 2B Gleyber Torres has hit safely in seven of his first nine major league games, going 10-for-31 overall.
2. Houston 2B Jose Altuve needs one hit to pass Jimmy Wynn (1,291) for eighth on the franchise’s all-time list.
3. Yankees RF Aaron Judge did not start for the first time this season Monday, but walked as a pinch hitter.