The New York Yankees (19-10) have made their first shutdown of the season against the Houston Astros (20-11). At 4:0 in the minute Maid Park the bullpen had to jump into the press after Starting Pitcher Jordan Montgomery retired early.
After an inning and seven pitches, Montgomery had to quit. The left hand was replaced with pain in the elbow. More detailed investigations will follow on Wednesday in New York.
Domingo German took over for him for four innings (4h), then Chad Green, Dellin Betances, David Robertson and finally Closer Aroldis Chapman each pitched a shutout inning. And the first shutout of the season was also bitterly necessary, as Astros-Ace Justin Verlander had once again lost out.
The right-hander served eight shutout innings and managed 14 strikeouts in just three hits. He became the fourth pitcher in MLB history to score at least 14 strikeouts and no walk against the Yankees. The other three were Pedro Martinez (1999), Curt Schilling (1997) and Urban Shocker (1920).
But it wasn’t enough for Verlander and his Astros to win, because in the ninth inning Aaron Judge and Didi Gregorius reached the second and third bases per single and double with no out. Houston’s closer Ken Giles then struck Giancarlo Stanton but was less successful against Gary Sanchez. The wrestler hammered the first pitch he saw over the wall in Left-Center Field for a 3-Run-Homerun.
Previously there had been discussions on the mound whether Sanchez should be sent on base by intentional walk, as a less impressive hitter followed with Aaron Hicks. But they decided against it and were punished.
“I was ready to beat even if they had tumbled me,” Sanchez described his view of things in the ninth inning. “After I realized they wouldn’t walk me, I thought they’d throw me some uncomfortable pitches. I was looking for something to hit. And he left me something.” Giles called the slider he threw a “terrible pitch” that “deserved to be hit over the fence.
Giles, on the other hand, was so angry that he punched himself in the face. Afterwards he told reporters: “I blew a win. We should have won that game. But I didn’t give our team a chance. Of course I’m frustrated. This team deserves the best performance from everyone and they need the best version of me.”
This article was published without previous view by the Major League Baseball.