HOUSTON — If this was a hellish series for the Astros (thank you, rest in peace, for the words of the great Richard Lewis), the Yankees, who overcame injuries and illness in the season-opening set, left here for heaven in Arizona. They then defeated the hated Houston in four tough and tense games to take first place.
Of course, it’s just the beginning, but this was a magical weekend that set the tone for 162 games. The Yankees’ task was monumental, their opponents were formidable, and their health was only so-so (at best). Still, they passed the test.
New Yankees star Juan Soto (yes, it’s him again) hits the winning hit off former teammate Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth inning. He happened to be the hardest pitcher to hit in Major League history. Soto hit Hader’s 3-2 fastball over the left field to give Gleyber Torres an extra point and finished his first series in pinstripes with a batting average of .529, becoming the first player in his storied history to become a true He threatens to earn the honorary tag of “Yankee.” The Astros narrowly won 4-3.
“We just put an end to the series,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
It was a great metaphor because the weekend was a gift from the baseball gods. After three come-from-behind wins against teams that tormented them (and the rest of the league), the Yankees won another second-half bullpen battle with good glove work and a little luck. .
Astros star Yordan Alvarez had two on in the ninth inning and tried to go ahead with a liner to left, but it was an inch or two foul. (He said, “This is it.”) Alvarez followed with a flying out. Kyle Tucker hit a sinking liner that Verdugo managed to convert, securing a perfect 4-0 record for the Yankees.
If the Yankees look like a one- or two-man band (supersub Oswaldo Cabrera won the Lifetime Series with Soto’s heroics), that’s really unfair. They played without reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole (and seven others on injured reserve), but outperformed the Astros in every way imaginable. The duo of Soto and Cabrera took to the plate while Aaron Judge and others were warming up, and their pitching against a star-studded lineup was excellent, and their defense was mostly solid.
Rookie Jon Berti made a spectacular diving stop in the fateful ninth, converting Jose Altuve’s winning hit into an out, and Alvarez scoring a try of his own. And Soto, of course Soto, made a great running catch earlier.
They enjoy it, but they’re not crazy about it. This is also a positive sign.
“There’s energy. There’s excitement. … There’s a really good atmosphere in this clubhouse right now,” Yankees starter Clark Schmidt said.
After securing a lucky sweep, Verdugo celebrated after the final catch. However, given the results, the overall reaction seemed somewhat subdued. That may be because several members of the trip were feeling the negative effects of the Mexico City stop.
Anthony Volpe played the first three games through pain but had to sit out the final game, and Boone is still recovering. “It wasn’t the best five days, but shaking hands at the end definitely helped,” Boone said.
Regardless of the disparity in contributions, this was one of the best sweeps in recent memory. To be honest, Soto (and Cabrera) did most of the heavy lifting. And with the game on the line, Soto was lucky to step up to the plate again, and it’s no wonder he hit his second game-winning hit in two days.
“I always want to be on my feet in those situations. That’s the purpose of playing,” Soto said.
It took four days for the Astros crowd to finally understand that Soto was a man they couldn’t beat. Judge got the loudest boos ever when the series started, but by the end it was basically a dead heat with Soto, who would happily take on the role of Astros killer.
Soto has led the league in walks each year, but with the great Judge behind him, he could lead in hits. With two outs, Torres hits a single and steals second base, the bases are empty, but even though that batter was Soto and was hitting .500 at the time, he intentionally walked the batter in front of the judges. I don’t think there’s any coach out there with the guts to let him walk. Judge got off to a slow start (currently hitting .111), but Soto is unstoppable.
Judge said of Soto, “I don’t understand why anyone would pitch to that guy.” “But that’s why we put guys behind him, to make sure they have to pitch to him.”
This lineup will be a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
“This is just the beginning for us,” Verdugo said.
It certainly feels like that.
