Yanks take season series over Astros behind another stellar Sevy start

Coming off their MLB leading fifth win after trailing in the eighth inning, the Yankees looked to take the rubber game against the Houston Astros. Luis Severino looked primed to continue his incredible start to the season against the Astros, coming off a complete game shutout back in Houston. The teams traded leads to begin the night but broke the game open in the sixth off a Gary Sanchez single. The Bombers would tack on a few more runs and never look back as they won their second series against the reigning world champs this year.

 (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Bombers started off fast scoring in the first inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton, giving the Yanks a 1-0 lead. The ball was ticketed for the gap but Jake Marisnick made a great play to limit the damage.  Severino came out firing, striking out three straight Astros, and retiring the first 11 batters he faced. Sevy seemed ready to pick up where he left off in Houston and dominated the potent Astros lineup. He continued to stay hot, striking out seven through three innings.

Stanton continued to not only produce against lefty pitchers but also against Keuchel, rifling another hard-hit ball in his second at-bat of the game for a single. It may have just been a one-run lead, but it felt like the home team was in control, only allowing one baserunner through four innings.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

That feel changed in a hurry, as Astros backup catcher Max Stassi launched a deep two-run home run to left center to give Houston a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. The Yankees came back to threaten in the bottom of the inning, after an Austin Romine single and a two-out bloop single for Aaron Judge put runners on the corners for Stanton. The left fielder walked to load the bases after battling back from a 0-2 count, bringing up the struggling but dangerous Sanchez.

THAT'S THE WAY, EL GARY 🐙@Yankees back in the lead on The Kraken's 2-run single!#YANKSonYES LIVE stream:https://t.co/60oFgWeW3w pic.twitter.com/POuCuV7Nkp

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 31, 2018

Sanchez fought through an 0-2 count of his own and poked a ball through the shift for a two-run single to retake the lead 3-2. Severino continued his solid outing, averaging about 15 pitches per inning through six despite allowing two runs.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Bombers weren’t done, after a leadoff double by rookie phenom Gleyber Torres; Didi Gregorius ripped a single to left field to add on another run and ending Keuchel’s day after 106 pitches. Collin McHugh came in to face Miguel Andujar with no outs and a man on first, but he couldn’t limit the damage, allowing another run off a left field single by Aaron Hicks to increase the Yanks lead to three.

The Astros threatened again in the seventh inning, with runners on first and second with two outs, but Severino again showed his dominance, picking up a clutch full-count strikeout to secure the lead. That would end the young ace’s day with seven innings pitched, two runs, and a whopping 11 strikeouts. David Robertson would come in to relieve him before the eighth inning.

Robertson shut down the Astros in four batters to preserve the New York lead. The Yankees would bring out Aroldis Chapman for the save in the ninth. The fire-throwing closer didn't make it easy, allowing a one-out RBI double before blowing by George Springer to secure the save and a 5-2 Yankee victory.

 (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Severino probably considers this game as an off night for him, only because his standards are so high, but he did more than enough to get the job done. The young righty continued his AL Cy Young push carving he was up and down the Astros lineup only allowing one hard-hit ball throughout his outing. With all the talk of the Yankees starting pitching woes, Severino has been stellar this season, placing himself as one of the best pitchers in the league, and you can tell he knows it, as he oozes with confidence on the mound.

After stealing a game last night, the Yankees produced another statement win to secure the series win against the Astros. This victory also gave the Yanks the season win against Houston and with both teams likely battling with the Red Sox for the best record in baseball, could provide a final tiebreaker for the Bombers late in the fall. 

This team has proven it can win in almost anyway you can think of, as they seem to have a different set of heroes every night. The depth on this team is ridiculous and is only going to get better as the year goes on, and they’ve proven they are one of the best if not the best team in baseball heading into the long summer months.

What's Next:

The Yankees now start a stretch of 11 straight road games beginning with a three-game set in Baltimore tomorrow night against the Orioles. The Yankees send out the up and down Sonny Gray (3-4 5.98 ERA) to face off against righty Andrew Cashner (2-6 5.07 ERA). The last time the Yankees faced their division rivals was all the way back in April when they dropped three out of four at home during their mediocre start to the season. The teams have gone in opposite directions since then, and the Yankees would love to roll through Baltimore as they chase down the Red Sox for the division lead.

Winning Pitcher: Luis Severino (8-1) 7 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 11 K, BB, 2.31 ERA

Losing Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel (3-7) 5 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 7 K, 3 BB, 3.65 ERA

Save: Aroldis Chapman (12)

Notables:

Gary Sanchez: 1-3 2 RBI (35) BB

Didi Gregorius: 1-4 RBI (35)

Giancarlo Stanton: 1-2 RBI (29) SF BB

Aaron Judge: 2-4 R

Article by: Maxx Hotton

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