It’s the start of the second half of the MLB season as the top two teams in the American League clash in the Lone Star State. The New York Yankees are on the road to start the home stretch of the season as they play the first game of a doubleheader in a one-day trip to face the Houston Astros Thursday afternoon. New York won the rubber game of their three-game home set with Boston Sunday as they rolled to a 13-2 victory. Houston dropped the rubber game of their weekend set with the lowly A’s as they fell 4-3 at home in the finale Sunday afternoon. The Astros lead the season series 3-2, including a 2-1 home victory in the most recent one-off matchup between the teams back on June 30.
New York bounced back from an extra-inning loss in the opener of their set with Boston by outscoring the Red Sox 27-3 in the final two games to take the series. The Yankees enter the second half of the season with a massive 13-game lead over the Rays for the top spot in the AL East. On Sunday, DJ LeMahieu (three runs, two RBI) and Tim Locastro (two runs, two RBI) each had three hits while Aaron Hicks (run, two RBI) along with Aaron Judge (two runs, RBI) both added a pair. Joey Gallo (his 11th) and Locastro (his second) each homered in the victory. Gerrit Cole (9-2) earned the win on the mound as he threw seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts before turning things over to the bullpen.
The Yankees have yet to name an official starter for this contest but the expectation is that Jameson Taillon will get the call for his 19th start of the sea son here. He comes in 10-2 with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.126 WHIP, 12 walks and 82 strikeouts over 100.1 innings of work on the year. Taillon earned the win in his last start, which came against the Red Sox at home Saturday. He threw six innings, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and five strikeouts in a 14-1 New York victory. In his last three starts, Taillon is 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, one walk, 13 strikeouts and he’s allowed six homers over 16.1 innings of work. Taillon makes his fourth career start against the Astros in this contest. He is 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA, a 1.017 WHIP, three walks and 15 strikeouts over 19.2 innings of work against them. Taillon didn’t factor in the decision in his lone career start at Minute Maid Park, which came on July 11, 2021. He threw six innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a game the Yankees eventually lost 8-7.