Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Lose Both Games of Doubleheader Against Astros

The Yankees won't play the Astros again until a possible postseason matchup, going 2-5 against Houston in the regular season.

Max Goodman

In this story:

Houston, the Yankees have a problem.

New York might have the best record in baseball, jumping out to a huge lead in their division before the All-Star break, but they've haven't been able to figure out the Astros all year long. 

Thursday was no exception.

Opening the second half of the season at Minute Maid Park, New York dropped both games of a doubleheader against Houston. 

After a pinch-hit single from Isiah Kiner-Falefa sent Game 1 to the bottom of the ninth in the afternoon, the Astros walked it off on an infield single off Yankees right-hander Michael King, winning 3-2.

The base hit, from rookie J.J. Matijevic, was weakly hit to the left side of the infield. With two outs and the bases loaded, Kiner-Falefa tried to go the short way from shortstop and get the force at second, but Gleyber Torres was shifted closer to the right-field line, nowhere near the bag.

In the nightcap, Domingo Germán struggled mightily in his season debut, returning from the 60-day injured list. The right-hander gave up five runs in three innings of work, digging the Yankees into a hole in a 7-5 loss.

New York made some noise late in this game as well. Aaron Judge obliterated a three-run home run in the top of the ninth and the Yankees had the tying run at the plate, but they still came up short.

Matt Carpenter ended the game with a double play.

Looking back on the season series, there wasn't a single pitch thrown over seven games where the Yankees had a lead. 

New York still managed to win two of those seven contests, both coming on walk-off hits from Judge: a single on June 23 (after Aaron Hicks' dramatic game-tying home run) and a game-winning three-run blast on June 26.

These teams appear to be on a crash course to face off once again in the postseason, likely in a rematch of the American League Championship Series from a few years ago. As of right now, Houston would be the favorite based on how they've matched up with the Yankees thus far in 2022.

New York can change that narrative by finishing the season strong and making some moves before next month's trade deadline. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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