Astros at Yankees
Two division leaders moving in totally opposite directions meet Saturday night when the slumping Houston Astros visit the red-hot New York Yankees for the third of a four-game set. The Yankees extended their winning streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory Friday as Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez each homered for the third straight contest while Houston has dropped six in a row - its longest losing streak since 2015.
Torres has knocked in nine runs in his last three contests and Sanchez is 9-for-23 with 12 RBIs during his six-game hitting streak for New York, which can tie the franchise record of 25 straight outings with a homer set in 1941 on Saturday. Masahiro Tanaka hopes to string three consecutive wins together when he takes the mound for the American League East-leading Yankees and the Astros counter with left-hander Wade Miley, who will try to help his team win its first road game since June 6. Houston, which still owns a healthy lead in the AL West, has been outscored 36-14 during its losing streak after going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position during Friday’s setback. Former AL MVP Jose Altuve had three hits in the latest loss for the Astros and is 4-for-9 with two runs scored in the series after going 0-for-4 in his first game back from injury Wednesday at Cincinnati.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Wade Miley (6-4, 3.30 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.23)
Miley failed to complete five innings for the second time in 15 starts Monday, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks over 4 1/3 frames in a loss at Cincinnati. The 32-year-old Louisiana native produced his best performance of the season in his previous start, limiting Baltimore to six hits across six scoreless innings. Edwin Encarnacion is 7-for-19 with three homers, two doubles and six RBIs versus Miley, who is 0-4 with a 5.86 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees.
Tanaka comes in after posting his first shutout of the season and the fourth of his career when he scattered a pair of hits over nine innings with 10 strikeouts in a win over Tampa Bay on Monday. The 30-year-old Japan native has struck out 84 and walked just 20 over 92 innings this season while registering a 2.83 ERA in nine starts at home in 2019. Alex Bregman is 3-for-6 with a homer against Tanaka, who permitted one run over six innings in a no-decision at Houston on April 8.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York OF Aaron Judge was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts out of the leadoff spot Friday in his first game since April 20 due to an oblique injury.
2. Houston activated C Max Stassi from the 10-day injured list and recalled LHP Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Round Rock.
3. Yankees OF Cameron Maybin suffered a calf injury in Friday’s contest and is likely on his way to the injured list.