Series with Astros should be filled with intensity

NEW YORK — The Yankees have done a lot this year, but they haven’t played the Astros yet.

Outside of the Red Sox, the games against the Astros are undoubtedly the most heated ones on the Yankees’ schedule. With the Yankees returning home in the middle of the night after their last series in Tampa, manager Aaron Boone was asked if seeing the Astros could stimulate the team following their late-night travel.

“One of the cool things about Yankee Stadium, especially this year, we’ve had that juice,” Boone said. “I would certainly expect, coming off a road trip, we’ll walk out there tonight and they’ll be pretty energized.”

The Astros have established themselves as the American League’s clear second-best team. In a normal year, their 43-25 record would likely be enough to put them in position for the AL’S top seed. But the Yankees have played a brand of baseball that the Bronx hasn’t seen since the powerhouse 1998 team won 114 games, going 11-2 in the postseason on their way to a World Series championship.

Schmidt to Scranton: Clarke Schmidt was optioned back to Triple-a on Thursday morning.

Albert Abreu, the former Yankee who re-joined the team after being claimed off waivers from Kansas City on Tuesday, is back on the active roster. Fellow right-handed reliever David Mckay was traded to Tampa Bay for cash considerations after being designated for assignment on Tuesday. Boone spoke about the decision making process in demoting Schmidt.

Trevin-yes: In a world where hitting has become optional for most MLB catchers, Jose Trevino has put together a sly All-star case.

Over his last 25 games, the unheralded backstop is mashing .353/.408/.662. During that span, eight of his 24 hits have gone for extra bases, including six homers and one of just 12 triples by a catcher this year. For the season, Trevino is second among AL catchers in Wins Above Replacement. He trails only Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk, who has played in 15 more games.