HURTS ’STRO BAD
FRAZIER HOMERS IN DEBUT BUT YANKS BLOW IT LATE
HOUSTON — Even the analyticalical minds that sspit out statistical information ababout everything have not found a way to attach more weight to certain losses.
All losses councount the same in the standings, butbu there is no way to measure whawhat something like the shocking dedefeat suffered by the Yankees on Saturday does to the colcollective psypsyche of a ballclub.
Six oouts away from beating the Astross and putputting themselves in po sp os it ions it ion to sweep the best team iin the AmeAmerican League on SundaSunday,ay, the YankeesY watched Dellinn BetancesBetance melt down to the popointoint manamanager Joe Girardi had too hook himhim.
TheThenn they sasaw Aroldis Chapmanman ggive up a ttwo-run double to fellow Cuban YYuli Gurriel that lifted tthe Astros to a 7-6 victory in front ofo 41,010 at Minute Maid Park.
“It’s hard. You have to bounce back aand win a series [Sunday],” GirardGirardi said in an office away from a clubhouse so quiet you c could “That’s hear somethingthe rats burp. we have struggled to do lately, aand we got a chance to do it against a very good team. We hhad a chance to do it [Saturday]urday] and weren’t able to close the dodoor, so we have to find a way to do it tomorrow.”
The Yankees’ 13th loss in 18 games dropped them to 43-36 and twtwo lengths back of the AL East-leleading Red Sox. It is the YankeYankees’ largest deficit since they wwere two out April 24.
AcroAcross seven innings, the Yankeeskees ppainted a “Mona Lisa.” Didi GregoGregorius’ first career grand slam highlighted a five-run sixth, when the Yankees erased a 2-0 Astros lead. In his first big league game, Clint Frazier doubled and scored in the sixth and homered in the seventh. Jordan Montgomery allowed three runs in 5 ¹ /3 innings and was in line for his fifth straight victory, and Chad Green supplied 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Then the warts began to surface in the middle of the beautiful painting, and by the time Girardi removed Betances, he had given up three walks and a homer and watched the Astros swipe three bases.
“My breaking ball, not throwing it for strikes is what hurt me the last couple of times,” said Betances, who was charged with a blown save and a loss Tuesday against the White Sox when he gave up two runs and a hit and walked two in two-thirds of an inning. He was saddled with Saturday’s defeat.
After pinch-hitter Aaron Judge and Frazier fouled out in the life ninth, by hittingBrett Gardnerthe o“ball in providedthe leftcenter-field gap. Thinking he had a chance to make second and put the potential tying run in scoring position, Gardner rounded first very aggressively before realizing he would have been out at second after left fielder Josh Reddick cut the ball off. He threw to shortstop Carlos Correa and he fired to first to get a retreating Gardner for the final out of a loss that cut a lot deeper than most.