Getty Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a two RBI home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 07, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The New York Yankees try to avoid a three-game sweep when they visit the Houston Astros on Wednesday night and their star catcher Gary Sanchez will get a full day off.
Gary Sanchez leads the Yankees with six home runs and 11 RBI and he was 3-for-8 with a double and two RBIs in the first two games of this series.
Yankees Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Astros
1. Brett Gardner CF
2. Aaron Judge RF
3. Luke Voit DH
4. Gleyber Torres SS
5. Greg Bird 1B
6. DJ LeMahieu 3B
7. Clint Frazier LF
8. Austin Romine C
9. Tyler Wade 2B
SP James Paxton
Bench: Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela, Mike Tauchman
Bullpen: Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Stephen Tarpley, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green, Jonathan Holder, Tommy Kahnle, Luis Cessa, Joe Harvey
Left-hander James Paxton (1-1, 4.09 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) will make his third start for the Yankees. The team acquired him from the Mariners for a package of three players, including top-rated prospect Justus Sheffield.
Paxton went 11-6 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with two complete games and one shutout in 28 starts for the Mariners last season but injuries have been a concern for him, as the left-hander has been on the disabled list five times in the last three seasons; though he set a career-high with 160 1/3 innings and collected his first 200-strikeout season with 208 last year.
James Paxton allowed four earned runs on eight hits (one home run) with nine strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3 innings to get his first win with the Yankees in an 8-4 victory against the Orioles last Thursday and he was 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with 26 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings over four starts against the Astros last season.
The Yankees lost 6-3 last night after the Astros rallied in the eighth inning behind a George Springer two-run double and a Jose Altuve sacrifice fly to center. Chad Green took the loss after giving up three earned runs on two hits with no strikeouts and two walks in 2/3 of an inning. Gary Sanchez was one of the few bright spots for the Yankees, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the loss.
Tonight the Astros will give the ball to Collin McHugh (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), who posted a 2.08 ERA in 4 1/3 innings over two relief appearances against the Yankees last season.
McHugh gave up one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks over six innings to get his first win of the season in a 3-2 victory against the Athletics last Friday.
The Astros will be without star third baseman Alex Bregman, who is dealing with what manager A.J. Hinch describes as a “minor” hamstring injury. Bregman leads the team with a .341 batting average and he has one home run and three RBIs in 12 games this season.
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