Yankees (Except for Stanton & Thursday's 9th Inning) Need to Start Hitting Astros

I had a bad feeling about last night's game against the cheating Houston Astros. It was the game after an emotional victory, and that sometimes takes it out of the Yankees.. Furthermore, they were facing Justin Verlander, who, after missing most of 2 seasons due to injury, is back to full strength, and they've always had trouble with him.

Sure enough, Verlander -- whom Brian Cashman refused to trade for in 2017, making the all the difference in the American League Championship Series -- pitched 7 innings last night, allowing just 1 run. It was a home run by Giancarlo Stanton in the 6th inning. Other than that, Astro pitchers allowed just 4 hits.

In fact, all the game's scoring came in the 6th. Luis Severino was pitching very well until that point, but he allowed a double, a walk, and then a 3-run homer to Kyle Tucker. Ron Marinaccio pitched a perfect 7th, then needed Miguel Castro to bail him out in the 8th. Wandy Peralta pitched a perfect 9th. Again, Aaron Boone seemed to be holding out his best reliever, Clay Holmes, for the last 2 games of this series.

It didn't matter: The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the 7th, stranded men on 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the 8th, and stranded men on 1st and 2nd with 2 out in the 9th. Astros 3, Yankees 1. WP: Verlander (9-3). SV: Rafael Montero (5). LP: Severino (4-2).

The series continues this afternoon. Hopefully, the Yankees didn't use up all their non-Stanton hitting for the weekend in the 9th inning on Thursday night. Gerrit Cole starts against Cristian Javier.