Yank Youngsters Pepper Astros. Jhony Brito Shuts the Door. NY 5 Houston 4

September 3, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0
Everson Pereira singles in a run in the 5th -- the eventual game winner.

Yankee youngsters Oswald Peraza, Austin Wells, Everson Pereira, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Anthony Volpe peppered the Houston Astros for 4 runs, Aaron Judge hit his 31st homer, and Jhonny Brito came out of the pen to Shut the Door with 3.2 shutout innings as NY beat the Astros 5-4 on a Saturday night in Houston.

Luis Severino started for NY and gave up two 2-run homers in 4 innings, coughing up early 2-0 and 3-2 Yankee leads.

But the Yank youngsters came back with 2 runs in the 5th to retake the lead 5-4, and after that it was all Jhony Brito with help from Wandy Peralta in the 8th and Clay Holmes in the 9th.

“Man he was great,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Brito. “Pounding the zone. I thought his sinker was really good tonite. And then mixing in his other stuff. He was on the attack; he was in the zone; he was dictating counts; he was efficient. He goes out there for the 8th, gives up the leadoff hit, then puts the next guy on the ground for a huge double play to get (Alex) Bregman out there. Just a really, really impressive outing.”

NY improves to 67-69 and are now 8.5 behind the last Wild Card spot. Houston drops to 77-60, currently holding a Wild Card spot and a game behind Seattle for 1st place in the Western Division.

1. Yank Youngsters Jump Out to 2-0 Lead

Hunter Brown started for the Astros, coming into the game with a 10-9 4.47 record. NY got to him in the top of the 2nd — a leadoff single by Giancarlo Stanton, walk by Anthony Volpe, and 1-out walk by Everson Periera loaded the bases with 1 out.

Oswald Peraza — who would go 3 for 4 on the day — singled to center for a 1-0 NY lead.

‘Veteran’ youngster Oswaldo Cabrera then walked for force in a run and make it 2-0 NY, before DJ LeMahieu grounded into a DP to end the inning.

Cabrera has been one of the disappointments this year for NY, which penciled him in with Aaron Hicks for left field. Cabrera was batting in the .180s when he was sent back to the minors in August. Since coming back he has quietly raised his average back to .212 (.279 OBP). Cabrera was playing 3rd base in this game, with Peraza at 2nd. Gleyber Torres was a late scratch after tweaking his lower back.

2. Judge HR #31

Luis Severino immediately coughed up the 2-0 lead by walking Jose Abreu to lead off the bottom of the 2nd, and allowing a 2-run homer to leftfielder Michael Brantley to tie the game.

Aaron Judge answered back with a 428-foot BOMB to right center to lead off the 3rd and it was NY 3 Houston 2.

3. Severino Gives Up 2 Long Balls

But in the 4th, Severino coughed up the lead again — allowing a 1-out single to Brantley and a 2-run homer to right center by Yanier Diaz. Houston 4 NY 3.

Severino didn’t pitch that badly against the tough Houston lineup — who continued to foul off pitches against him all night, driving up his pitch count.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Severino afterwards about the Houston lineup. “They have (Michael) Bradley back whose been an unbelievable hitter his whole career. So, they’re really good. I was just trying to do my best, try to make good pitches, and continue to compete.”

4. Yank Youngsters Jump Back on Top

But the Yankee Youngsters came right back.

Aaron Judge walked to lead of the 5th, and Jasson Dominguez grounded into a fielder’s choice — but an error by 2nd baseman Mauricio Dubon allowed everyone to be safe and Judge to get to 3rd.

Houston relieved Brown with Phil Baton — who struck out Giancarlo Stanton but walked Anthony Volpe to load the bases.

Austin Well then hit a CLUTCH sac fly to center on a 1-2 pitch to tie the game 4-4.

Everson Periera singled to center to put NY up 5-4.

5. Brito Shuts the Door

And that would be it for the scoring.

Severino was at 104 pitches through 4 innings, so Jhony Brito came in to pitch the 5th — and was simply brilliant.

Brito:

  • Pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th — ground out, fly out, fly out. He was helped by Anthony Volpe on the first groundout — who made a Derek Jeter-esque jump throw from the hole at shortstop.

“I don’t know if I expected it to be this good. But it is,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Volpe’s defense.

  • Pitched a shutout 6th — single, ground ball double play, fly out.
  • Pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th — line out to 2nd, line out to shortstop, strike out.
  • Allowed a leadoff single in the 8th, but got a ground ball double play.

Wandy Peralta relieved Brito with 2 outs and nobody on in the 8th to pitch to the lefty power hitter Yordon Alvarez, the Yanks hanging on to the 5-4 lead. Wandy hit Alvarez with a pitch, but then got the dangerous lefty Kyle Tucker to fly out.

6. Holmes Locks the Door

To the bottom of 9th and Clay Holmes — NY holding the precarious 5-4 lead.

Holmes got Jose Abreu and Michael Brantley to hit into ground outs, and then got Yanier Diaz to hit a comebacker to him, that he couldn’t handle. Diaz reached on the infield single.

Here we go again — thought many Yankee fans no doubt.

But Holmes went 1-2 on Jon Singleton and struck him out with a 97-MPH sinker for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401473051

 

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