Tampa, Fla., March 7, 2016; Houston 1, Yankees 0 — Back in the days when the world stage was dominated by just two global powers; one of them, Russia, or the USSR, loved to show off its military prowess and armament on one day: May Day. If there was one thing a Yankee fan could be happy about on Monday afternoon following the team’s loss to Houston, it was the display of power arms, so many on one day.
Likely to comprise 2/5ths of the team’s 2016 starting rotation, Michael Pineda (two innings) and Luis Severino (three) got the game going by throwing five innings of scoreless ball. Each righthander gave up two hits, each struck out three Astros hitters, each averaged 14 pitches an inning.
The next two frames, though more of a challenge, were even more exciting, as they featured the first game action of two of the three shutdown relievers at the back of the Yankee bullpen. Southpaw and 2015 closer Andrew Miller got two quick outs in the sixth, then garnered a swinging strike out following a single and a five-pitch walk.
Dellin Betances’s seventh inning was unfortunately somewhat affected by late-inning defensive replacements as, following an opening strike out, center fielder Lane Adams, in for Jacoby Ellsbury, ran well into left center after Max Stassi’s long drive. It appeared the ball would have been an easier play For left fielder Cesar Puello, who was largely relegated to watching as it evaded Adams and caromed off the wall.
It was a double, and when Andrew Aplin pulled an 0-1 pitch just over the first base bag, the game’s lone run scored. Betances recovered to record a strike out and a fly to right, but it was 1-0, Houston.
As it turned out, Vinnie Pestano and Jacob Lindgren retired the next six Astros batters, but that would be no cure for the malaise the Yankee offense demonstrated. The Bombers notched one lone hit in four of the first seven innings.
The second frame had showed some promise as Brian McCann stroked the first of two line hits down the left field line against the overshift, but center fielder Jake Marisnick made a fine running grab on Starlin Castro’s sinking liner and, following a walk, Houston turned a 6-4-3 against speedy shortstop Jorge Mateo.
And this foreshadowed what would befall the Yanks in their only other chance. Chris Parmalee doubled to left center to start the bottom of the ninth, then stayed put as Carlos Corporan, who has shown no stick at all, meekly popped to short center.
Tyler Wade beat our an infield single up the middle, with pinch runner Dustin Fowler crossing to third with one down. But Puello’s sharp bouncer to third became a 5-4-3, and the game was over.
Still, it was another brilliant day. And the Yankee display of arms would rival anything 20 century Russia showed off on …
May Day
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!