Houston @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 11, 2010 ) Houston 3, NY Yankees 4
Alex Rodriguez or no Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees just keep cruising along.
The Yankees might have to get by without the game’s highest-paid player for another day when they face the Houston Astros again on Saturday.
Rodriguez pulled himself from Thursday’s contest against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning with what was thought to be tightness in his right groin. An MRI revealed the injury to be tendinitis in his hip flexor.
The All-Star third baseman had surgery on the hip prior to last season and again in the offseason, though his current ailment is said to be unrelated. No timetable was given for his return, but the New York brass doesn’t seem to think it will be long before his return.
The Yankees managed to take out the Astros without their star in the series opener on Friday, earning a 4-3 win behind Andy Pettitte. Francisco Cervelli drove in a pair of runs and Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira each added an RBI as Houston’s three-game winning streak came to an end.
New York’s win pulled it to within one game of first place in the AL East as the Tampa Bay Rays lost on Friday. The Yankees have won seven of 10 this month.
Despite the loss on Friday, the Astros are still riding high with an 8-3 record in June after entering the month with a 17-34 mark. Rookie shortstop Tommy Manzella went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs on Friday and is 7-for-13 with five RBIs in his last four games.
A resurgent Javier Vazquez will take the mound for the Yankees on Saturday. The veteran right-hander was bumped from the rotation with an 8.10 ERA on May 12 but was dominant in his return on May 21, tossing six scoreless innings to earn a win against the Mets.
Vazquez got knocked around at Minnesota in his next start but has won his last two, allowing three runs in 14 total frames while striking out 16.
The Puerto Rico native has always been more comfortable against National League teams and received Cy Young votes with a 15-10 record and a 2.87 ERA for the Atlanta Braves last season. The Astros haven’t always been the best matchup, however, as Vazquez owns a 3-5 career mark with a 4.41 ERA in 13 starts.
Houston will counter with left-hander Wandy Rodriguez. Expected to be one of the anchors of the Astros rotation this season, Rodriguez has been plagued by inconsistency. The 31-year-old has allowed two earned runs or less five times in 12 starts but has gotten knocked the other seven times, posting a 7.41 ERA in those outings.
Rodriguez, who ranked in the top 10 in the NL with a 3.02 ERA in 2009, has made 17 career starts in interleague play - going 6-7 with a 4.79 ERA. He faced the Yankees once, allowing five runs in five innings to absorb a loss.