Yankees - Astros@ Minute Maid Park
(3 games)
Interleague play starts up again this weekend as the Yankees travel to Houston to start a three-game series with the Astros. The last time these two teams met in the regular season was in 2003 when the Yanks took two out of three, the one game the Yanks lost was that no-hitter pitched by 6 Astros pitchers. This is the first time the Yanks will play a regular season game at Minute Maid Park. The Yankees did help open the park with an exhibition game on March 30, 2000, a game the Astros won 6-5.
The Yankees just took two out of three from the Oakland A's and are in 3rd place in the AL East, 7 games behind 1st place Boston, and 4.5 games behind Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race.
Houston comes into the series losers of 7 of their last 10, and 10 games out in the AL Central, tied for 4th. They're also 6.5 games behind Wild Card leading St. Louis Cardinals.
This series begins a stretch of 16 games in a row against NL teams.
MATCHUPS
Game 1 - Tonight @ 8:05 p.m.
TV: MY9, Radio: WCBS 880
Joba Chamberlain RHP (1-2, 2.67) vs. Shawn Chacon RHP (2-2, 4.96)
Game 2 - Tomorrow @ 7:05 p.m.
TV: YES, Radio: WCBS 880
Mike Mussina RHP (9-4, 3.82) vs. Wandy Rodriguez LHP (2-2, 1.99)
Game 3 - Sunday @ 2:05 p.m.
TV: YES, Radio: WCBS 880
Chien-Ming Wang RHP (7-2, 4.30) vs. Roy Oswalt RHP (5-6, 5.06)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Yankees - Jason Giambi: After a terrible April, Giambi has really been great. In May he hit .315 with 6 HR and 14 RBI, and he's been even better so far in June, hitting .364 with 4 HR, and 10 RBI. He did not have a good series in 2003 against the Astros, going just 2-for-10 with an RBI, that was the only time he's faced Houston in his career.
Giambi vs. Rodriguez: NR
Giambi vs. Oswalt: 0-for-1
Astros - Lance Berkman: "The Big Puma" has been one of the league's best hitters so far this season hitting .366 with 19 HR, 57 RBI, and an OPS of 1.171. He hit well against the Yankees in the series at Yankee Stadium back in 2003 going 4-for-11 (.364) with 1 HR, and 2 RBI.
Berkman vs. Chamberlain: NR
Berkman vs. Mussina: 1-for-2, BB
Berkman vs. Wang: NR
INJURY REPORT
- Ian Kennedy is on the 15-day DL with with a strained right lat muscle and bursitis under the right shoulder blade.
- Phil Hughes is out until at least August with a stress fracture of the rib.
- Brian Bruney is out with an injured foot, but could return after the All Star Game.
- Jonathan Albaladejo is out for the year with a stress fracture in his right elbow.
- Chris Britton is on the 15-day DL with a pulled right ribcage.
Astros:
- Felipe Paulino is on the DL with a pinched nerve in his arm.
2 Comments:
The real test here is how to get our three hottest hitters: Damon, Matsui, and Giambi, all of their atbats in all of these national league parks...
I wouldnt mind sitting Melky and throwing Damon in center, but if anything goes over Johnnys head in Minute Maid that runner is good as home... Matsui plays some choppy D in left too but his mantra of "quick release and accuracy is just as good as a cannon" on his throws seems to still work pretty well. Lets hope Joe makes the right calls..
I'd sit Melky tonight, then against the lefty tomorrow I'd sit Matsui, and I'd probably sit Melky again on Sunday.
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