HOUSTON – The last time he was in the Minute Maid Park visiting clubhouse, an emotional CC Sabathia vowed to return to the Yankees and “see this thing through’’ to a World Series.
Six months after losing Games 6 and 7 to the eventual world champion Astros, the Yankees return to Houston on Monday night, riding a nine-game winning streak and believing they’ll be a tough out again this October.
“This is a good team, I think the chemistry on this team, starting with last year, is really good,’’ Sabathia said. “I’m excited about what’s to come for this team.’’
Here's a look at what's ahead:
Pitching matchups
Here’s how they set up for this four-game series:
Monday: RHP Sonny Gray (1-1, 7.71) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (3-0, 1.86)
Tuesday: LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-0, 3.76) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (4-0, 1.36)
Wednesday: RHP Luis Severino (4-1, 2.61) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-4, 4.00)
Thursday: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (4-2, 4.37) vs. RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (4-1, 3.71)
“Obviously, the offense is a big story for us, but we’re not doing this without the starting pitching we’ve been getting,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
“They’ve, for the most part, been consistent, and then turning it over to our bullpen which is starting to find a good groove.’’
Yankees' winning streak
This is the Yankees’ first nine-game winning streak since 2012, when they compiled a 10-game streak in June. And they’re coming off their first road sweep of the Angels since July 2003, a period which culminated in landing Aaron Boone, the player, at the trade deadline.
“Is there’s extra juice’’ for this series? Maybe,’’ Boone said. “We understand how good of a club they are, and (the Yankees) went through an epic series with them.
“I’m sure in the course of a season there’s those days that give you a little more of a jolt, knowing you’re up against a team that you’ve had some amazing battles with and a team you know you’re going to have to go through to get to where you (want).’’
Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez
Gary Sanchez’s monstrous two-run shot in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Anaheim was his 60th career home run, the second-most all-time through 201 games behind Aaron Judge’s 62 career homers.
All eight of Sanchez’s last hits have been for extra-bases. “Only other player I saw hit a ball over the bullpens was A-Rod,’’ Sabathia said of where Sanchez’s ball landed Sunday night.
Judge wound up striking out 10 times against the Angels this past weekend, tying Alex Rodriguez’s franchise record for the most in a three-game series. A-Rod’s 10 Ks were also at Anaheim, in 2006.
On the way back
Tyler Austin is eligible to return Tuesday, when his four-game MLB suspension ends. The Yankees have been playing with a two-man bench since Friday, with switch-hitting Neil Walker playing daily at first base.
Brandon Drury (migraines, blurred vision) is progressing during his rehab at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and it’s possible he could be activated as early as this series at Houston. But how much of third base is he going to play with rookie Miguel Andujar tearing it up?
No Gerrit Cole
Having pursued Gerrit Cole this offseason, only to see him go from Pittsburgh to Houston via trade, the Yankees will miss the right-hander who is pitching to a 1.73 ERA through six starts and leading the AL in strikeouts.
After the Astros landed Cole over the winter, Houston manager A.J. Hinch “called me the next day, and I said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ ’’ Boone said with a laugh.
Meanwhile, Gray has had a shaky start for the Yanks and could be paired again with Austin Romine, with Sanchez possibly used as the DH on Monday.
As for missing out on a potential difference-maker in Cole, “that’s the nature of the baseball winter, and the Hot Stove and all that,’’ Boone said.
“(Houston) ended up paying a price that the Pirates liked more and obviously got a really good pitcher who’s throwing the ball really well. But our focus is on our guys.’’
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