Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 5/3

And just like that it is game time here in Houston, Texas between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. In this fourth and final game of their four-game set the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking for a win while Lance McCullers Jr. will look to keep the Astros where they finished the 2017 season, back on top of the baseball world. The game will be played at 2:10 pm ET inside Minute Maid Park and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, head to Cleveland with a collective smile on your faces and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 5/3

Good morning Yankees family. Today the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros will play their fourth and their final game of the set this week inside of Minute Maid Park. The pitching has been great on both sides as expected and today’s contest should be no different as the Yankees send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with the Astros starter and son of a former Yankee, Lance McCullers Jr.

Tanaka cruised past the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in his last start after the Yankees offense spotted him ten runs in the first two innings of work. Tanaka allowed a solo home run the start, imagine that, along with one other hits in six innings of work. Tanaka faced the Astros twice in the ALCS last season losing a game the Yankees could have taken in Game 1 before returning with a victory in Game 5.

McCullers Jr. has allowed just two runs in his last three starts combined as the Astros young star continues to blossom into a dominating starter around the league. In his last start McCullers Jr. threw seven shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics allowing just two hits after retiring each of the first 15 batters he faced to start the contest.

The game will be played at 2:10 pm ET inside Minute Mai Park in Houston and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB Network if you’re out of the Yankees network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, McCullers Jr. should follow in McCullers Sr. footsteps, and go Yankees!!

World Series Game Three Thread: Los Angeles Dodgers @ Houston Astros

Good evening everyone and welcome to Houston, the site of Game Three of the 2017 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first two games of this series were entertaining to say the least and I expect nothing less out of these two teams tonight and going forward over the next three games here inside Minute Maid Park. In Game Three the Dodgers will send Yu Darvish to the mound to face off with Lance McCullers Jr. The game will be played at 8:00 pm ET inside Minute Maid Park and can be seen on FOX.

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes and enjoy the game. I have been right on my predictions, as far as the winner and not so much the score, in the first two games so let’s make it three-for-three tonight.

Prediction: Dodgers win 6-4 

World Series Game Three Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers @ Houston Astros

Welcome to Houston, welcome to the land of the designated hitter and welcome back to the World Series as the Houston Astros and Minute Maid Park play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2017 World Series. The Dodgers and Astros split the two games out in Los Angeles after a couple of crazy games to kick off the World Series and much of the same is expected tonight in Houston for Game Three. In Game three of the series the Astros will send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound to face off with Yu Darvish, the first right-handed pitcher for the Dodgers to take the mound as a starter during this Fall Classic.

Darvish has been the Dodgers second best pitcher this postseason behind only Clayton Kershaw so every time the Japanese-born right-hander takes the mound you have to think that Los Angeles is confident that they are going to win. Darvish has made two starts in this postseason allowing just two runs while striking out 14. This will be the first time that Darvish pitches in the World Series though in his Major League career.

McCullers Jr.  was a hero for the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees where the right-hander threw four scoreless innings in the victory for Houston. McCullers pitched well in the ALCS overall throwing 10 innings and allowing just one run and three hits with nine strikeouts consistently keeping the Yankees bats down.

The game will be played at 8:00 pm ET inside Minute Maid Park in Houston and can be seen on FOX. Enjoy the game, and FYI my boycott of this year’s World Series is still going strong despite my feelings of missing baseball. I just can’t stomach to see the Astros in the World Series after the Yankees were so close to making it, it’s nothing personal to them. Oh, and I’m not the biggest fan of Yankees haters like Joe Buck but I feel like I’m not alone in that sentiment. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 6/30

The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros are set to kick off their three-game weekend set here in a minute inside Minute Maid Park. How ironic. In the opener of this huge series the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to be "Big Mike" once again, at least for a night, while the Astros will counter with Lance McCullers Jr. The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars tonight by tuning into the WFAN broadcast featuring John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter by giving @GreedyStripes a follow and enjoy the game. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 6/30

You know the world of Major League Baseball, much like your real life, has a funny way of figuring itself out sometimes. The last team the New York Yankees want to presumably see right now is the best team in the American League, the Houston Astros, but that is exactly who they will square off with this weekend inside Minute Maid Park. The Astros, like the Yankees, are injured right now across the board but Houston remains atop the power rankings among the league and atop the American League West Division so given the Yankees recent struggles this could be a tough weekend. Or the Yankees, on the flip side, could use this as motivation to bring their “A” games and sweep the Astros, because baseball. In the opener the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to do just that while the Astros will counter with Lance McCullers Jr.

Pineda has been rocky to say the least in his last three starts putting up a combined 0-1 record with an ERA touching 7.47. Not a typo, 7.47 ERA in his last three starts. In those three starts Pineda has a combined 15.2 innings pitched as well showing that the Yankees righty isn't missing any bats and isn't going deep into games either. He will have to do both tonight against the Houston Astros.

McCullers Jr.  was sharp in his last start against the Seattle Mariners allowing just one run in five innings of work. That start marked the first time McCullers had been on the mound since coming off the disabled list while tonight will mark the second time that McCullers has seen the Yankees in 2017. In his first start against New York on May 12 the Astros right tossed six shutout innings in a victory for the Astros.

The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Minute Maid Park in Houston and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game and go Yankees!!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros 5/12

Here we go again, game time in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. Let’s get to it inside Yankee Stadium as a pair of young and exciting pitchers take the mound in the contest tonight. The Yankees will send rookie Jordan Montgomery to the mound to square off with Lance McCullers Jr. of the Houston Astros. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV while you can also follow along on the radio and in your car by tuning into WFAN.

Follow us on twitter and interact with us all season long by giving @GreedyStripes a follow. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros 5/12

The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros are back at it again with the second game of their four-game extended weekend set in the Bronx. TGIF and Happy Friday everyone. In tonight’s contest the Yankees will send rookie Jordan Montgomery to the mound looking to slow down a Houston Astros offense that has pushed the team to their best start in their franchise’s history while the Astros will counter with Lance McCullers Jr., another young pitcher and son of former Yankees pitcher Lance McCullers. This should be a good one and has all the makings and potential of being a glimpse into the future of this rivalry. Enjoy.

Jordan Montgomery will make his sixth start of the young 2017 season and of his career after posting quality starts in three of his first five starts. In his last start against the Chicago Cubs the Yankees young lefty went a career-long 6.2 innings allowing just two runs in a victory for New York. Montgomery is getting stronger, better and more comfortable with every start it seems and there’s no reason to believe that won’t continue tonight in the Bronx against the Houston Astros.

Lance McCullers Jr. has been a Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. McCullers Jr. all season long, especially when you look at his home and away splits. McCullers has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.08 ERA at home inside Minute Maid Park this season while on the road the right has posted an 0-1 record with a 5.51 ERA.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 in New York and MLB TV wherever you and your device are. You can also follow along with the game inside your cars or on the radio by tuning into Mr. and Mrs. Baseball, John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, on WFAN. Enjoy the game and as always, Go Yankees!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 7/27

One more time in Houston and the Yankees head back to the East Coast. Let’s get this one over with as the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros finish off their three-game set this week inside Minute Maid Park with tonight’s finale. In the finale the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros. The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Minute Maid Park and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees head to Tampa after this game giving you plenty of time to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog and plenty of time to secure your seat in the Bronx for when the team returns to Yankee Stadium. Also be sure to look the part by checking out the TGP T-Shirts section as well. We’re no Bald Vinny but we’re doing okay with it I think.

Follow us on Twitter by giving @GreedyStripes a follow or like us on Facebook to interact during this and every Yankees game this season. Also stay up to date with all the latest Yankees rumors and rumblings with some witty, and sometimes (always) sarcastic commentary, on social media as well. We’re always around and always looking to strike up a conversation.

Happy Tanaka Day Yankees fans. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 7/27

The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros will finish off their three game set tonight in Houston with yet another great pitching matchup for the fans. Tonight in the finale the Yankees will send their ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking for a series victory while the Astros will counter with Lance McCullers Jr. The Yankees have had a good week after getting the haul that they did Aroldis Chapman and after beating Dallas Keuchel on the same night and they will look to keep the good times rolling tonight inside Minute Maid Park.

Tanaka will be making his first start against these Astros since Opening Day 2016 where he allowed two runs in a loss for New York. In the start Tanaka struck out four batters in 5.2 innings and took a no-decision in the contest.

McCullers heads into this start arguably off the best performance of his young MLB career. In his last start Friday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the Astros righty tossed eight-plus innings while striking out ten in a 2-1 Houston victory.

The game will be played at 8:10 pm ET inside Minute Maid Park and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. With an off day looming tomorrow and one more series with the Tampa Bay Rays before the August 1^st trading deadline you have to wonder if the Yankees will get caught looking ahead a bit tonight in Houston. This is still a veteran team with their ace and stopper on the mound though so I’m hoping for the best. Go Yankees!

Yankees Asked for Lance McCullers Jr. from Houston

The New York Yankees made it clear that they were willing to move three key players from the Yankees 2015 squad, Brett Gardner, Ivan Nova and Andrew Miller. While the team's GM Brian Cashman was also more than willing to hold onto these three men, especially Miller, he acknowledged that the team could be blown away in a potential trade offer for a young starting pitcher with less than three years of service time. For a good example of this we look to MLB Trade Rumors who announced that the Yankees asked for Houston Astros rookie Lance McCullers Jr. in a potential trade for Andrew Miller.

Miller was the American League's best relief pitcher in 2015 which was evident by him winning the Mariano Rivera Award for the AL so it makes sense for the team to ask for the sky for Miller. He has three years remaining on a pretty team friendly deal at this point and is coming off a year where he was nearly perfect closing out games for the Yankees. Obviously the deal never went through and the Astros instead went to Ken Giles of the Philadelphia Phillies for their relief help but this goes to show you, and I'm speaking directly to those "Why isn't Brian Cashman doing anything" and the "sky is falling" fans, that Cashman IS trying to make the team better. He is.

McCullers is a 22-year old right-handed starting pitcher that would have looked especially good in Yankees pinstripes in 2016. He wouldn't be a free agent until after the 2021 season after going through the arbitration process and posted a 6-7 record with a 3.22 ERA (3.26 FIP) in 2015. The sky is the limit for McCullers and he would have been a welcomed addition to the Yankees young starting rotation. Maybe next time.