Game 125: Yankee vs. Astros

YANKEES (69-55)
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Chris Young LF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Beltran RF
Chase Headley 3B
John Ryan Murphy C
Didi Gregorius SS
Brendan Ryan 2B

RHP Ivan Nova (5-5, 3.72)
Nova vs. Astros

ASTROS (69-57)
Jose Altuve 2B
Jed Lowrie 3B
Carlos Correa SS
Colby Rasmus RF
Evan Gattis DH
Carlos Gomez CF
Luis Valbuena 1B
Marwin Gonzalez LF
Jason Castro C

LHP Dallas Keuchel (14-6, 2.37)
Keuchel vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., YES Network and MLB Network

WEATHER: Feels a little more hot and humid than it’s been in recent days. Maybe that’s just me, though.

UMPIRES: HP Eric Cooper, 1B Sam Holbrook, 2B Tripp Gibson, 3B Gabe Morales

IN THE STANDINGS: The Yankees enter this game tied with the Blue Jays for first place in the American League East. Each team is 69-55 at this point, tied for the second-best record in the American League and the fifth-best record in the Majors.

LEFTY KILLER: The only left-handed hitter on the Yankees’ roster who’s ever had a hit against Dallas Keuchel is Jacoby Ellsbury who’s 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a walk against him. The Yankees’ hitter who has the most experience against Keuchel is Chris Young who has a .353/.389/.588 slash line in 17 head-to-head at-bats.

ON THIS DATE: It was on August 25, 2011 that the Yankees became the first team to ever hit three grand slams in a single game. Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson each hit one en route to a 22-9 win. Jorge Posada made his first career appearance at second base that game and got the game’s final out on a ground ball.

UPDATE, 7:20 p.m.: Well, Nova got two quick outs and seemed to off to a terrific start. Then he walked a guy. Then Jacoby Ellsbury couldn’t make a diving catch on what turned into a triple. Then another walk. Then an RBI double. Suddenly it’s 2-0 Astros and Nova’s already thrown 25 pitches while getting just those two outs.

UPDATE, 7:24 p.m.: Man, the wheels have come thoroughly come off. Five runs. Still just two outs. That, by the way, is the same damage Chris Capuano did during that awful start in Texas.

UPDATE, 7:31 p.m.: Five runs on four hits and three walks, all with two outs in the first inning. Ellsbury probably should have let that ball drop in front of him for a single, but even if that had happened, Nova would still have needed to get that third out eventually. That inning just got completely out of hand. Nova’s already thrown 40 pitches. Now, here’s Dallas Keuchel.

UPDATE, 8:11 p.m.: This is predictable: Keuchel is having a good game so far.

UPDATE, 8:23 p.m.: Man, Teixeira really can’t run. Looked bad going to first on that 6-3 putout. Even without him being able to run, I might prefer the chance of a home run from Teixeira rather than the left-on-left at-bats by Bird.

UPDATE, 8:32 p.m.: Two-run homer for Gattis, and that’ll be all for Nova. He’s booed as he walks off the mound, and here comes Nick Rumbelow out of the bullpen.

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