By Rich Mancuso/ Sports Editor
Under normal circumstances a team that strikes out 17 times and commits five errors is likely not going to win a ballgame. But these are the New York Yankees and with a power lineup that has some in a struggle they still managed to win a thriller of sorts in the Bronx Tuesday night.
A thriller because they got away with a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Houston Astros. And the walk-off and winning hit came off the bat of Gleyber Torres who made two of those errors. But Torres, who was named AL Player of the week earlier in the day got his second career walk-of hit and the Yankees evened this three- game series at a game apiece.
This could be another preview of an eventual postgame series in October. The Yankees took three of four over the Astros last month in Houston and the finale between two of the top three teams in the American League is Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Torres came to bat after the other Yankees rookie, Miguel Andujar got a two-out double. From there it was Torres who stepped out of the box after his displeasure with a previous pitch that was called a strike.
“I just take a breathe and stay focused,” said Torres. He is a rookie but plays like a veteran and there never seems to be a moment when this youngster loses his composure. He comes right back and on a night when two errors could have cost the Yankees it was Torres the walk-off hero.
This again is impressive and the quick development of a rookie that is making this Yankees season in late May even more special. Andujar helps the Yankees cause, as does Aaron Judge, no longer the rookie, and Brett Gardner who has found the stroke and hit two home runs.
The second home run from Gardner, his fourth and sixth career multi-home run game, tied the score at 5-5 in the ninth inning. All of that led to the Torres and his dramatic hit in the 10th inning.
“A lot of guys made mistakes and continued to move on,” Manager Aaron Boone said after the win. “They are very consistent way they go about things,” he said about Andujat and Torres who worked their way up the ladder and started the season at Triple-A Scranton.
Boone added about his rookies, “Love to see them continue to fight through a couple of mistakes. They work very hard to be in the position to be here and impact our club and that’s what they have done.”
Gardner added to the Yankees MLB-best 13 multi- home run games which trails the 1996 Mariners with 14 for the most by any team in MLB history through their first 52 games of the season.
The Astros with a game lead over the Mariners in the Al West, have a struggling bullpen. Closer Ken Giles was not available and manager AJ Hinch went with Chris Devenski who threw the game tying home run ball to Gardner.
Jose Altuve, reigning AL MVP went 2-for-4 and has multiple hits in four of his last five games. He came into the game with the highest road average in baseball at .398.
But it was the Yankees who prevailed again and prevented starter Charlie Morton from recording his Major League best eighth win. Houston starters game into the game with a 2.48 ERA, best in baseball with a Major League high 41 quality starts.
Torres ,Anduar, and the rest of these Yankees, well they get a chance to take the series Wednesday evening with their ace 7-1 Luis Severino on the mound. But there is that possible meeting again in October between these two premiere teams and the stakes will be higher.
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