NEW YORK -- Times Square will have to wait. There will be no time for a Broadway show. And don’t even think about a relaxing stroll through Central Park.
The Astros will be all business during a weeklong stay in New York City, which begins Tuesday with a three-game series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx before they shift to Queens to face the Mets at Citi Field beginning Friday.
“I talked about this with the guys, we have to concentrate on that it’s just another series,” Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez said. “We can’t be thinking about, ‘It’s the Yankees, it’s the Mets.’ We’re just thinking about going out there and contributing the way we can and looking at the next couple of series like any other series.”
The Astros and Yankees have been one of baseball’s most heated rivalries for more than a decade, mainly because the clubs have met four times in the postseason since 2015. Houston won all four of those meetings, winning the 2015 AL Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium before beating the Bronx Bombers in the ALCS in 2017, 2019 and 2022. The Yankees are 16-7 against Houston since 2023.
Both teams are battling for playoff positioning. The Yankees are on the heels of the Rays in the AL East race, and the Astros are trying to hold off the Rangers and Mariners in the AL West. Perhaps there will be another October clash between the Astros and Yankees, and this week’s series should have some playoff vibes.
Here are some storylines to watch while the Astros are in the Big Apple:
The schedule gets tougher
The Astros couldn’t take advantage of what should have been a soft spot in their schedule, going a disappointing 3-6 during a nine-game homestand against three AL West teams who have sub-.500 records. As a result, Houston (65-66) comes to New York a half-game back of the Rangers (the Astros own the tiebreaker).
Five of the Astros’ next six series (16 of the next 19 games) come against teams who are in the playoff chase, which may not be entirely bad news for Houston. The Astros are 19-14 against teams currently with a .500 record or better and 46-52 against teams at or below .500.
In fact, 19 of the Astros’ final 31 games come against teams that are currently either in a postseason spot (16 games) or within two games entering Tuesday. That includes 10 against teams currently in first place -- White Sox, Rays and Braves.
“I know we’re playing some good teams, but we are one of those good teams, as well, and that’s what we’ve got to do -- continue to score, play good defense and pitch, and we’ll be good,” Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said.
Alvarez takes Triple Crown pursuit to New York
The AL Player of the Month for July, Alvarez’s bat has cooled off in August, but he still entered Tuesday leading the AL in all three Triple Crown categories – batting average (.320), home runs (36) and RBIs (90).
Alvarez, who has a career 1.133 OPS in 75 career regular-season plate appearances at Yankee Stadium with nine home runs, has already set the club’s single-season record for intentional walks with 28, including three in Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the A’s.
Considering the struggles of the Astros’ offense, Alvarez may get intentionally walked even more in the coming weeks.
“It’s good for me and the team to get a man on base, and also it’s a little bit frustrating not to be able to contribute offensively the way I know I can contribute to the team,” he said on Sunday.
How will Astros fare against Yankees pitching?
Yankees starting pitchers have the best ERA in the Major Leagues, entering Monday at 3.35, while ranking third in strikeout rate (25.1%). This will be a big test for an Astros offense that has struggled for much of August (.687 OPS, 4.0 runs per game).
Yankees starters have allowed two runs or fewer in 21 of the last 24 starts, including one run or fewer in 16 of those starts. The good news for the Astros is it appears they will avoid Cam Schlittler and Carlos Rodón, but getting Will Warren (8-6, 4.43 ERA) on Tuesday and Gerrit Cole (7-6, 3.11) on Thursday are tough tests.
The Astros will counter with rookie Ethan Pecko (No. 9 prospect making his second Major League start on Tuesday), Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski. The pitching matchup should tilt in the Yankees’ favor each day.