Astros romp in the Bronx, beat Yanks 9-1
NEW YORK — Carlos Corporan homered among his four hits and drove in four runs, Brandon Barnes three hits and three RBIs, and the Houston Astros fit comfortably into the role of a slugging American League squad Monday night in a 9-1 romp over the New York Yankees.
In their first game in the Bronx as an AL team, the Astros peppered Andy Pettitte for 10 hits and seven runs, both season highs for the lefty. Barnes and Corporan had two-run doubles and Barnes added an RBI single and a double. Barnes and Corporan each set career highs for hits and RBIs.
Houston bounced back from a four-game sweep in Boston with an enthusiastic win over the Yankees, who had just taken four straight from Toronto.
The Astros had 17 hits in improving the AL’s worst record to 8-18 and scored its first five runs with two outs.
Lucas Harrell (3-2) kept New York grounded. The Yankees did not hit the ball in the air against the sinkerballer until Brett Gardner blooped a single to left field with one out in the sixth — eliciting a mock cheer from those that remained from the announced crowd of 34,262 on a dank night. Harrell got 14 groundball outs, and he induced three double plays in the first four innings.
In 6 1-3 innings, the right-hander gave up eight hits, hit a batter and walked one. He struck out four and had one fly out. Harrell has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his six starts.
The youngest roster in the majors, checking in at 27 years, 224 days, beat the oldest in baseball at 31 years, 155 days, according to STATS, for just the second time in 10 matchups all-time. In their only other win, six Astros combined on a no-hitter at Yankee Stadium in 2003.
Pitching against the only other team he ever played for and working with rookie catcher Austin Romine for the first time, Pettitte (3-2) looked uncomfortable throughout. He frequently adjusted his uniform, at times pitched from the stretch with no one on base and even once had to wave several times to get Romine’s attention when he wanted a new baseball.
Pettitte got two quick outs to start but then gave up three straight hits, including an RBI single to Carlos Pena, a walk and then a two-run double to Corporan.
Barnes hit his two-out, two-run double in the fourth to make it 5-0. The Astros chased Pettitte, who briskly walked off the field, after Ronny Cedeno doubled to put runners on second and third with one out.
Adam Warren came on and threw a wild pitch to score a run. Then when Corporan connected for his first of the year four pitches later, a two-run shot that right fielder Brennan Boesch barely moved on, a fan in a nearly silent Yankee Stadium shouted “mercy rule,” eliciting laughter. Barnes drove in one more in the fifth with a single to make it 9-0.
Pettitte yielded his most hits since Sept. 24, 2010, against Boston. It’s also the most runs since the Red Sox scored seven in that game.
Vernon Wells had an RBI single on a sharp grounder to right field off Harrell in the sixth.
NOTES: Yankees GM Brian Cashman was out of his walking boot. He broke his right leg and dislocated the ankle while skydiving during spring training. ... Astros RHP Brad Peacock (1-3) is being taken out of the starting rotation. Peacock gave up five runs on six hits in 3 2-3 innings against the Red Sox on Saturday. Manager Bo Porter said he wants to put Peacock in a position to be successful. He also expects Peacock to return to the rotation. Porter did not announce a starter for Thursday against Detroit. ... Houston reliever Josh Fields out since April 8 with a right forearm strain should be ready for a rehabilitation assignment soon.