Major League Baseball

How to win $1,000 on Yankees vs. Astros with FOX Super 6 Late Inning Challenge

Published Jul. 10, 2021 10:35 a.m. ET

By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports

The weekend before the MLB All-Star Game is a time of reflection.

For players, the last few games before the break are a chance to go all-out, knowing there’s a nice four-day respite from the hectic pace of the season on the horizon. For general managers focusing on the trade deadline at the end of July, the break is an opportunity to take stock of needs and whether a team will end up being a buyer or a seller.

The Astros and Yankees are certainly in different spots heading into this All-Star break. Houston is back in charge of the American League West, with a 4.5-game lead over the Oakland Athletics heading into play Saturday. The Astros — even without Justin Verlander at the top of the rotation — are a huge October threat.

The Yankees were supposed to be that as well when the season began. But New York has been the most maddening team of the first half, tripping and slumping with an inability to go on a run. The Bronx Bombers entered Saturday nine games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East and 3.5 games out of the AL's second wild-card position.

Enjoy Yankees vs. Astros on Saturday (7:15 p.m., FOX) from Minute Maid Park with the FOX Super 6 app. The pitching matchup couldn’t be better, with former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole going for New York against his former team and facing off against the Astros’ Zack Greinke.

If you answer all six questions in the MLB Late Inning Challenge correctly, you can win $1,000. It’s easy and free to play on your phone or mobile device.

Here are six things you should know about the Yankees and Astros.

1. Cole down

Yes, Cole is still the unquestioned ace of the Yankees. However, he has also been a reflection of the ordinary and how the Yankees fit that mold right now. Since May 17, Cole has pitched to a 3-3 record with a 4.37 ERA. The Yankees are 3-6 in those games and have lost three straight Cole starts, and he has gone less than six innings per start in those outings (5.81 average). The Yankees need a better Cole to get back in the race.

2. Greinke’s Achilles' heel

In 16 career starts against the Yankees, Greinke has thrown to a 5.14 ERA and a 4-4 mark. That ERA is the highest against any opponent in Greinke’s career. His 1.354 WHIP against New York is third-worst against any team in his career, ahead of his numbers against only Minnesota (1.438) and Boston (1.522).

3. Lone Star strength

The Astros have been great in the late innings. From the seventh inning on this year, Houston has an American League-best .786 OPS as a team. Houston’s 37 homers from the seventh inning on are third in the AL, and its .267 average is the best in the majors.

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4. Hard to handle

A few high-profile blown saves have given the image that the Yankees' bullpen is a mess. The truth is it isn’t. New York’s bullpen ERA of 3.48 ranks eighth in baseball entering the weekend, and it has helped opponents to a .216 average, best in the AL. The Yankees have a lot of flaws. Their bullpen has not been one of them.

5. Late-inning lightning

Yuli Gurriel, Kyle Tucker and Carlos Correa have been enormous for the Astros in late-game situations. Gurriel’s post-seventh-inning numbers are incredible, as he is hitting .400 with four homers, 22 RBIs and a 1.093 OPS. Tucker’s numbers are also impressive: .330, six homers, 15 RBIs and 1.010 OPS. Correa is a given at this point, but that doesn’t diminish the impressiveness of his .322 average, five homers, 13 RBIs and 1.008 OPS.

6. Make up your mind

Hal Steinbrenner has scoffed at the notion that the Yankees could ever be sellers at the trade deadline, but this weekend could make a lot of decisions clear. If New York finishes the first half 10 or more games out in the East, does it have the obligation to look at some moves and gear toward 2022? On the flipside, if the Yankees take two of three in Houston to wrap up a 4-2 road trip there and in Seattle, does that influence Brian Cashman’s mindset as we approach the deadline?

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