Javier becomes the “kryptonite” for the Yankees
By dint of hitting, the Yankees have become the collective leaders in home runs (160), runs scored (504) and runs batted in (479), statistics that show the productivity of their men with the wood in their hands.
But despite that powerful ability to do damage on offense, Dominican right-hander Cristian Javier, pitcher for the Houston Astros, has become the “kryptonite” of the Yankees and has dominated the bats in the lineup of the team led by Aaron Boone.
Javier took the mound on Thursday in the first of two games against the current leaders of the American League East Division, whom he limited to two hits and one walk in five episodes to continue his great performance in the current campaign.
Previously, Javier came out against the Yankees on June 25, when he completed seven innings of one-base-on-balls and 13 strikeouts, combining with compatriot Héctor Neris and closer Ryan Pressly to pitch a no-hit game.
In his two appearances against the Yankees, Javier has held this powerful lineup to an anemic .055 batting average, striking out 16 batters and allowing just one run.
The “Bronx Bombers”, as the Yankees players are popularly known, have run out of artillery against Javier, against whom they have fired just two hits in 36 official innings, one of them a home run, to score their only run in the 12 episodes he has pitched against them.
The key for Javier, who has given up five walks and struck out one batter in his two appearances against the Yankees, is that he has kept the mass of Boone’s lineup out of step.
The 25-year-old pitcher, a native of Santo Domingo, has not allowed major league home run leader (34) and American MVP candidate, Aaron Judge, to pass judgement on his pitches.
Javier has given Judge no hits in four at-bats, has given him one base on balls, has struck him out once and has struck him out twice.
Another Yankees man who has struggled with Javier is outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton.
The Most Valuable Player of the last All-Star Game has struck out all three times he has stepped to the plate in front of the Queretaro.
This dominance has also extended to Matt Carpenter (3-0), Gleyber Torres (5-0) Joey Gallo (4-0) and Anthony Rizzo (6-1).
The Yankees’ best performance has come from middle infielder DJ LeMahieu, who is batting 2-1 (.500) with a homer, homer, run scored and run batted in and has also picked up two base on balls.
Javier, who came away with a no decision in a 3-2 win on Thursday, is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his two starts against the Yankees.
But the most important of all is that the right-hander has contributed to his team coming out on top in his two duels against the New York team. EFE
