Dusty Baker is not the reason why the Astros lost to the Yankees last night. But his late-game decision-making might have prevented an Astros win.
The Astros entered the bottom of the ninth with a three-run lead, successfully handing the game to their All-Star closer. With a 2.41 ERA on the season, Ryan Pressly had converted 14 saves in 16 chances. He had allowed just one home run in 18 2⁄3 innings, yielding a remarkable 1.9 percent Barrel rate in the process.
Pitching in consecutive days for only the third time in 2022, the veteran righty looked off-kilter from the get-go, walking the first two batters he faced before serving up a three-run home run to Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks, who had a .