Even sitting at 51-18, the biggest criticism of the Yankees — whether fair or not — has been to question the level of competition they’ve beaten. To say nothing of their most recent 7-2 stretch against the Rays, Blue Jays, and Rays again, I think we can discard any notion of facing weak opponents after this four-game marquee matchup against the Astros — the only other AL team above 40 wins and clear second-best team in the league. Tonight is the date that many of us had circled as the truest litmus test of the first half, and I can’t wait to get it started.
New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros: Jameson Taillon vs. Framber Valdez
