Yankees: Astros outfielder tries to intimidate NYY fans before showdown

For the first time since the 2019 ALCS, the New York Yankees will be facing off with the Houston Astros this week in the Bronx.

Though there won’t be quite as many fans in attendance as MLB was probably hoping for when they announced this schedule last year, 20% of Yankee Stadium can still cause 100% problems for the visiting Astros.

Remember how rowdy things got in ’19? Beers getting dumped on preening Houston fans who stood in the aisles begging for it like wrestling heels?

Expect that, but socially-distanced, with everyone displaying their vaccine cards for the camera as they rain chicken buckets down upon bandwagoners in Bregman shirseys and the tween girls Trevor Bauer harassed.

Don’t worry, though, Houston. Your players are coming to your city’s defense. And the more you boo them, the stronger they’ll get.

At least, according to … speedy outfielder Myles Straw? Huge part of the rivalry Myles Straw?

Astros OF Myles Straw punched back against Yankees fans.

Oh, no, MYLES STRAW said that?! OK, hold on, we’re going to have to reevaluate. Freaking out a little bit.

You might remember Straw from the 2019 ALCS, when he did not play at all, wasn’t on the roster, and probably enjoyed some Whataburger from a location kind of near Houston. Or perhaps you’ve watched some Astros games this year to scout the team, in which case you probably noticed Straw hitting .226 in 93 at-bats.

Come on. Is Houston really having that much trouble getting up for this series? Couldn’t get some comments from Lance McCullers Jr. talking about his curveball for the 1,000th time in the past few years? Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman couldn’t hold a dual trash-talking press conference where they both read off tiny slips of paper?

Perhaps Houston thought if they had Straw spout generic nonsense about how booing only makes the Astros stronger, Yankees fans wouldn’t notice just how bad Jose Altuve’s been since they banned the trash cans.

When Yankees-Astros gets going this week, it won’t be “playoff intensity.” It’ll be much harsher than that, considering the last time the Astros played a playoff game, it was in front of 50,000 empty seats in San Diego.

Fans were robbed of 162 chances to boo the Astros in 2020, and though the environment’s cooled down a bit, expect an encore performance Tuesday through Thursday in the Bronx.

Perhaps it’ll light a fire under Myles Straw.

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