austin wells did not start behind the plate Sunday afternoon against the Houston Astros, with J.C. Escarra taking over at catcher for the Yankees’ series finale. The move gave Wells a rest after he helped win Saturday night’s game, and it came during an eight-game run that had New York outscoring opponents 48-14.
Escarra Starts for Yankees
Escarra got the start as Aaron Boone went with a rested catcher for the finale. Wells had delivered the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning Saturday night and later added an RBI single in the ninth, finishing with two RBIs.
That kind of output fit the stretch New York was carrying into Sunday. The Yankees were 18-9 and had not won nine consecutive games since early 2022, so even a routine lineup change carried weight inside a run that had already pushed the club through eight straight victories.
Stanton Stays Out
Giancarlo Stanton remained out of the lineup while being evaluated for right calf tightness, leaving the Yankees without another regular in the middle of the order. Boone still had Luis Gil lined up to start, and Gil was coming off his strongest performance of the year against Boston.
The pitching side had been the steadier part of the stretch. Yankees starters had allowed two or fewer runs in each of the last eight starts, surrendering seven earned runs across 54 innings, and New York took that form into a matchup with Spencer Arrighetti on the Houston side.
Yankees Push for Nine
Sunday gave New York a chance to reach nine consecutive wins for the first time since early 2022. With Wells sitting and Escarra starting, the Yankees were managing one spot in the lineup while trying to keep the streak moving through another division test.
For Wells, the day off followed a game in which he drove in two runs and kept his season line moving in the right direction, with more walks than strikeouts after Saturday night. For the Yankees, the immediate task was simpler: keep the run going without losing the rhythm that had carried them through the week.
