HOUSTON — The Mets gave up on Collin McHugh. So did Colorado. But the Houston Astros, who seem to unearth nuggets from baseball’s scrap heap, discovered something in McHugh, a right-handed pitcher, that others did not.
The Yankees learned that on Sunday in a 3-1 loss in which McHugh was masterly, allowing just two singles over eight innings and forcing the Yankees to settle for a split of the teams’ four-game series.
McHugh (9-3), relying on his location and breaking pitches, consistently worked ahead in the count and retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced.