HOUSTON — When Brian McCann belted a first-inning grand slam, and Chris Young followed with a two-run homer an inning later, it seemed an embarrassment of riches for the Yankees with their ace, Masahiro Tanaka, on the mound.
But Tanaka, for the second straight start, no longer resembled an ace. By the end of the fifth inning, Tanaka was gone and so was the Yankees’ advantage.
Although the Yankees recovered to extract a 9-6 victory over the Houston Astros, thanks to Mark Teixeira’s two-run double and another shutdown performance by the back end of the bullpen, the team’s primary concern Saturday night was the condition of its most dynamic pitcher.