Astros lead series 3-1.

Q. What’s the level of concern for the safety of some of your outfielders playing here and have you or the organization addressed this or mentioned this to Major League Baseball perhaps?
AJ HINCH: I went out on the field the other day I wanted the umpires to know that it was becoming a dangerous situation. Our guys have reported both in the bullpen and in the outfield, you could see the stuff thrown on the field. There’s no place for that. Both teams will agree. And it’s really hard to stop fans from doing that. But it’s also very dangerous. MLB is aware. We’re aware.

I will pull the team off the field if we get in that situation again where bottles are being thrown and balls are being thrown and it becomes unruly. There’s other ways to support your home team, and this place does as good a job as anybody to trying to police that while also trying to create an environment that’s all pro Yankees. It would be a very ugly scene for baseball, a very ugly seen for the Yankees, if one of our guys was hit by something from the upper deck. Something tragic could happen and nobody wants that.

Brett Gardner walks with bases loaded in 1st. 1-0 Yankees

George Springer hits three-run homer in 3rd. 3-1 Astros.

https://www.mlb.com/athletics/press-release/press-release-ed-sprague-promoted-to-director-of-player-development

Ed Sprague Promoted to Director of Player Development

Keith Lieppman to serve 50th season with A’s as Special Advisor to Player Development

• OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s announced today that Ed Sprague has been promoted to Director of Player Development, and Keith Lieppman, who is entering his 50th season with the organization, will transition to Special Advisor to Player Development.

“The A’s are forever indebted to Keith for his leadership and his efforts on behalf of our Player Development department,” said A’s General Manager David Forst. “Keith has had an immeasurable role in every success our organization has had in the last five decades. He will remain very much involved in Player Development through this advisory role.”

“Ed Sprague brings to his new role as Director of Player Development a wealth of knowledge developed over his career as a player, coach, instructor, and administrator,” said Forst. “Ed takes the helm of a farm system that has produced Rookies of the Year, Cy Young Award winners, and MVPs in Oakland. We have confidence that, under his leadership, Player Development will continue that run of success.”

Entering his fifth season with the A’s, Sprague will transition from Assistant Director of Player Development & Coordinator of On-Field Analytics to Director of Player Development. He previously served the A’s as Instruction Coordinator from 2016-18. He will now oversee the development and evaluation of players throughout the A’s farm system, which consistently ranks among the best in the game. He will also coordinate field instruction for the entire minor league system.

Sprague previously served as head coach at the University of Pacific from 2004-15, during which time his teams posted an overall record of 250-406. During his tenure, 21 of his players were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, with multiple players currently active in the professional ranks. He guided Pacific to one of the best seasons in program history in 2010, finishing with a 31-23 overall record that included a new program record of 31 victories over Division I opponents. In addition to his on-field success, he spearheaded the campaign to build an on-campus home field for the Tigers, with Klein Family Field opening on April 18, 2006.

After being drafted by Toronto in the first round of the 1988 draft out of Stanford, Sprague played 11 years in the Major Leagues with the Blue Jays, A’s, Pirates, Padres, Red Sox, and Mariners. He was an integral part of the Blue Jays teams that won back-to-back World Series in 1992-93 and was named a National League All-Star in 1999 with the Pirates.

Sprague and his wife Kristen reside in Lodi, Calif. They have four children: daughters Payton and Paris, and sons Jed and John.

Keith Lieppman will enter his 50th year with the A’s, including the last 28 years as Director of Player Development. Lieppman’s gilded reputation as one of baseball’s finest personnel executives was further amplified in 2010 when he received the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award from Minor League Baseball for “distinguished service and being instrumental in player development” during his career.

Lieppman has managed at all levels of the A’s minor league system, beginning in Modesto in 1980 and most recently with the Triple-A Tacoma Tigers from 1985-87. He also managed the Licey Tigres of the Dominican Winter League in 1986. He began his baseball career in 1971 as a minor league player for the A’s.

Keith is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism. He resides in Prescott, Ariz., with his wife Corinne.

POSTSEASON W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO

2019: 0-2 8.38 2 2 9.2 12 9 9 1 11

CAREER: 3-6 4.58 13 13 76.2 72 42 39 16 70

LAST START – 2019 ALCS Game 1 vs. NYY: started Game 1 of the ALCS in Houston and took the loss despite tossing a quality start…gave up 3 runs on 7 hits (2 homers) over 6.0 innings pitched…struck out 6 with no walks…marked his most innings pitched in a postseason game since Game 5 of the 2015 NLDS vs. NYM (6.2IP)…suffered his 4th-consecutive losing decision in the postseason.

• took the ball in Game 1 of a postseason series for the 3rd time in his career…also Game 1 of the 2013 NLCS at STL and Game 1 of the 2011 NLCS vs. STL.

GREINKE IN THE POSTSEASON: the 6-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner is set to make his 14th-career start in the postseason, and his 3rd of the 2019 postseason.

• started Game 3 of the ALDS at TB and Game 1 of the ALCS vs. NYY.

• prior to 2019, all 11 of his postseason appearances had come as a member of the National League.

IN THE LCS: is starting his 6th career game in the League Championship Series…started Games 1 and 5 of the 2011 NLCS vs. STL while with the Brewers, and Games 1 and 5 of the 2013 NLCS vs. STL while with the Dodgers.

• has allowed 3 earned runs-or-fewer in each of his last 4 LCS starts (since 2011), going 1-2 with a 3.04 ERA (9ER/26.2IP) in those games.

RHP Masahiro Tanaka

2019 POSTSEASON: Is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA (11.0IP, 1ER) in two postseason starts in 2019…earned the win in the Yankees’ 8-2 victory in ALDS Game 2 vs. Minnesota on 10/5 at Yankee Stadium (5.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 1BB, 7K, 1HP)…allowed his only run on an RBI single to Mitch Garver in the fourth.

CAREER POSTSEASON: In seven career postseason starts (two in 2019, one in 2018, three in 2017, one in 2015), is 5-2 with a 1.32 ERA (41.0IP, 21H, 6ER, 9BB, 36K, 3HR)… has the Majors’ second-lowest postseason ERA among starting pitchers (min. 7GS) since earned runs became an official stat in 1912, trailing only Sandy Koufax (0.95)… is fifth-lowest among all pitchers with at least 40.0IP, trailing Mariano Rivera (0.70), Koufax, Stephen Strasburg (1.10) and Christy Mathewson (1.13)…according to Elias, is the fi rst pitcher in Major League history to allow 2R-or-fewer in each of his first seven postseason starts, surpassing Sandy Koufax (first six starts from 1959-65)…has also allowed 4H-or-fewer in all seven.  Is the first pitcher to make a start in four consecutive Yankees postseasons since CC Sabathia started in four straight from 2009-12.  Has won each of his last four postseason starts (since 2017 ALCS Game 5), posting a 0.78 ERA (23.0IP, 2ER) in those games…is the fi rst Yankees pitcher to win four consecutive postseason starts since Andy Pettitte won four straight from 2009 ALCS Game 6 to 2010 ALDS Game 2…the last Yankees pitcher to win at least five consecutive postseason starts was Orlando Hernandez (1999 ALCS Game 5 to 2000 ALCS Game 6).  In three career ALCS starts (both against Houston), is 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA (19.0IP, 2ER) and 15K.  Earned the Yankees’ only win in the 2018 ALDS vs. Boston, allowing 1ER in 5.0IP (3H, 1BB, 4K, 1HR) in Game 2 at Fenway Park.  Was 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA (20.0IP, 10H, 2ER, 3BB, 18K, 0HR, 2WP) in three postseason starts in 2017…was the second-lowest ERA by a Yankees starter in a single postseason (min. 3GS), trailing only Waite Hoyt’s 0.00 ERA (27.0IP, 2R/0ER) in 1921…tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in both ALDS Game 3 vs. Cleveland and ALCS Game 5 vs. Houston…became the second Yankee to record two scoreless starts of at least 7.0IP within his fi rst four career postseason appearances (also Orlando Hernandez in 1998-99).  Took the loss in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game vs. Houston (5.0IP, 2ER).

Tanaka will make his eighth career postseason start in tonight’s ALCS Game 4 vs. Houston…the 30-year-old will pitch on regular four days’ rest…last started in ALCS Game 1 at Houston and earned the win, allowing only 1H over 6.0 shutout innings (1BB, 4K) )…went 11-9 in 32 games (31 starts) during the 2019 regular season, becoming the second pitcher in Yankees history to reach double-digit wins in each of his first six Major League seasons (also Andy Pettitte, who did it in each of his fi rst nine campaigns from 1995-2003)…is one of six pitchers with at least 10 wins in each of the last six seasons…is one of three pitchers in Yankees history to make at least 20 starts in each of his fi rst six Major League seasons, joining Fritz Peterson (first eight, 1966-73) and Andy Pettitte (first nine, 1995-2003)…the two-time AL All-Star (2014, ’19) earned the win in this year’s Midsummer Classic…is 75-43 (.636) in 164 career regular season games (163 starts), tied for the eighth-best winning percentage among active pitchers (min. 75 decisions)…his 4.74 career K/BB ratio (947K, 200BB) is the fourth-highest (min. 700.0IP) in the Modern Era (since 1900)…recorded his 900th career strikeout on 7/25 at Boston (J.D. Martinez swinging in the fourth)…has 174 career regular season wins between MLB (75) and NPB (99)…his 75 MLB wins are third-most among all Japan-born pitchers (Hideo Nomo-123, Hiroki Kuroda-79)…was acquired by the club via the posting system from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan and signed to a seven-year contract on 1/22/14…his contract runs through the 2020 season.