The Houston Astros head to the Bronx for a Thursday night matchup against the New York Yankees, first pitch set for 7:05 PM ET at Yankee Stadium on August 27. Hayden Wesneski gets the start for Houston against Gerrit Cole — a name every Astros fan knows well. This is a heavyweight regular-season clash between two AL franchises with deep postseason pedigrees, and with rosters this loaded, every game between these clubs carries weight. Catch it on Space City Home Network or KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2 if you're rolling with the Astros broadcast.

Astros vs. Yankees Starting Pitchers: Wesneski vs. Cole

Gerrit Cole is the story on the mound. The right-hander who once anchored Houston's rotation before signing with New York is now standing in the way of an Astros win in his own house. Cole at Yankee Stadium is as tough a road assignment as it gets in the American League, and Wesneski will need to match him inning for inning to give Houston a real shot.

Wesneski gets the call for the Astros. The right-hander has shown the ability to go deep into games and attack the strike zone, which is exactly what Houston needs when the lineup across the diamond is capable of doing serious damage. One big inning against him in that ballpark can change everything, so pitch efficiency and avoiding the big fly will be critical.

Houston Astros Lineup and Keys to Watch

Manager Joe Espada is rolling out a lineup built around some serious offensive firepower. Jeremy Peña leads things off at shortstop, followed immediately by Yordan Alvarez batting second — a presence in the middle of any order that no pitcher takes lightly. Isaac Paredes hits third, with Jose Altuve slotting in fourth. That 2-3-4 combination of Alvarez, Paredes, and Altuve gives Houston the kind of run-producing core that can do damage against anyone, including Cole.

Daulton Varsho handles center field and bats fifth, with Christian Walker at first base batting sixth. Yainer Diaz catches and hits seventh, Taylor Trammell is in left batting eighth, and rookie Cam Smith rounds out the order in right field.

Three Keys for the Astros on Thursday

• Keep Cole's pitch count climbing: The Astros need to work counts and grind at-bats. Making Cole throw deep into counts is the best strategy to get into that Yankees bullpen.
• Yordan Alvarez vs. Cole: This is the marquee individual matchup of the night. Alvarez is the kind of hitter who can single-handedly change a game, and Cole will be locked in trying to neutralize him.
• Wesneski's command in the early innings: Yankee Stadium has a short porch in right, and their lineup — with hitters like Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Austin Wells — can stack damage quickly. Wesneski cannot afford to fall behind hitters.

Astros at Yankees Prediction

This one figures to be a low-scoring, tense game. Cole is one of the better pitchers in the American League and he is at home, which tilts the advantage toward New York. Wesneski will need a clean outing and the Astros offense will need to manufacture at least one big inning to steal this one on the road. The Astros have the lineup to pull it off, but wins at Yankee Stadium against Cole are earned, not given. Lean Yankees, but do not count Houston out.