Boone: Yankees will 'show up' if Astros matchup happens in playoffs

The New York Yankees' struggles against the Houston Astros continued on Thursday when they were swept during a doubleheader at Minute Maid Park to begin the second half of the 2022 campaign.

"The narrative's not going to change until you beat them in the playoffs, if that day comes," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said afterward, courtesy of YES Network. "We beat them four out of six last year ... where did that get us?

"I understand it's a big story, I understand the season we're in. It's not going to matter (until) October. If we happen to come back here in October, we're going to show up. We're going to expect to win. We think we're really good, they're really good. Don't overstate this."

The Astros have eliminated the Yankees twice in the postseason since 2017 and own a 5-2 record against them this season. The Bronx Bombers' two victories came at Yankee Stadium thanks to late comebacks.

Houston pushed its record to 61-32 and is 2.5 games back of the Yankees for the best record in the American League following Thursday's wins.

"It's definitely news to watch us play each other," Giancarlo Stanton said, according to The Associated Press. "But at the end of the day, we've got to stay ahead of them for home-field (advantage), and every game is important. But there's obviously a bit more spice on these games."