No sweep for the Yankees in this one, the Houston Astros are one tough ballclub.
Houston launched four home runs to propel them to a 7-4 victory over the Yankees ,Thursday afternoon in the Bronx. The win for the Astros salvaged one game for them in this three-game series where they endured the wrath of the Yankees’ fan base.
With Chad Green on the mound in the 8th inning, Jose Altuve put Houston ahead for good with a three-run shot to left to make it 5-3. Altuve was loudly booed by the Yankee Stadium crowd throughout the three-game series. Catcher Martin Maldonado added the extra insurance for the Astros in the top of the ninth with a 2-run homer off Justin Wilson and extended their lead to 7-4.
The Yankees (16-15) had one last opportunity in their half of the ninth with the hottest bat in baseball at the plate and a runner on base. But Ryan Pressly was able to close the door for Houston (16-15) by getting Giancarlo Stanton to hit into a game-ending double play.
These two teams will match up again July 9-11, in Houston.
Gerrit Cole did what he could…
Cole wasn’t great, but even an average version of him is still a formidable opponent. The Yankees’ ace pitched seven innings while allowing five hits and two runs, and striking out four. Ultimately, the normally reliable bullpen for New York was unable to get the job done.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gleyber Torres led off with a single. A couple of batters later, with Aaron Hicks reaching base on an infield single to second, Torres noticed Houston in a shift defensive alignment against Hicks and, with no one covering third or home, ran around the bases and scored to make it a 5-4 Houston lead. It was as close as the Yankees would get.
With the Yankees up 3-2 in the top of the 7th, Yordan Álvarez pulled the Astros to within one with his second home run of the day off Cole, a solo shot to center.
In the bottom of the third, Stanton continued his hot hitting with a solo home run to right center. The blast gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead. For the third consecutive game Stanton hit a home run, right now he can do no wrong. The Astros evened the score in the top half of the fourth inning when Alvarez reached Cole for a 2-out second deck home run to right field.
Clint Frazier untied it for the Yankees in the bottom of the fourth with a home run to right, making it 3-1. The blast scored Frazier and Hicks who reached base earlier on an infield single.
Image: Kathy Willens / AP
