The New York Yankees squandered a three-run lead and unraveled in the eighth inning, falling 8-7 to the Houston Astros on Wednesday night at Daikin Park.
Giancarlo Stanton put New York on the board early with a towering solo homer in the second inning, followed by Austin Wells’ two-run shot in the fourth to make it 3-0. Starter Will Warren looked sharp through five innings, striking out four and limiting Houston to two runs before exiting in the sixth with a 4-2 advantage. Ryan McMahon added a sacrifice fly, but missed chances with runners in scoring position kept the Yankees from building a bigger cushion.
The bullpen faltered from there. Fernando Cruz allowed Houston to close the gap in the sixth, and Luke Weaver surrendered a game-tying single to Yordan Alvarez in the seventh. Things unraveled in the eighth when Devin Williams walked three batters to force in the go-ahead run, sparking his and manager Aaron Boone’s ejections. Camilo Doval compounded the damage with a balk, wild pitch, and RBI single as Houston surged ahead 8-4.
Cody Bellinger nearly rescued New York with a dramatic three-run homer in the ninth, cutting the deficit to one. But Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out looking on a pitch clearly off the plate to end the rally and seal the loss.Â
Box Score | AL East Standings | AL Wild Card Standings
The Yankees (77-62) look to bounce back and take two of three from the Astros (77-63) on Thursday at 7:40 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].