NEW YORK — Yordan Alvarez and Jon Singleton hit long home runs in the first inning for the Houston Astros, who defeated the New York Yankees 4-3 on Thursday night to avoid being swept in the season series.
Alvarez, who was 3-for-32 with no homers in his previous nine games on Thursday, hit a solo shot from Marcus Stroman (2-2) into the second deck in right field measured at 116.8 mph.
“When he hit, he looked at the dugout (as if) saying, ‘Hey, I’m coming,’” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “And we know he’s coming and we can’t wait for him to get here.”
Alvarez helped lead the celebration in the dugout two batters later when Singleton hit a two-run home run off the facade along the third deck in right field clocked at 115.4 mph. It was just the ninth time in Stroman’s career that he surrendered two home runs in one inning.
“Stroman is a good pitcher, he usually stays out of the middle of the plate,” Singleton said. “He made a throw up the middle and that’s all I could have hoped for.”
Television cameras captured a wide-eyed Alvarez saying, “Wow!” as he leaned along the railing. Told of Alvarez’s reaction, Singleton smiled.
“That means I hit it really well,” Singleton said.
The Astros are the first team in the Statcast era (2015 to present) to hit two homers measured at 185 mph in the same inning. Home runs were the most hit balls against the Yankees this season.
Jeremy Peña had two hits, including an RBI single in the fifth inning, for the Astros, who were outscored 40-18 in the first six games of this season — all losses — against the Yankees, whom they defeated in the AL Championship Series in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Houston, whose 13-24 start is tied for the fifth-worst record in franchise history through 37 games, has never gone winless against an opponent in a season series that has lasted more than six games.
“That was a big win for us,” Peña said. “We needed that and we’re going to try to build on that.”
Anthony Volpe hit a two-run home run against Ronel Blanco (4-0) in the third, while Aaron Judge hit a 473-foot solo shot at 115.7 mph against Ryan Pressly in the eighth. According to Statcast, Thursday marks the first time that three homers measured at 115 mph or more have been hit in the same game.
Josh Hader retired Anthony Rizzo to trap Alex Verdugo in the leadoff to end the eighth and then worked around a leadoff single by Gleyber Torres in the ninth to earn his fourth save. It was the first time Hader recorded more than three strikeouts in a save since August 14, 2020.
Volpe had the Yankees’ only hit in 16 games with a runner on base.
“I loved how the guys kept scratching each other,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Blanco allowed four hits and walked four with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He threw a career-high 107 pitches — including 14 against Rizzo during a fourth-inning at-bat during which the Yankees first baseman fouled on 10 straight pitches before throwing an 86 mph changeup.
“My goal was for him not to get the free pass,” Blanco said through an interpreter. “He would have to hit me right there.”
Stroman gave up four runs and a season-high nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
“I can’t be down three in the first,” Stroman said. “I feel like I don’t give my team a chance when I do that.”
SMALLER MOVEMENT
The Yankees claimed RHP Colby White off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays and assigned him to Double-A Somerset. White, 25, has a 2.83 ERA in four minor league seasons but was 0-2 with a 17.61 ERA in nine games at Triple-A Durham before being designated for assignment last Friday. He was selected by the Rays in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: Pressly, who had been battling lower back pain, pitched for the first time since last Friday. … RHP Jose Urquidy (right forearm) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Sugar Lake. Manager Joe Espada said Urquidy will throw 60-65 shots. … RHP Cristian Javier (neck) will come off the injured list to start against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Yankees: IF DJ LeMahieu (right foot) will continue to get stronger this weekend when he accompanies the team to Tampa Bay for a three-game series against the Rays. … OF Jasson Dominguez (Tommy John surgery) is expected to begin a rehab assignment in the next two weeks.
NEXT
Astros: Continue a six-game road trip Friday night when LHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 3.97 ERA) starts against the Tigers and RHP Casey Mize (1-1, 3.98 ERA). Valdez gave up seven runs in 10 1/3 innings in his first two starts since missing more than three weeks with a sore left elbow.
Yankees: Begin a six-game road trip on Friday night when RHP Clarke Schmidt (3-1, 3.50 ERA) faces Rays RHP Taj Bradley, who is making his season debut. Schmidt has allowed three runs or fewer in 32 starts to start 2023, second-most in the majors behind Sonny Gray (33).
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