Yankees Secure Eighth Straight Win Against Astros

HOUSTON — A mix of strength and perseverance proved to be key for the Yankees on Saturday night.

Austin Wells powered the team with his third home run of the game in the seventh inning, followed by a couple of walks with the bases loaded, leading the Yankees to an 8-3 victory over the Astros at Daikin Park.

Along with Wells, Trent Grisham and Jose Caballero contributed, while Ryan Weathers stood out as the latest starter to shine. The Yankees (18-9) are now riding an eight-game winning streak, matching their longest from last season.

Over the first two matchups of this series, the Yankees scored a staggering 20 runs on 25 hits, taking advantage of a struggling Astros pitching staff (10 wins, 18 losses).

The game was tied at two entering the seventh, when Wells, who had been experiencing some difficulty at the plate, connected for a home run off Kai-Wei Teng, giving New York a narrow lead.

From there, the Yankees began piling on the runs.

Caballero, who had three hits that night, almost faced a slip-up trying to steal third base for the second time but was caught out after a left-handed at-bat. Still, Ben Rice followed that with a hit against lefty Bennett Souza, setting the stage for Aaron Judge, who worked a nine-pitch walk after falling behind 0-2.

Cody Bellinger then battled back from a 1-2 count to earn a walk that brought in another run, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew a walk on five pitches to extend the lead to 5-2.

Rice, who also recorded three hits, nearly hit a grand slam in the eighth but settled for a sacrifice fly, increasing the Yankees’ lead to 6-2.

In the ninth, Wells capped off his impressive performance with a scoring single, finishing the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two walks, marking a significant improvement after entering the game with just two RBIs this season.

Notably, the catcher has accumulated more walks (15) than strikeouts (14) during this season.

Weathers, returning from the paternity list, had a solid outing, pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing just two runs, strengthening his position as a reliable starting pitcher for the Yankees. Remarkably, the rotation has allowed two or fewer runs in their last eight games, giving up only seven earned runs across 54 innings combined.

Weathers’ journey to the mound was a bit of a whirlwind. After his final start on Sunday against the Royals, he headed to New York for the birth of his first child, Paul David Weathers, last Wednesday, fitting in a bullpen session before traveling to Houston.

He began the game with a rocky moment, giving up a double to Carlos Correa. After Rice made a diving stop for the first out, the Astros took a brief lead with Isaac Paredes’ RBI single down third base. But Weathers quickly collected himself, retiring the next 11 batters through the fourth inning.

Meanwhile, the Yankees battled back in the third with Grisham hitting a solo homer off Mike Burrows into the Crawford Boxes. It could have been a two-run homer if not for Caballero being thrown out trying to steal second just moments before.

However, Caballero redeemed himself with a home run in his next at-bat, marking two deep hits for the night and giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Later, a single from Yainar Diaz in the fifth saw Weathers quickly pick him off, preserving the 2-1 advantage for the Yankees as they closed out the inning with minimal fuss.

This lead was fleeting, as Correa tied the game with a homer into left field in the sixth. Weathers, frustrated by a pitch that didn’t break as it should, fell to his knees watching the ball soar away.

Although the Astros tried to rally, Fernando Cruz stepped in as relief, walking Jose Altuve on four pitches before bouncing back, striking out the following two batters and managing to connect on two other runners.