Remember when the Astros dominated the Yankees?
Those days certainly seem to be over.
All they needed was Alex Verdugo.
After opening the season with four straight wins in Houston, the Yankees defeated the Astros for their fifth straight with a 10-3 victory in the Bronx on Tuesday.
They won four straight games for the third time this season and won five of their past six games, returning to a tie with Baltimore for first place in the division.
The win was sparked by two relative newcomers to the rivalry, with Verdugo hitting Justin Verlander deep for a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.
The left fielder had three hits on the night.
And 25-year-old right-hander Lewis Gil easily outplayed Verlander.
Gill issued four walks, but allowed only one run and one hit in six innings pitched.
The only hit was a long home run to right field by Kyle Tucker with one out in the top of the first inning.
He didn’t allow another hit and was ejected after throwing 97 pitches in six innings.
Verlander, on the other hand, gave up three home runs and seven runs (all earned runs) in five innings, showing everything he has for 41 years.
With the loss, Houston is tied for last in the American League West, and looking at its resume, it’s easy to see why.
Manager Aaron Boone said before the game, “I don’t expect them to play in this position, but this is baseball, and there are limits.” The Astros have several pitchers out with injuries. He added that “I think they hope they can do it someday.”
It wasn’t Tuesday at that point.
Verlander was making his fourth start of the season after missing spring training with shoulder inflammation.
Verlander has been sharp in the first three games, but the Yankees got his turn early and often on Tuesday.
Gil grounded out Jose Altuve to open the game, and Tucker also hit an extra-base home run to the second deck in right field to give Houston the lead.
Verlander quickly found himself in trouble in the bottom of the first inning, with one out and Juan Soto singled down the third base line and Aaron Judge walked.
Verdugo, who was 0-for-2 in his career against Verlander, hit a home run to right to put the Yankees up 3-1.
The new fan favorite praised the home run before beginning his trot to first base.
Verdugo ended the top of the sixth inning with a spectacular diving catch of Jeremy Pena’s liner to left.
Gill threw a two-out walk in the third inning, but it took him 30 pitches to get out of the inning.
It was the only time Gill allowed more than one baserunner in an inning.
Anthony Volpe, who hit two deep flies in his first two at-bats, hit Verlander deep in the fourth inning, extending the Yankees’ lead to 6-1.
This was just Volpe’s second home run since moving to the leadoff spot on April 10th.
In the fifth inning, Giancarlo Stanton’s 421-foot, 118.8 mph shot made it 7-1.
Stanton has seven home runs on the year.
