The Houston Astros opened the second half of the season by sweeping the New York Yankees in a doubleheader Thursday to inch closer in the standings to the team with baseball’s best record.
Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman both homered and combined for five RBIs as the Astros completed the sweep with a 7-5 win in Game 2.
Chas McCormick added a two-run home run for the Astros, who won the season series 5-2.
The Yankees are 64-30 and Houston’s two wins Thursday improved the team to 61-32.
“You want to get off to a good start, and I think everybody came in ready to play,” Bregman said. “This is what we expect out of this ball club every single night … and hopefully we can continue that for the second half.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone seemed bothered by a question equating this season’s results against the Astros to their struggles against them in the playoffs in recent years.
“I understand it’s a big story,” he said. “I understand the season we’re in. It’s not going to matter unless (it’s) October. If we happen to come back here in October we’re going to show up. We’re going to expect to win. We think we’re really good. They’re really good. Don’t overstate this.”
Rookie J.J. Matijevic’s pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Astros to a 3-2 win in the opener of the day-night doubleheader between the American League’s top teams.
“This is huge for us to start out 2-0, to take our lead back to double digits,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said of his team’s lead over the Mariners in the AL West.
Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 34th homer on a three-run shot off Brandon Bielak to the train tracks atop left field to cut the lead to 7-5 with one out in the ninth in Game 2.
Rafael Montero, who pitched an inning in the first game, took over and was greeted with a single by Gleyber Torres. But Matt Carpenter grounded into a double play to end the game and give Montero his seventh save.
Alvarez, who returned from the injured list Thursday, smacked his 27th homer to the seats in left field with two outs in the first to give Houston an early lead. The Astros went back-to-back when Bregman connected off Domingo Germán (0-1) four pitches later to make it 2-0.
“The guy hasn’t swung a bat against live pitching and hits it out on his first at-bat, he’s pretty awesome,” Baker said. “And Bregman is heating up.”
There were runners on second and third with two outs in the second when Alvarez doubled off the wall in left-center to score two more and extend the lead to 4-0. Bregman singled to left field to send Alvarez home and make it 5-0.
Judge walked with one out in the third before the Yankees cut the lead to three on a home run by Torres.
The doubleheader coming out of the All-Star break was scheduled to help make up a series that was postponed because of the lockout. Houston won the first game of the series on June 30.
“It’s definitely news to watch us play each other,” New York’s Giancarlo Stanton said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to stay ahead of them for home-field (advantage).”
Germán allowed six hits and five runs in three innings in his season debut after missing the first half of the season with a shoulder injury.
Houston starter Luis Garcia (8-5) yielded three hits and two runs in five innings for his fifth straight win after losing his previous four decisions.
In Game 1, Bregman led off the Houston ninth with a single against Michael King (6-3). Bregman advanced to third on Aledmys Díaz’s double. After Yuli Gurriel struck out, pinch-hitter Alvarez was walked intentionally to load the bases.
King looked as if he might be able to escape the jam after he struck out McCormick, but Matijevic drove in Bregman with an infield single to shortstop.
“The bullpen did a great job and boy, that was an exciting win for us and the fans and for J.J.,” Baker said. “I was happy for J.J.”
The Astros carried a 2-1 lead into the ninth. But Aaron Hicks singled against Héctor Neris (3-3) and scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s two-out single, a grounder that rolled just past shortstop Jeremy Peña for the tying hit.
DJ LeMahieu homered in the fifth, but the Yankees were just 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Jordan Montgomery tied a season high with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and walked one.
https://sway.office.com/esvfzIHBT5FVyOFe?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/uYFkQwbQI4RRvS4G?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/DyUjL3FgzE5QPXcY?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/J4BP3OtZtqsDD0y2?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/fOSvrYcKQzYCqDwJ?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/hl8P5a03wCAVKBXr?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/L03wEDLAQU0BKv0K?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/lxpzUwpQ0JtkvLpI?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/5n8SCnnnsFg7Fg0G?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/Aa3zhqbdFyi3FEN2?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/zU8kU7ceg0bcA9kW?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/mEJjV8mnUcbMmIbr?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/bNXmtpiBYrnP8gL4?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/qFt8DADF6luICuYY?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/7VxqnEk2yRHZwL76?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/VAoYOjOHkrSrloBz?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/N3vxauPsoU2c7F2y?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/jCO62CdUcJ9gdq64?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/YsiwwpbPgRyVp8wF?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/b43IlqQ83VQKIGnq?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/8YleLAT9dEPEU1yK?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/8R75MimtUoj5C3mF?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/EVvgPuAOCAoXgqSB?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/XULe1BFtYGqozYSj?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/Rc1Mce2wKgRJXsf4?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/Xgd6i5EjAw6hX9ww?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/o2fkarY2gEHryZqh?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/6Jsr6wAx7VGaQwej?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/d2KlWyMSKPgGpnoL?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/o9n56lybt2948Aik?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/BoCnK2ATGQXXiH5e?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/u9WFXJ6CyXIaHhEF?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/4j2pBpCQu3U8Zc7a?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/ecENw8A29zZNWsBa?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/fqbEn5K3PhoiegNE?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/GdCKI74Hu7euRVjc?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/aCAoEcUj9N13nWaB?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/v0ylOqcFYDYoaQmW?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/UQ435kf9theNAOLB?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/kbeowesKezWoC8Ng?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/FDFZKFBGprghf8V8?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/FLDrOEqQcrExu4AI?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/XdG1z9R2kdkDPsjO?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/fcO2dGZeKx79VcNU?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/szpmGRgUMiaIRwke?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/DVl3yfaBecJOLpoD?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/P2CM37Ga8tu8HlqS?ref=Link
https://sway.office.com/r1iX4V5kBCySETHm?ref=Link
https://kimjohnson21.talentlms.com/index
http://www.corsica.forhikers.com/forum/p/114843
https://sway.office.com/esvfzIHBT5FVyOFe
https://sway.office.com/uYFkQwbQI4RRvS4G
https://sway.office.com/DyUjL3FgzE5QPXcY
https://sway.office.com/J4BP3OtZtqsDD0y2
https://sway.office.com/fOSvrYcKQzYCqDwJ
https://sway.office.com/hl8P5a03wCAVKBXr
https://sway.office.com/L03wEDLAQU0BKv0K
https://sway.office.com/lxpzUwpQ0JtkvLpI
https://sway.office.com/5n8SCnnnsFg7Fg0G
https://sway.office.com/Aa3zhqbdFyi3FEN2
https://sway.office.com/zU8kU7ceg0bcA9kW
https://sway.office.com/mEJjV8mnUcbMmIbr
https://sway.office.com/bNXmtpiBYrnP8gL4
https://sway.office.com/qFt8DADF6luICuYY
https://sway.office.com/7VxqnEk2yRHZwL76
https://sway.office.com/VAoYOjOHkrSrloBz
https://sway.office.com/N3vxauPsoU2c7F2y
https://sway.office.com/jCO62CdUcJ9gdq64
https://sway.office.com/YsiwwpbPgRyVp8wF
https://sway.office.com/b43IlqQ83VQKIGnq
https://sway.office.com/8YleLAT9dEPEU1yK
https://sway.office.com/8R75MimtUoj5C3mF
https://sway.office.com/EVvgPuAOCAoXgqSB
https://sway.office.com/XULe1BFtYGqozYSj
https://sway.office.com/Rc1Mce2wKgRJXsf4
https://sway.office.com/Xgd6i5EjAw6hX9ww
https://sway.office.com/o2fkarY2gEHryZqh
https://sway.office.com/6Jsr6wAx7VGaQwej
https://sway.office.com/d2KlWyMSKPgGpnoL
https://sway.office.com/o9n56lybt2948Aik
https://sway.office.com/BoCnK2ATGQXXiH5e
https://sway.office.com/u9WFXJ6CyXIaHhEF
https://sway.office.com/4j2pBpCQu3U8Zc7a
https://sway.office.com/ecENw8A29zZNWsBa
https://sway.office.com/fqbEn5K3PhoiegNE
https://sway.office.com/GdCKI74Hu7euRVjc
https://sway.office.com/aCAoEcUj9N13nWaB
https://sway.office.com/v0ylOqcFYDYoaQmW
https://sway.office.com/UQ435kf9theNAOLB
https://sway.office.com/kbeowesKezWoC8Ng
https://sway.office.com/FDFZKFBGprghf8V8
https://sway.office.com/FLDrOEqQcrExu4AI
https://sway.office.com/XdG1z9R2kdkDPsjO
https://sway.office.com/fcO2dGZeKx79VcNU
https://sway.office.com/szpmGRgUMiaIRwke
https://sway.office.com/DVl3yfaBecJOLpoD
https://sway.office.com/P2CM37Ga8tu8HlqS
https://sway.office.com/r1iX4V5kBCySETHm
https://prorok2007.talentlms.com/index
https://prorok2007.talentlms.com
Cristian Javier tied a season high by issuing four walks while allowing one run and two hits in five innings. It was Javier’s first start against the Yankees since he pitched seven innings in a combined no-hitter at New York on June 25. Neris and Ryan Pressly finished the historic gem.
It was just the third doubleheader for the domed Minute Maid Park, which opened in 2000.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Germán was activated from the 60-day injured list before Game 2. RHP Ryan Weber was designated for assignment.
Astros: OF Jose Siri was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land. … Pressly was not with the team after going on the paternity list following the birth of a daughter Wednesday. LHP Parker Mushinski was reinstated from the 15-day IL.
