With boos and profanities raining from the stands, Jose Altuve stepped up to the plate, blocked out the noise, and bashed the first pitch he saw from Cam Schlittler 389 feet over Yankee Stadium’s left field wall.
The first-inning, two-run bomb proved pivotal on Friday night, as the Astros beat the Yankees, 5-3, after 10 innings in the season’s first showdown between the longtime rivals. Altuve, despised in the Bronx due to his involvement in the 2017 Astros’ trash can cheating scheme couldn’t help but admire his 20th home run of the season before circling the bases.
But Altuve did not receive the loudest jeers of the night, as Devin Williams heard an earful from his home crowd after entering the game in the 10th inning. The reliever immediately fired a wild pitch, allowing the ghost runner to advance to third before past and present Astro Carlos Correa picked up a go-ahead single.
A few batters later, Taylor Trammell added a two-run homer, giving the Astros some breathing room. While Anthony Volpe got a run back with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th, Williams’ latest nightmare performance sunk the Yankees in predictable fashion.
Williams has struggled immensely in recent weeks and overall this season, posting a 5.73 ERA in his first year with the Yankees. But Boone still brought him into a late, tied game for the second time since stripping him of closing duties for the second time this season. Williams’ latest demotion came earlier this week.
The Yankees, desperate for wins, cannot afford to use Williams in high-leverage situations at this point, yet Boone continues to do so.
Williams ruined any chance the Yankees had at a comeback victory, as they tied the game at two in the sixth inning on a pair of RBI singles off Astros starter Hunter Brown, who had retired 14 straight prior to the frame. Those knocks came courtesy of Ben Rice and Aaron Judge, but the Astros stopped the bleeding when Bennett Sousa entered the game, fanned Cody Bellinger on three sliders and induced a soft, first-pitch flyout from Jazz Chisholm Jr. with runners on the corners.
Schlittler, meanwhile, recovered from Altuve’s homer, refusing to allow another run over five innings of work despite surrendering seven hits. He also tallied one walk, three strikeouts and 97 pitches in his fifth major league start.
The rookie right-hander had some help from Cody Bellinger in limiting the first-place Astros’ offense, as the right fielder saved a run when he threw Trammell out at home plate in the fourth inning following an aggressive send from Houston third base coach Tony Perezchica.
With the Yankees’ home stand off to a sour start following an ugly road trip, the third-place club faces another tough starter on Saturday, as Framber Valdez is pitching for Houston. Luis Gil will make his second start of the season for the reeling Yankees, but not before they celebrate Old-Timers’ Day.
The yearly tradition will feature an alumni game for the first time since 2019 before the Yankees commemorate the 25th anniversary of their 2000 championship team. Roger Clemens and Alfonso Soriano will be among the first-time Old-Timers.
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