DJ LeMahieu hit a tying two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning and Aaron Judge hit a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th as the New York Yankees went from potentially being no-hit for the second straight day to rallying for a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees gained a split of the series against the American League West leaders a day after Cristian Javier combined with Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly on a no-hitter Saturday afternoon. Both of the Yankees’ wins in the series came via walk-off hits by Judge, whose ninth-inning single won Thursday’s series opener.
LeMahieu tied the game at 3-all by lifting a 2-2 slider into the left field seats for his seventh homer of the season and the Yankees got their 10th walk-off win after Michael King (5-1) escaped a bases loaded jam in the top half.
After automatic runner Aaron Hicks moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, pinch hitter Matt Carpenter was intentionally walked. After LeMahieu struck out, Judge won it by slamming an 0-1 slider by Seth Martinez (0-1) over the left-field fence into Houston’s bullpen for his fourth career walk-off hit.
Before rallying the Yankees were held hitless for 6 1/3 innings by Jose Urquidy until Giancarlo Stanton homered in the seventh.
A day after Houston’s 14th no-hitter in team history, Urquidy delivered a strong follow-up performance for the AL West leaders, allowing just one run in seven innings.
Urquidy lost his no-hit bid on his 91st pitch when Stanton blasted a 436-foot homer by hitting a 92-mph fastball onto the netting above Monument Park beyond the center-field fence for his 17th homer. Stanton made the final out when he grounded out Saturday and it marked New York’s first hit since LeMahieu singled in the eighth Friday.
New York’s 16 1/3 straight innings without a hit was the longest by any team since at least 1961, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Jose Altuve smacked a leadoff homer and Maurcio Dubon added a two-run single for the Astros, who also blew a three-run lead in the series opener.
New York starter Nestor Cortes allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked two. — Reuters