Field Level Media
Apr 10, 2019
Jose Altuve recorded his fourth career multi-homer game while Collin McHugh produced another effective start as the Houston Astros capped a perfect homestand and a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees with an 8-6 victory on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.
One night after recording his 100th career home run, Altuve socked solo dingers in the first and fifth innings and finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and a walk. He was one of five Astros to record multi-hit games and led the charge against Yankees left-hander James Paxton (1-2).
Paxton tormented Houston pitching for Seattle in 2018, winning all four of his starts with a 2.05 ERA. He'd allowed just one home run over seven career starts at Minute Maid Park before Altuve took him deep twice. Paxton surrendered three additional extra-base hits, including an RBI triple to Yuli Gurriel in the first inning and an RBI double to Carlos Correa in the third.
Paxton worked just four innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts. The final batter he faced, Michael Brantley, reached on an infield single in the fifth and scored when Correa greeted Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle with a two-run homer to left. For Correa, it was his second home run of the season. Jake Marisnick capped the Astros' four-run fifth with an RBI single that scored Aledmys Diaz, a tally that later proved to serve as a critical insurance run.
Trailing 7-2, the Yankees' first four batters of the eighth inning reached against Astros reliever Josh James, with Luke Voit bashing his fourth home run on the season and second of the series. Hector Rondon and Ryan Pressly cleaned up James' mess, with Pressly preserving a one-run lead by striking out pinch-hitter Gary Sanchez to strand DJ LeMahieu at third base.
George Springer drove home Marisnick with an RBI single off Zack Britton in the eighth to help preserve the victory for McHugh (2-1), who gave up two runs on four hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings. Of the 16 swinging strikes McHugh induced, 14 came on his slider. Pressly earned his first save. Correa and Marisnick recorded three hits apiece.
--Field Level Media