Field Level Media
Jun 23, 2019
Justin Verlander pitched seven innings and Tyler White hit his first career grand slam as the Houston Astros snapped a season-high seven-game losing streak with a 9-4 victory over the host New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
The Astros hit four homers to halt their longest losing streak since June 4-10, 2015. Houston avoided losing eight straight for the first time since a 15-game skid in September 2013.
Verlander (10-3) helped the Astros get their first win since June 15 by allowing three runs on four hits. Verlander struck out nine and walked two.
White hit Houston's seventh grand slam of the season with nobody out in the fourth after J.A. Happ (7-4) opened the inning by allowing three straight singles.
Jose Altuve went deep two pitches into the game for his 12th career leadoff homer, reaching the second deck in left field.
Rookie Yordan Alvarez knocked out Happ in the fifth by reaching the second deck in right field. Yuli Gurriel added a solo drive in the fifth off Luis Cessa to give Houston a 9-0 advantage.
Houston's other run came on an RBI single by Michael Brantley in the third that scored Altuve.
The Yankees saw a season-high eight-game winning streak stopped, taking their first loss since June 14 on a day when legendary closer Mariano Rivera made his debut at Old-Timers' Day by pitching and hitting an inside-the-park homer in the four-inning exhibition game.
DJ LeMahieu hit a three-run blast for the Yankees, who homered for the 26th straight game to set a team record. The Yankees tied the team record set in 1941 Saturday and are one shy of the all-time record set by the Texas Rangers from Aug. 11-Sept. 9, 2002.
Happ matched career highs by allowing eight runs on 11 hits in four-plus innings. He allowed eight runs for the first time since May 16, 2016, and 11 hits for the first time since June 13, 2012.
Verlander allowed a leadoff hit to LeMahieu and then held the Yankees hitless until Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner posted consecutive two-out singles in the fifth. LeMahieu then homered into the right-field seats, but Verlander ended the inning with a strikeout of Aaron Judge.
--Field Level Media