Verlander pitches Astros to 3-1 win, ends Yanks' home streak

Houston Astros' Justin Verlander pitches during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Houston Astros' Justin Verlander pitches during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

NEW YORK -- Justin Verlander pitched four-hit ball over seven innings, Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Yankees 3-1 Friday night to stop New York's 15-game home winning streak.

Hours after Aaron Judge agreed to a $19 million, one-year contract with the Yankees that avoided an arbitration hearing, New York was greeted with loud ovations by just its third home sellout crowd this season. Judge went 0 for 4 as the major league-best Yankees (52-19) lost for just the fourth time in their last 23 games overall.

With wife Kate Upton watching from a first-row seat behind the plate, Verlander (9-3) averaged 95.5 mph with his fastball, up from 94.8 mph coming in during his first season since Tommy John surgery. The 39-year-old right-hander, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, struck out three and walked one, lowering his ERA to 2.22.

New York got its run in the sixth when Giancarlo Stanton hit an opposite-field drive into the right field second deck for the second night in a row, his 16th home run this season.

Phil Maton pitched out of trouble in the eighth, striking out Judge on a curveball with one on, and Stanton and Josh Donaldson, both on sliders, to strand two runners.

Rafael Montero, pitching for a third straight day for the first time this season, walked Aaron Hicks with one out and pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter with two outs. Montero retired DJ LeMahieu on a groundout for his fifth save.

Luis Severino (4-2) escaped two-on jams in the fourth and fifth -- shouting demonstrably both times -- then allowed Alex Bregman's one-out double in the sixth. Pitching carefully, Severino walked Yordan Alvarez and threw a first-pitch fastball that Tucker drove into the right-field seats for his 14th home run this year.

DONALDSON WATCH

Donaldson got into a verbal confrontation with another opponent after he didn't run hard out of the box on his second-inning double that hopped the right-center wall and flipped his bat into catcher Jason Castro. At the end of the inning, Donaldson cupped a hand to an ear while looking at the Astros dugout, then shrugged shoulders.

Donaldson referred to White Sox star Tim Anderson as "Jackie" on May 21 -- a reference to Jackie Robinson -- earning the third baseman a one-game suspension.

WEB GEM

Hicks, moved to left field from center for much of this season, made a leaping, sprawling backhand catch in the left-field corner to rob Jose Altuve of an extra-base hit leading off the fourth. In the middle of the infield, Severino raised both arms and screamed.

HE'S BACK

Jake Meyers started in center and went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts from the No. 9 slot in his first major league action since Game 4 of last year's AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, when he injured his left shoulder Meyers hit .250 with three homers and four RBIs during a 14-game injury rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: To make room for Meyers, outfielder Jose Siri was optioned to Sugar Land and outfielder Dillon Thomas was designated for assignment. ... RHP Jake Ordorizzi to Sugar Land (PCL) on a rehab assignment. ... SS Jeremy Peña, sidelined since June 13 by an injured left thumb, could be actvated Saturday.

Yankees: LHP Aroldis Chapman (left Achilles tendinitis) struck out one in an eight-pitch seventh inning for Double-A Somerset, his first game action since May 22.

UP NEXT

RHP Gerritt Cole (6-1, 3.14) starts for the Yankees on Saturday after taking a no-hit bid into the eighth inning at Tampa Bay. RHP Cristian Javier (4-3, 3.07) starts for the Astros.

photo New York Yankees' Aaron Judge takes the field for the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. Judge and the Yankees agreed to a $19 million, one-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
photo Houston Astros' Jose Altuve fouls off a pitch before striking out in the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
photo New York Yankees' Luis Severino reacts after striking out a Houston Astros batter with two men on base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
photo New York Yankees' Aaron Judge strikes out during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
photo New York Yankees' Luis Severino pitches during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

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