Yankees' win streak ends at five as Astros get to Marcus Stroman early, then hang on
Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman stands on the mound as Houston Astros’ Jon Singleton rounds the bases on his two-run home run during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Marcus Stroman gave up three runs on two long home runs to the Astros in the first inning on Thursday.
Since the Yankees scored 19 runs in the previous two games vs. Houston, the crowd of 38,095 at Yankee Stadium was waiting for what felt like the inevitable home team rally.
They’re still waiting, as the Yankees twice got to within a run but couldn’t complete the comeback in a 4-3 defeat.
At least the fans got witness Aaron Judge’s 473-foot home run to just left of centerfield in the eighth inning. That brought the Yankees to within a run. But the thrilling swing did not lead to a victory, just an unforgettable moment.
“Not a lot of people go to that place,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Stroman, who in 2017 gave up a 484-foot homer to Judge at Yankee Stadium, said: “I remember that homer he hit against me. Still didn’t come down. Judgie’s special.”
Two streaks ended: The Yankees had won five in a row — all on the homestand that concluded with Thursday’s rare 5 p.m. start — and had beaten Houston nine straight times dating back to Sept. 1.
Yordan Alvarez gave the Astros a 1-0 lead against Stroman (2-2, 3.80 ERA) with a 395-foot home run to the second deck in right with two outs in the first.
After a walk to Jeremy Pena, Jon Singleton hit a 442-foot two-run shot off the facing of the third deck in right to make it 3-0.
“Definitely a lot of adversity in there,” Stroman said. “I wasn’t good enough early on. Just put our team in a little bit of a hole . . . got to be better. Can’t let up three in the first. Just feel like I don’t give my team a chance when I do that.”
The Yankees did have chances, but as Boone said, “Just couldn’t quite break through enough, obviously.”
Stroman worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second and a no-out, runner-on-third pickle in the third.
So when Anthony Volpe made it 3-2 in the third with a two-run homer off Ronel Blanco to the short porch in right — Volpe’s fifth home run of the season — it appeared the Yankees’ comeback was just a matter of when, not if.
Houston sneaked in an insurance run in the fifth on Alvarez’s double and Pena’s RBI single to center that trickled off the glove of Volpe. The prone Volpe punched the dirt because he wasn’t able to knock the ball down.
Still, the Yankees got the tying runs on base in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Oswaldo Cabrera and walk to Juan Soto. That brought up Judge.
Judge smoked a ball 108.8 miles per hour, but it went on the ground to Alex Bregman at third base, who turned it into an inning-ending double play. Judge, who has three homers in the last four games, has hit into an MLB-high 11 double plays this season.
Stroman left with two outs in the sixth. He allowed four runs, nine hits, walked two and struck out five.
Blanco (4-0, 2.23), who threw a no-hitter against Toronto on April 1, also lasted 5 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs, four hits, walked four and struck out five.
After Judge’s one-out blast off Ryan Pressly made it 4-3, Alex Verdugo walked. Giancarlo Stanton (0-for-4) struck out for the fourth time and the Astros brought in struggling closer Josh Hader, who came in with a 6.14 ERA.
Hader got Anthony Rizzo pop out to short to end the inning and earned his fourth save by working around Gleyber Torres’ leadoff single in the ninth. Volpe swung through a 98-mph fastball on the eighth pitch of the at-bat for the final out.
Still, a 5-1 homestand is nothing to sneeze at.
“Great homestand,” Stroman said. “I think we’re clicking.”
Extra bases
After Thursday's game, the Yankees optioned Ron Marinaccio to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Nick Burdi, who is expected to come off the injured list on Friday.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
