The Yankees bullpen allowed six runs in New York’s back-and-forth 9-7 loss to the Astros on Tuesday night.
The Yankees were outhit by Houston, 14-10.
With the Rays’ loss and the Red Sox’s win earlier in the evening, the Yankees remain 3.5 games behind Tampa for the AL East, and Boston is now 1.5 games behind New York
Here are the takeaways….
-In his second game back off the IL, Cody Bellinger breathed some life into the Yankees’ offense, smashing a three-run shot to put New York up 3-2 in the third inning. It was Bellinger’s first home run since June 17 (32 games). He finished 1-for-5.
Luis Garcia Jr. joined in on the home run parade with a two-run blast in the fifth to give the Yankees the lead at the time, and came through in the seventh in a tie game with an RBI double.
Garcia finished 4-for-4 with two RBI and finished a triple short of the cycle.
–Will Warren had to grind in this one. The right-hander allowed a solo shot to Yainer Diaz in the second and an RBI single to Daulton Varsho — set up by an Austin Wells passed ball — in the third. Warren couldn’t hold the lead after the Astros pushed across another run on a Varsho single. Although Warren got out of the inning, he couldn’t give the Yankees length.
He tossed 97 pitches (56 strikes), allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four batters.
-The Yankees bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, with Fernando Cruz allowing a two-run shot to Jeremy Pena in the sixth to knot things at 5-5. Brent Headrick, with the lead in the eighth, allowed a solo homer to Diaz. A few batters later, Yordan Alvarez put the Astros ahead with a go-ahead triple off of Headrick. Isaac Paredes followed with a single to put Houston up 8-6.
Bradley Hanner allowed an insurance run in the ninth, just as Jazz Chisholm Jr. brought the Yankees within one with an RBI single in the eighth.
-Lombard made a throwing error in the first, his fourth error in his last four games.
Game MVP: Yainer Diaz
The Astros backstop drove in three runs in the win
Highlights
WELCOME BACK, CODY BELLINGER!
A three-run blast off the facing of the second deck! pic.twitter.com/oTIaLsWnK1https://t.co/PvY9iwe85i
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 26, 2026
Luis Garcia Jr. puts the Yankees back in front! 💣 pic.twitter.com/rkWgLhn10a
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 26, 2026
LUIS GARCÍA JR. AGAIN!
YANKEES LEAD AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/tl7R1JTi3Y
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 26, 2026
What’s next
The Yankees and Astros continue their three-game series on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Houston will start Pete Lambert (6-8, 4.38 ERA), while the Yankees have yet to announce a starter, but Elmer Rodriguez is expected to take the mound.
