Jake Bauers hit a tiebreaking homer with one out in the fifth inning off Justin Verlander and the host New York Yankees recorded a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon.
Facing Verlander (6-6) for the second time in less than two weeks, the Yankees scored two runs and got seven hits off the right-hander, who the Astros acquired from the New York Mets at Tuesday's trade deadline. Verlander, who left Houston as a free agent following last season, took his first regular-season defeat to the Yankees since June 19, 2015 with Detroit.
Rookie Anthony Volpe hit a sacrifice fly in the second off Verlander and Gleyber Torres opened the eighth with a homer off Kendall Graveman. It was Torres' 17th blast of the season.
Nestor Cortes and four relievers combined on a one-hitter as the Yankees won for the third time in four games.
Cortes returned from a rotator cuff strain and went the first four innings since he was on a pitch count following two rehab starts. In his first start since May 30 in Seattle, the left-hander allowed only Jose Altuve's 200th career homer with two outs in the third.
Cortes got a season-high eight strikeouts, walked one and threw 64 pitches while showing a slight uptick in fastball velocity.
Ian Hamilton (2-1) followed Cortes with two innings, Tommy Kahnle pitched the seventh and Michael King struck out Altuve looking at a full count changeup to end the eighth with a runner on. Clay Holmes struck out one in a perfect ninth for his 16th save.
Verlander began his 103rd regular season start as an Astro by getting a called third strike on Bauers. He called out a trainer to deal with a bloody knuckle and struck out Giancarlo Stanton with two on to end the first.
After allowing consecutive hits to open the second, Verlander allowed Volpe's fly ball to put the Yankees ahead.
Altuve's milestone blast to left was his eighth of the season and tied the game in the third. Bauers reached the second deck in right for a 2-1 lead in the fifth. It was his 11th blast of the season.
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