Verdugo powers Yankees to resounding victory over Verlander and Astros

Alex Verdugo of the New York Yankees hits a three-run home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo homered and tied a career high with four RBIs, propelling the New York Yankees past Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros 10-3 on Tuesday night.

Anthony Volpe and Giancarlo Stanton also walked away from Verlander as the Yankees earned their fourth straight victory. They have totaled 20 points in the last three games after scoring just eight in five games that ended Saturday.

Volpe finished with three RBIs and Juan Soto had three hits.

“Obviously you’re not going to miss offensive nights like this every night, especially against a guy like Justin,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But they can do it. They have a balance.

Verdugo, batting cleanup between Aaron Judge and Stanton, accounted for New York’s first four runs with a three-run homer in the first and an RBI single in the third against Verlander (1-1).

“Sometimes it’s a little humiliating when you have Judge up there looking at me and Stanton is back right behind me,” Verdugo said, smiling. “I’m like the little guy in the group. But honestly, man, I love it. I really do. I feel like I’m adding enough contacts that I can either move some guys (or) get the job done.

The four-RBI game was Verdugo’s second of the season and fifth of his career. He also made a nice sliding catch in left field off a sinking liner by Jeremy Peña to end the sixth.

“We see the kind of player he is (on both sides of the ball),” Boone said. “He’s been excellent. He’s been clutch.

Verlander lasted five innings and allowed seven runs – the second most he has allowed in 37 regular-season and postseason starts against the Yankees. He allowed eight runs in Detroit’s 13-9 loss on September 1, 2008.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed eight hits and walked three Tuesday night. Verlander, 41, who missed the first three weeks of the season with right shoulder inflammation, allowed 27 baserunners (17 hits, 10 walks) in 16 1/3 innings during his last three starts.

“If I’m honest with myself, the last two games, probably especially the walks, showed me that I was a little behind,” Verlander said. “And sometimes you have to go up against a team that knows you intimately, and vice versa, to send you back to the drawing board. I think these guys showed me today that I have work to do.

Volpe hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Stanton led off the fifth with a 421-foot drive to left field that was clocked at 118.8 mph right off the bat. Judge and Jon Berti also had run-scoring singles for the Yankees.

Luis Gil (3-1) allowed just one hit – Kyle Tucker’s first-inning home run – and walked four with five strikeouts in six innings.

“There was definitely a moment in the game where I said to myself I have to keep this play here,” Gil said through a translator.

Trey Cabbage had a two-run single in the ninth for the Astros, who tied their season low with three hits. Houston has lost three straight to fall to 12-23 – tied for the fifth-worst record through 35 games in franchise history.

“Happy with our walks. We walked six times, something we’ve tried to get better at — to be more selective,” manager Joe Espada said. “We just couldn’t get that much going offensively.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Astros: DH Yordan Alvarez collapsed to the ground in pain after fouling his left leg in the third. He was relieved for a pinch hitter in the eighth. … RHP Cristian Javier (neck), who pitched 3 1/3 innings Saturday in a rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi, will return to Houston’s rotation this weekend. … RHP Jose Urquidy (right forearm) pitched to batters and is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow) pitched out of the bullpen for the second time since he was injured in mid-March. … INF Oswald Peraza (right shoulder) began a rehab mission by going 2-for-3 with a home run for Class A Tampa. Boone said Peraza, who has yet to play this season, will need a ramp-up in minor league games akin to spring training before returning to the Yankees. … RHP Nick Burdi (right hip) retired all three batters he faced in his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Scranton. … INF DJ LeMahieu (right foot) feels better and is participating in baseball activities. Boone said LeMahieu would travel with the team for this weekend’s series against Tampa Bay and could be in attendance at the plate at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Florida.

FOLLOWING

The three-game series continues Wednesday night, when Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (2-2, 3.68 ERA) faces RHP Spencer Arrighetti (0-3, 8.27).