Houston’s Jose Altuve connects off Yankees reliever Chad Green for a three-run homer Thursday, leading the Astros to a 7-4 win at Yankee Stadium. Kathy Willens/Associated Press
NEW YORK — José Altuve responded to jeering fans by marking his 31st birthday with a go-ahead, three-run homer off Chad Green in the eighth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 7-4 Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Gleyber Torres made an incredible, daring dash for the Yankees, scoring from first base on an infield single, but New York’s five-game winning streak ended.
Yordan Álvarez hit a pair of solo homers off Gerrit Cole, who turned a 3-2 lead over to Green (0-3) starting the eighth.
After Torres pulled the Yankees within a run in the bottom half – racing to third and then to home plate because both bases were uncovered – Martín Maldonado hit a two-run homer off Justin Wilson in the ninth, ending a streak of 75 plate appearances without an RBI.
Green walked Kyle Tucker leading off the eighth. Pinch-hitter Aledmys Díaz reached on a single to third baseman Gio Urshela, and Tucker took third when Urshela threw past first for an error.
Maldonado struck out to bring up Altuve, booed loudly throughout the series by fans getting to express their anger directly at the Astros since their cheating scandal en route to the 2017 World Series title was exposed. He had been 1 for 11 with no RBI in the series before he turned on a shoulder-high 96 mph 3-2 pitch and drove it over the left-field scoreboard for a 5-3 lead.
RANGERS 4, TWINS 3: Willie Calhoun’s RBI single in the 10th inning lifted visiting Texas to a win over reeling Minnesota, which fell to 0-7 in extra innings this year.
Joey Gallo and Jonah Heim homered for the Rangers, who rode their bullpen to a third straight win to match the team’s season-long streak. They improved to 4-0 in extra innings.
Rangers relievers logged 12 2/3 scoreless innings over the last three games and have been credited with each of the team’s last five victories.
INDIANS 4, KANSAS CITY 0: Triston McKenzie bounced back from a rough start to pitch one-hit ball into the sixth inning and Cleveland completed a four-game sweep at Kansas City.
It was the fifth straight loss for the Royals, who began the series with the best record in baseball. Cleveland went 6-1 on its road trip and has won nine of 11.
Franmil Reyes launched his eighth home run as he continued to hit well at Kauffman Stadium. He is batting .538 (14 for 26) with two homers, six doubles and six RBI in seven career games at the park.
Cesar Hernandez and Rene Rivera each had three hits for Cleveland.
McKenzie (1-1), who gave up five runs in two innings in his last start against Kansas City, exited after a single and a walk in the sixth. He struggled with his control, walking four and striking out five.
BLUE JAYS 10, ATHLETICS 4: Randal Grichuk homered, doubled and drove in five runs to lead Toronto to a victory in Oakland, California.
Toronto earned a split of the four-game series after dropping the first two games against the AL West leader.
Marcus Semien homered among his four hits, Danny Jansen and Teoscar Hernández each drove in two runs and Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio had three hits apiece for the Blue Jays.
Mark Canha hit his first career leadoff homer, Sean Murphy drove in two runs and Matt Olsen added an RBI double for the A’s.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILLIES 2, BREWERS 0: Zack Wheeler struck out eight and tossed a three-hit shutout, and Alex Bohm homered as host Philadelphia completed a four-game sweep.
The Phillies head out on a nine-game road trip in first place (17-15) as the only team in the NL East with a winning record.
Wheeler threw his second career shutout and complete game in 144 starts, and his first since 2014 when he played for the New York Mets. He put two runners on in the ninth but retired Daniel Vogelbach on a foul pop with his 118th pitch.
Wheeler (3-2) and Brandon Woodruff engaged in a brilliant pitchers’ duel that was broken up when Bohm connected on a 97 mph fastball in the seventh for his fourth homer of the season. Rhys Hoskins added an RBI double in the eighth.
Woodruff (2-1) struck out 10 over the first five innings and 11 total over 6 2/3 innings, and allowed only Odubel Herrera’s single in the second until Bohm went deep.
METS 4, CARDINALS 1: Taijuan Walker allowed one hit in seven innings, and New York scored three runs on bases-loaded walks in a win at St. Louis.
Walker (2-1) struck out eight and walked none as the Mets salvaged a split after dropping the first two of the four-game series. New York won despite leaving 17 runners on base.
Walker set the tone by striking out the side in the first inning. He retired the final 18 batters he faced after Paul DeJong reached on a fielder’s choice and throwing error that set up the Cardinals’ lone run in the second.
Trevor May struck out two in a perfect eighth and Edwin Díaz pitched around a pair of hits in the ninth to earn his fourth save in as many tries.
BRAVES 3, NATIONALS 2: Ehire Adrianza made the most of a rare start on a day off for slumping NL MVP Freddie Freeman, providing a nice defensive play and a two-run single to back Drew Smyly’s strong outing as visiting Atlanta swept a series against Washington for the first time since 2014.
MARLINS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 1: Adam Duvall hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and five pitchers combined on a five-hitter to help host Miami complete its first sweep of the season.
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