Houston’s Justin Verlander watches Jake Bauers circle the bases after hitting a go-ahead home run Saturday, lifting the Yankees to a 3-1 victory in New York. Mary Altaffer/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Justin Verlander pitched seven innings, allowed a go-ahead home run to Jake Bauers in the fifth inning and began his second stint for the Houston Astros with a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Verlander (6-6) allowed seven hits – his second most this season – and lost a regular-season start to the Yankees for the first time since June 19, 2015, with Detroit. He struck out four and walked two.
The Astros reacquired Verlander on Tuesday from the Mets for a pair of top prospects. The Mets also sent as much as $50 million to the Astros to help pay off Verlander’s contract – a two-year deal worth $86.7 million he signed in December, shortly after helping the Astros win the World Series.
Anthony Volpe lifted a sacrifice fly in the second for the Yankees, who won for the third time in four games. Gleyber Torres added a homer to open the eighth off Kendall Graveman.
Jose Altuve hit his 200th career homer in the third off Nestor Cortes, but that was Houston’s only hit off the Yankees left-hander.
Cortes returned from a rotator cuff strain and went four innings in his first start since May 30. He had a season-high eight strikeouts, walked one, and threw 64 pitches.
TIGERS 4, RAYS 2: Jake Rogers drove in three runs and Akil Baddoo homered as Detroit won at home.
Detroit entered the game with a 3-17 record against American League East opponents and had lost all four meetings with the Rays.
Tarik Skubal (2-1) picked up the win, allowing an unearned run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six while walking one.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 8, BRAVES 6: Dansby Swanson homered against his former team in a five-run first inning, and Chicago won at home.
Jeimer Candelario hit his first home run since being reacquired by the Cubs, and Ian Happ also went deep.
Chicago (57-54) went into the game leading the majors in runs since the All-Star break and bounced back after getting shut out 8-0 by Atlanta on Friday. The Cubs began the day 2 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee and two games out of a wild-card spot.
NATIONALS 7, REDS 3: Joan Adon retired his first 17 batters, and visiting Washington handed Cincinnati its fifth consecutive defeat.
Lane Thomas knocked in two runs and scored twice to help the last-place Nationals match a season best with their third straight win.
INTERLEAGUE
RANGERS 9, MARLINS 8: Josh Jung hit the third of three multi-run homers for Texas in the middle innings, and the Rangers beat visiting Miami for their fifth consecutive victory.
Robbie Grossman hit a three-run homer in the fourth, and Corey Seager had a two-run homer in the fifth before Jung’s first-pitch, two-run shot.
NOTES
PHILLIES: Bryce Harper likely won’t play the outfield again this season.
The two-time NL MVP served strictly as Philadelphia’s designated hitter for most of last season after injuring his right throwing elbow on an outfield throw in April 2022. After offseason Tommy John surgery, Harper returned to his DH role on May 2 before debuting at first base for the first time in his career on July 21.
Since then, Manager Rob Thomson has been alternating Harper between first base and DH, and that is likely the plan for the remainder of the season.
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