Gurriel leads dramatic rally in 8th
The Astros lost a laugher to the New York Yankees on Friday and then lost starter David Paulino for the rest of the season to a drug suspension handed down a day later.
In pursuit of an uplifting win Saturday night, the Astros spoiled a lead, allowed a third grand slam in five days, homered and stole their way back during the eighth inning and forged a victory after two countrymen battled with the game on the line.
It was an eventful 24 hours for the Astros that ended with a 7-6 victory in front of 41,010 at Minute Maid Park.
Yuli Gurriel notched career highs with three hits and four RBIs. He came out ahead in the most dramatic moment of the night.
With the Yankees leading 6-5 but collapsing, Gurriel faced his friend and fellow countryman Aroldis Chapman. They played on the Cuban national team together. Chapman fired a 100 mph fastball inside and Gurriel ripped it for a two-run double to initiate the Astros’ eighth-inning comeback.
“For him to literally sit there and be patient and wait for a pitch to hit until the count got deep, it was a really special at-bat obviously,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Gurriel’s turn in the eighth. “I can’t speak for him, but I would imagine it means a lot to him given the battles they probably had back in Cuba and a game- winner like that will be special for him.”
In the fifth, Gurriel gave the Astros a 2-0 lead with his ninth home run of the year, a two-run line drive into the Crawford Boxes.
Starter Francis Martes masterfully executed his four-pitch repertoire through four innings against the Yankees.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him throw,” Hinch said. “I’m proud of him. Coming back from a start where he took it on the chin and in an environment like this against a team like the Yankees, that was a big performance.”
In a matchup between top-ranked prospects, Martes ended the third by striking out Clint Frazier, a top-ranked outfield prospect that made his debut for the Yankees. Frazier had the count 3-0 after not offering at outside pitches. Then Martes attacked inside to finish Frazier on three consecutive strikes.
An inning later, for the second consecutive day, the Astros lost a lead by surrendering five runs in the sixth. Frazier got redemption. He led off with his first hit, a double. He pulled an inside fastball and left fielder Marwin Gonzalez made an aggressive choice with no outs. Gonzalez dove, missed the ball and scurried to retrieve it at the wall.
Martes then gave up a single to Brett Gardner, which placed runners on the corners with no outs.
Feeling the momentum slipping away, Hinch brought in Will Harris for the high-leverage situation. Martes finished with two earned runs and seven strikeouts in five innings.
Harris entered with awful statistics with runners on first and third. He had faced 39 batters, who hit .294 and scored 19 runs.
Harris walked Jacoby Ellsbury to load the bases, gave up a lofted single to Gary Sanchez and then served a grand slam to Didi Gregorious that put the Yankees ahead 5-2.
Carlos Correa extended his hit streak to 11 games. He closed the lead to 5-3 in the sixth when he rocketed his 17th home run of the season to right field.