The Astros are back atop the AL West standings after a wild, back-and-forth game against the Yankees last night. It was a desperately needed W that got them back to .500 and put them half-a-game up on the Rangers. Talk about snatching victory from the jaws of a total slugfest!
Yankees Blew It, Or the Astros Just Wouldn’t Quit
Honestly, this game was insane from start to finish. Houston jumped out 2-0 early in the third, but then the Yankees fired back, with Cody Bellinger belting a three-run homer to take the lead. Daulton Varsho, that trade deadline pickup, tied it back up with an RBI single in the fifth. But of course, the Yankees’ big deadline acquisition, Luis García Jr., smashed a two-run shot to make it 5-3, New York. You thought it was over, right? Nope! Jeremy Peña, who’s been on fire, tied it again with his 15th homer of the season.
García wasn’t done, though, hitting a laser 111 mph off the bat for an RBI double, giving the Yankees the lead *once again*. Seriously, this game had more lead changes than my Spotify playlist. But that was it for New York’s luck. Astros’ catcher Yainer Diaz, who actually opened the scoring with his ninth homer back in the second, tied the game *again* with another dinger off lefty Brent Headrick. Then Peña singled, and Yonder Alonso, who’s been carrying that team at times, hit his first triple of the season to drive in Peña, making it 7-6 Astros. Isaac Paredes then plated Alvarez with a single, and that was the game-winner. Both teams scored one more, but that three-run rally in the eighth, all charged to Headrick, sealed the deal. And get this: Headrick had a 1.88 ERA before giving up three runs in two-thirds of an inning. What a blow-up!
D-Backs Stage a Comeback for the Books
Speaking of teams needing a win, the Diamondbacks pulled off their own magic trick. They opened their series against the Cubs with a loss, and it looked like more of the same with Chicago up 4-0 after six innings. But Arizona rallied hard! Catcher Gabriel Moreno got them on the board, doubling in a runner with two on and two out. Then Geraldo Perdomo singled in both runners, suddenly making it 4-3.
Bottom of the ninth, still 4-3 Cubs. Tim Tawa walked, pinch-runner Jose Fernandez came in and stole second,confirmed by a challenge, and that was HUGE. If he was out, game over. Instead, pinch-hitter Ryan Waldschmidt stepped up with two outs and on a slider that hung out too long, he went deep for a walk-off homer! Every single one of Arizona’s runs scored with two outs. Plus, the Padres lost, so the D-backs are now just a game back. Wild stuff, right?
The Astros are now out of that volatile wild-card chase, leading the AL West, even though their record isn’t quite good enough for the third wild-card spot. But hey, a division lead is a division lead! The D-backs are right back in it, just a game out. You gotta love when the stakes are this high in August!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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