Yankees defeat Astros, 7-1. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Oswaldo Cabrera had a career-high four hits with three RBIs and Giancarlo Stanton added a solo homer to lead the New York Yankees over the Houston Astros 7-1 on Friday night.
Manager Aaron Boone is thrilled to see Cabrera's strong start after he struggled early this spring.
“He’s delivered,” Boone said. “In these first two games he’s been right in the middle of everything. And it’s so good to see him swinging the bat like this and contributing offensively like this because then he becomes so valuable.”
The victory, in which second baseman Gleyber Torres exited after being on the hand with a pitch, came after New York rallied from a four-run deficit for a 5-4 win in Thursday night’s season opener.
Juan Soto had three hits and put the Yankees ahead when he drew a bases-loaded walk in a two-run seventh.
Cristian Javier limited the Yankees to four hits across six scoreless innings before they broke through in the seventh.
Tayler Scott (0-1) walked Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells with one out in the seventh. Cabrera singled on a grounder to left field to score Volpe and tie it at 1-1.
Scott then hit Torres on the right hand with a 93.1 mph fastball, loading the bases. Torres fell to the ground and writhed in a pain for a couple of minutes before being checked by an athletic trainer and remaining in the game.
He took the field to start the bottom of the seventh but was replaced by Jahmai Jones during a mound visit with one out in the inning.
Boone said X-rays were negative and Torres, who said it hit him on the right thumb, added he's a little sore but hopes to play Saturday.
Rafael Montero took over after Torres was plunked and walked Soto, who led the majors in walks in each of the last three seasons.
New York tacked on four more runs in the eighth thanks in large part to Houston’s sloppy defense.
“We are a really good defensive team and, and we we didn’t play good defense there at the end,” Espada said.
New York had runners on first and second with one out when an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña allowed Anthony Rizzo to score and make it 3-1. Wells' sacrifice was fielded by Parker Mushinski, but the pitcher badly overthrew first base for another error that allowed Wells to reach and another run to score.
Cabrera followed with a two-run single that pushed the lead to 6-1. His big game came after he had two hits, including a solo homer in the opener.
“I'm so happy for it,” he said. “We've been working during spring training to have good at-bats and I feel good for these couple of games.”
Stanton connected off Brandon Bielak with one out in the ninth to send many Houston fans streaming for the exits. Most of the remaining fans were wearing New York gear and soon chants of: ‘let’s go Yankees’ filled the ballpark.
Luke Weaver (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings. New York starter Carlos Rodón allowed five hits and a run with three walks in 4 1/3 innings, and Clayton Beeter, a 25-year-old right-hander, made his major league debut for the Yankees with a one-hit ninth.
Jose Altuve hit a leadoff double and scored when Alex Bregman singled with two outs on a ball to center that a diving Alex Verdugo deflected.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Marcus Stroman makes his Yankees debut against Hunter Brown when the series continues Saturday night. Stroman signed a $37 million, two-year contract to join the Yankees this offseason.
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
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