Houston salvages a game against New York
Altuve walks off Yankees again to send Astros into All-Star break with a win
Jul 11, 2021, 7:12 pm
Jose Altuve hit yet another momentous homer against the Yankees in Sunday's series finale. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Jose Altuve hit yet another momentous homer against the Yankees in Sunday's series finale.
Riding a twenty-inning scoreless streak including being shutout in the first two of this series, the Astros needed a momentum shift to head into the All-Star break on a positive note. It took until the very end of the game, but thanks to Jose Altuve, they'd have plenty to celebrate before a few days off.
Final Score: Astros 8, Yankees 7
Astros' Record: 55-36, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Ralph Garza Jr. (1-2)
Losing Pitcher: Chad Green (3-5)
Valdez struggles with the zone, lasts only four
Framber Valdez did not have great control of the strike zone in the series finale against New York on Sunday, as evident by back-to-back walks to start the game. He was able to work around them to avoid any damage, and did the same in the second by erasing two singles. New York got to him in the third, though, with two walks and an error allowing the Yankees to take the early 1-0 lead.
After a Martin Maldonado solo home run in the bottom of the third to tie the game, the Yankees quickly regained the lead with a solo shot to lead off the top of the fourth, though Valdez would finish the inning by erasing another walk. He came back out for the top of the fifth, but after a walk and two singles against the first three batters to bring in another run to make it 3-1, and which his pitch count rising, Dusty Baker would make the early call to the bullpen to bring in Andre Scrubb, who would stop the damage there by retiring all three batters he faced. Valdez's final line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 91 P.
Yankees extend their lead against Houston's bullpen
That's a goner, Gary. pic.twitter.com/88XAk5rLzM
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 11, 2021
After a 1-2-3 inning by Joe Smith in the top of the sixth to keep it a two-run game at 3-1, Kyle Tucker trimmed the lead to one with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the inning. New York quickly regained the momentum, however, against Bryan Abreu in the top of the seventh, getting an RBI single to make it 4-2. The Astros' pitching staff continued to deal with walks, as Blake Taylor would take over in the top of the eighth and issue two, setting up a three-run blast which at the time looked like it had sealed the game for New York, making it a five-run game at 7-2. Ralph Garza Jr. would end up coming in and finishing the eighth and remained in the game for a scoreless top of the ninth.
Altuve does it again to cap off a six-run ninth
In the bottom of the ninth, the Astros tried to get a rally going, starting with leadoff man Yuli Gurriel reaching base, then moving to third on a double by Kyle Tucker. Both would score in the next at-bat, with Chas McCormick hitting a two-RBI double off the left-field scoreboard, making it 7-4, and keeping the Astros alive. Abraham Toro kept the train moving next, getting his own RBI double to make it a two-run game.
Houston brought in Jason Castro to pinch-hit for Robel Garcia in the next spot in the lineup, and he too would get a hit, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. After New York notched the first out to try and get ahold of the game, Jose Altuve stepped to the plate against Chad Green, representing the winning run. Just like he ended the 2019 ALCS, Altuve sent the home fans into an uproar as he would hit a walk-off three-run home run to cap off the improbable six-run inning to give the Astros a win to avoid the series sweep and head into the break with a celebration, during which Altuve would not resist letting his teammates dispose of his jersey to reveal nothing but his tattood bare chest.
We heard it was cold, so we turned it up a notch.#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/tcC5xcRcRc
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 11, 2021
Up Next: The Astros will get some much-needed rest over the next four days, picking up after the All-Star break in Chicago on Friday to start a three-game series with the White Sox at 7:10 PM Central. Lance McCullers Jr. (6-2, 2.94 ERA) is expected to make the start for Houston, while Chicago has not yet determined their starter.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
_____________________________________________
*Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!