Astros 3, Yankees 1
HOUSTON -- Right-hander Collin McHugh pitched eight strong innings while rookie shortstop Carlos Correa doubled and scored twice as the Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 3-1 on Sunday at Minute Maid Park to salvage a split of this four-game weekend series.
McHugh (9-3) won a third consecutive start by limiting the Yankees (41-35) to one run on two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. His lone hiccup occurred in the second inning when he walked the nine-hole hitter, Yankees shortstop Stephen Drew, before uncorking a wild pitch to center fielder Brett Gardner that advanced Drew into scoring position. Gardner followed with an RBI single for a 1-0 Yankees lead.
McHugh was dominant from that point forward, retiring the Yankees in order in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings. By closing his outing with a strikeout of Gardner, McHugh completed an impressive stretch where he retired 17 of 18 batters, with Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez reaching via a two-out single in the sixth inning.
Correa proved to be the linchpin for the Astros (44-34), scoring on a double and an error by Gardner to pull Houston even with one out in the fourth. Correa lifted a fly ball to left-center field that Gardner and left fielder Garrett Jones converged on. At the last moment both outfielders pulled up, allowing the ball to drop. Gardner exacerbated matters by booting the ball to the wall as Correa rounded the bases on the miscue.
Leading off the seventh, Correa doubled to left off Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda (8-5) and scored when designated hitter Evan Gattis tripled to left-center field two batters later. Correa finished 2-for-3 and was the lone Houston starter to record a multi-hit game.
Pineda tossed a complete game, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings. Astros left fielder Preston Tucker scored on a Jason Castro sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Houston closer Luke Gregerson tallied his 18th save with a perfect.
NOTES: The Astros recalled RHP Michael Feliz from Double-A Corpus Christi. Feliz made one appearance with the team earlier this season, allowing one hit while recording one strikeout in one inning of work against the White Sox on May 31. He replaced LHP Brett Oberholtzer, who was optioned to Triple-A Fresno on Saturday night. ... The Yankees selected RHP Esmil Rogers from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned INF Gregorio Petit to Triple-A. Rogers is 1-1 with a 6.27 ERA in 18 appearances with the Yankees this season. ... Astros RHP Scott Feldman will throw a simulated game on Tuesday or Wednesday and is likely to be sent on a rehab assignment depending upon the results. Feldman was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 27 following surgery on his torn right medial meniscus.