Yankees 8, Astros 5
NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira hit a tiebreaking three-run homer with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally the New York Yankees to an 8-5 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday.
The Yankees did not lead until Teixeira drove a 1-0 fastball from Ken Giles down the left-field line. Batting from the left side of the plate, it was the switch-hitting first baseman's 193rd home run as a Yankee and the seventh home run by New York in the series.
Teixeira had a chance to break the tie after Brett Gardner singled against Will Harris (0-1) and Rodriguez singled against Giles.
Besides Teixeira's home run, Brian McCann and Starlin Castro hit solo home runs for the Yankees, who have scored 24 runs in their two games.
Chase Headley lifted a sacrifice fly, Jacoby Ellsbury had an RBI double and Rodriguez added a run-scoring single for New York.
Rookie Tyler White hit his first career home run, had three hits and drove in four runs for Houston. Preston Tucker also connected for the Astros.
Neither starting pitcher lasted past the fifth inning.
New York's Nathan Eovaldi allowed five runs and six hits in five innings. Houston's Mike Fiers gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings.
Chasen Shreve (1-0) pitched a hitless seventh for the win and Dellin Betances did the same in the eighth. Andrew Miller put two on in the ninth before securing the save.
The Astros took a 3-0 lead with two outs in the second when White drove an 0-1 pitch over the center-field wall and Tucker sent a full-count slider into the second deck in right field.
The Yankees made it a one-run game as Headley lifted a sacrifice fly in the second and Ellsbury doubled in the third.
Houston took a 5-2 lead on a two-run single up the middle by White but couldn't hold it.
McCann opened the fourth with a drive to right and two batters later Castro homered to left. An inning later, Rodriguez singled in Ellsbury.
NOTES: Houston RHP Lance McCullers (sore shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment on Monday with Double-A Corpus Christi and pitch two to three innings. ... According to Elias Sports Bureau, Wednesday was the second time since 1960 the Yankees scored at least three runs during the first three innings of a game and the first time at home since July 26, 1931, against the Chicago White Sox. ... The Astros made three roster moves, optioning RHP Michael Feliz to Triple-A Fresno, purchasing the contract of RHP Chris Devenski from Fresno and designating RHP Dan Reynolds for assignment. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said RHP Ivan Nova was unavailable after pitching four innings on Wednesday.