Carlos Correa delivered a crucial single in the 10th inning against struggling reliever Devin Williams, securing a 5-3 victory for the Houston Astros over the New York Yankees on Friday night. Taylor Trammel also contributed with a two-run homer off Williams, helping the Astros extend their lead to 5-2. The Yankees have now lost six out of seven games and hold just a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League wildcard spot.
In the ninth inning, after closer Josh Hader struck out key Yankees players Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Astros quickly regained the lead. Jose Altuve was on third base when Williams threw a wild pitch, allowing Correa to hit a changeup into center field with the infield drawn in. Williams, who has allowed four home runs in his last eight appearances, finished with two outs before giving up Trammel’s homer to right field.
Correa’s hit marked his third game-winning RBI in his last four games and his third game-winning hit of the season. Altuve had a strong performance too, smashing three two-run home runs off rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler early to put Houston ahead 2-0. Starter Hunter Brown pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits, while striking out 14 batters before giving way to the bullpen in the sixth inning. The Yankees rallied momentarily with Ben Rice’s RBI double and a single by Judge that forced Brown’s exit.
Schlittler pitched five innings allowing two runs and seven hits, striking out three and walking one, throwing a career-high 97 pitches. In crucial moments, Hader gave up an RBI single to Anthony Volpe in the 10th but retired Paul Goldschmidt and then struck out Trent Grisham to finish the game.
Williams has struggled recently, giving up nine runs over his last five outings and 28 runs in total between 2022-2024. Looking ahead, Houston’s left-hander Framber Valdez will pitch against New York’s right-hander Lewis Gill on Saturday.
Fan Take: This intense win highlights the Astros’ clutch performance and resilience in tight, high-pressure situations—exactly the kind of drama baseball fans live for. As playoff races heat up, every game like this could shape the postseason and keep fans on the edge of their seats.
