The Yankees looked in control early. Cody Bellinger turned around a 3rd-inning pitch for a 3-run homer that staked New York to a lead, and Luis Garcia kept piling on all night, finishing 4-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI of his own. But Houston chipped away, and Jeremy Pena's 2-run shot in the 6th tied the game back up before the Astros pulled away for good.
The 8th inning was where this one actually got decided. Houston strung together 3 runs, capped by Yainer Diaz's second homer of the night and a Yordan Alvarez triple that drove in Pena. Diaz finished 3-for-4 with 2 homers and 3 RBI — exactly the kind of night a club stuck around .500 needed.
The bullpen decided this one in the end. Bryan Abreu picked up the win, Josh Hader closed it out for his 19th save, and Brent Headrick took the loss for New York. It won't move the standings much on its own, but for an Astros club hovering right around .500, taking one in the Bronx counts for something.
For the Yankees, the bigger concern is less about one blown lead and more about depth. This is a roster running thinner by the week, and Tuesday was a reminder of how fast a growing injury list can catch up to a club still trying to hold its spot at the top of the division.