NEW YORK – Justin Verlander pitched seven innings, allowed a go-ahead home run to Jake Bauers in the fifth inning and began his second stint for the Houston Astros with a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Verlander (6-6) allowed seven hits, his second most this season and lost a regular-season start to the Yankees for the first time since June 19, 2015, with Detroit. He struck out four and walked two and fell to 10-8 lifetime against the Yankees in the regular season.
The Astros reacquired Verlander on Tuesday from the Mets for a pair of top prospects. The Mets also sent as much as $50 million to the Astros to help pay off Verlander’s contract — the two-year deal worth a guaranteed $86.7 million he signed in December, shortly after helping the Astros win the World Series.
Rookie Anthony Volpe lifted a sacrifice fly in the second against Verlander for the Yankees, who won for the third time in four games. Gleyber Torres added a homer to open the eighth off Kendall Graveman.
Giancarlo Stanton reached three times, but was easily thrown out by center fielder Mauricio Dubon attempting to score from second on DJ LeMahieu’s base hit in the third inning. Dubon’s throw reached the plate well before the slugger got there after Stanton glanced at the toss halfway down the third base line.
Jose Altuve hit his 200th career homer off Nestor Cortes in the third, but that was Houston’s only hit off the Yankees left-hander.
Cortes returned from a rotator cuff strain and went the first four innings since he was on a pitch count following two rehab starts. In his first start since May 30 in Seattle, the left-hander allowed only Altuve’s homer with two outs in the third.
Cortes had a season-high eight strikeouts, walked one and threw 64 pitches while showing a slight uptick in fastball velocity.
Ian Hamilton (2-1) pitched two innings to earn the win, Tommy Kahnle pitched the seventh and Michael King struck out Altuve looking at a full count changeup to end the eighth with a runner on. Clay Holmes earned his 16th save.
Verlander began his 103rd regular-season start as an Astro by getting a called third strike on Bauers. He called out a trainer to deal with a bloody knuckle and struck out LeMahieu with two on to end the first.
After allowing consecutive hits to open the second, Verlander allowed Volpe’s fly ball to put the Yankees ahead.
Altuve’s milestone blast to left tied the game in the third, but Bauers gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Jose Urquidy (2-2, 5.20 ERA) opposes New York LHP Carlos Rodón (1-4, 6.29) on Sunday. Urquidy has been on the injured list since May 1 because of right shoulder discomfort.
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