Verdugo powers Yankees to 10-3 blowout against Verlander and Astros

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo homered and tied a career high with four RBIs, powering the New York Yankees past Justin Verlander and the skidding Houston Astros 10-3 on Tuesday night.

Anthony Volpe and Giancarlo Stanton also went deep off Verlander as the Yankees won their fourth straight game. Volpe finished with three RBIs and Juan Soto had three hits.

Verdugo accounted for New York's first four runs with a three-run homer in the first and an RBI single in the third against Verlander (1-1). The three-time Cy Young Award winner lasted five innings and gave up seven runs — the second-most he’s allowed in 37 regular-season and postseason starts versus the Yankees. He yielded eight runs in Detroit's 13-9 loss on Sept. 1, 2008.

The four-RBI game was the second of the season for Verdugo and the fifth of his career.

Volpe hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Stanton led off the fifth with a 421-foot drive to left field that was clocked at 118.8 mph off the bat. Aaron Judge and Jon Berti also had run-scoring singles for the Yankees.

Luis Gil (3-1) allowed just one hit — Kyle Tucker’s first-inning homer — and walked four with five strikeouts over six innings.

Trey Cabbage had a two-run single in the ninth for the Astros, who have lost three straight to fall to 12-23 — tied for the fifth-worst record through 35 games in franchise history.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: DH Yordan Alvarez remained in the game after fouling a ball off his left leg in the third. Alvarez crumpled to the ground in pain and remained there for a few minutes before finishing the plate appearance and drawing a walk. … Astros manager Joe Espada said RHP Cristian Javier (neck), who threw 3 1/3 innings Saturday in a rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi, will return to the Houston rotation this weekend. … RHP Jose Urquidy (right forearm) threw to hitters and is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow) threw in the bullpen for the second time since he was injured in mid-March. … INF Oswald Peraza (right shoulder) began a rehab assignment by going 2 for 3 with a home run for Class A Tampa. New York manager Aaron Boone said Peraza, who has yet to play this season, will need a spring training-like ramp up of minor league games before returning to the Yankees. … RHP Nick Burdi (right hip) struck out all three batters he faced in his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Scranton. … INF DJ LeMahieu (right foot) is feeling better and participating in baseball activities. Boone said LeMahieu will travel with the team for this weekend’s series against Tampa Bay and could get at-bats at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Florida.

UP NEXT

The three-game series continues Wednesday night, when Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (2-2, 3.68 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Spencer Arrighetti (0-3, 8.27).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Jerry Beach, The Associated Press