Bullpen Blows Luis Garcia Jr’s 4-Hit Game. Houston 9 NY 7

August 26, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Luis Garcia Jr hits 2-run HR in 5th to put NY up 5-3. He went 4 for 5 in the game.

In a rare occurrence, the Yankee bullpen — including key players Fernando Cruz and Brent Headrick — blew leads of 5-3 and 7-5 (respectively) in a 9-7 loss to the Astros on a beautiful Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

NY also had an early 3-2 lead off a 3-run HR by Cody Bellinger in the 3rd inning — but starter Will Warren coughed that up in the 5th.

New Brian Cashman acquisition Luis Garcia Jr. did his best to gain the Yanks a win — going 4 for 5 with a HR, 3 RBI’s and 2 runs scored. He put the Yanks up 5-3 with a 2-run HR in the 5th, and put the Yanks up 6-5 with a clutch, 2-out RBI double in the bottom of the 7th. To no avail.

They beat our guys tonight, so you have to give them credit,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “And they got us for slug — a couple of long balls. (Yainer) Diaz obviously got us. Yordon (Alvarez). Big HR by (Jeremy) Pena to tie it as well. We kept answering for the most part too, but they just did a little more offensively tonite.”

“He’s been hurt in some situations, behind in come counts where they’ve got a pitch in their area and they haven’t missed it,” said Boone about Fernando Cruz.

Boone thought Headrick’s stuff was good: “From the side his stuff looked good; his split was good. They just put together some good at bats against him and Diaz got him for the HR.”

NY drops to 74-57, and remain 3.5 behind Tampa but are now only 1.5 games ahead of Boston, winners of 5 in a row. Houston improves to 66-66 — and are in 1st place in the AL West, .5 game over Texas.

1. Warren Pitched OK

Will Warren started for NY and pitched pretty well against the tough Houston lineup — going 5 innings and allowing 3 runs, only 2 of which were earned.

Warren pitched a shutout 1st, working around 2 hits — but allowed a solo HR by Yainer Diaz in the 2nd for a 1-0 Houston lead.

The unearned run came in the 3rd, when Warren got the first 2 outs, but allowed a single to Jose Altuve who went to 2nd on a passed ball by Austin Wells. Daulton Varsho hit a 2-out single for a 2-0 Houston lead before Warren got the final out.

Warren came back with a 1-2-3 shutout 4th, then — staked to a 3-2 lead — got the 1st out of the 5th but then allowed a single to Yordan Alvarez, walk to Isaac Paredes, and 2-out RBI single by Nick Varsho to tie the game 3-3.

2. Bellinger 3-Run HR in 3rd Gives Yanks 3-2 Lead

Houston started 23-year-old, 6’2 righty Ethan Pecko. He pitched a shutout first 2 innings — working around a 1-out single in the 1st and 2 walks in the 2nd.

But in the 3rd, Trent Grisham worked a leadoff walk, Jose Garcia Jr. singled with 1 out, and next batter Cody Bellinger hit a 3-run HR to right for a 3-2 Yankee lead.

3. Garcia 2-Run HR in 5th Puts NY Up 5-3

Pecko was still in for the bottom of the 5th when Ben Rice worked a 1-out walk, and Luis Garcia Jr. lined a 2-run HR into the short porch for a 5-3 Yankee lead.

4. Cruz Allows 2-Run HR to Pena in 6th

But Fernando Cruz immediately coughed up the lead in the top of the 6th allowing a 1-out walk to Yainer Diaz and 2-run HR to Pena for a 5-5 tie.

5. Garcia Clutch RBI Double in 7th Puts NY Up 6-5

Yerry de los Santos pitched a shutout top of 7th for NY, and things were looking good when Trent Grisham worked a 1-out walk against 6’2 lefty Steven Okert in the bottom of the 7th, Ben Rice singled to center, and next batter Luis Garcia Jr. got his 4th hit of the night — a double to right for a 6-5 Yankee lead.

6. Headrick Blows the Hold

And so it was to the 8th with a 6-5 Yankee lead and Brent Headrick to the mound.

Things were looking good.

But Headrick got beat up for one of the few times this year.

Headrick started the inning with a strikeout — but Yainer Diaz got him with a HR to right for a 6-6 tie.

Headrick got a 2nd out, but with 2 outs — Pena singled and Yordon Alvarez tripled to right for a run and 7-6 Houston lead. Next batter Isaac Paredes singled in Alvarez for an 8-6 Houston lead.

Boone brought in Bradley Hanner who got the final out.

7. Chisholm Drives in S Jones in 8th to Make it 8-7 Houston

Spencer Jones led off the 8th by hitting a double to center off 6’2 righty Bryan Abreu, and next batter Jazz Chisholm singled him home for a 7-6 game, Houston up.

Jose Caballero reached on a 2-out single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs with NY down 7-6 — but Trent Grisham struck out against Josh Hader to end the inning.

8. Hanner Buries Yanks Further in 9th

Bradley Hanner got the first 2 outs of the top of the 9th, but then allowed a triple to Cam Smith and RBI single to Yainer Diaz for a 9-7 Houston lead.

Hader stayed in for the bottom of the 9th, and threw a 1-2-3 inning for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401816667

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*