Yank Bombers Back Another Good Will Warren Start. NY 12 Houston 4

April 25, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Jazz Chisholm Jr. rips solo HR to right in the 4th, putting NY up 5-1. He had 3 hits and 4 RBI's on the night.

Yankee Bombers clubbed 4 homers and scored 12 runs on 13 hits to back another strong start by Will Warren, who pitched 6 strong innings, allowing 2 runs — for an easy 12-4 win on a Friday night in Houston.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. led the Yankee attack with a 3-for-4 night including a walk, a homer, 4 RBI’s, and 3 runs scored. He hit a HR the night before and is now Red Hot. Ben Rice also hit a HR, as did Ryan McMahon and Jose Caballero.

The Yankees scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st, took a 4-0 lead in the top of the 2nd, a 5-1 lead in the top of the 4th, and sent Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. to the showers with a 3-run 6th to take an 8-2 lead.

The only not-great news on the evening was that Giancarlo Stanton had to exit the game in the 6th with “tightness in his calf” after running slowly to 3rd, and Fernando Cruz got touched for 2 solo HR’s in the 7th.

“He felt it when he was on 2nd,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards about Big G. “Hopefully we got ahead of anything serious; we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow.”

“I thought (the hitters) were patient,” said Boone about the Bronx Bombers. “Really made McCullers work. Were able to just string together a lot of really good threats all night, and able to break through there a couple of those times in a big way.”

“I thought he was good,” added Boone on Warren. “That’s a good offense over there. So they were able to pressure him a little bit; made him work; long at bats. But his stuff was good. Had some swing and miss going. Overall, pretty sharp.”

NY improves to 17-9, the best record in the AL and 2.5 games ahead of Tampa. Houston drops to 10-17.

1. Jazz 2-RBI Single Highlights 3-Run 1st Off McCullers

Lance McCullers Jr. has an amazing arm but has been beset by lots of injuries, primarily involving his right elbow and forearm, which caused him to miss most of the last 4 years — a good part of 2022, all of 2023 and 2024, and the first half of 2025 after surgery to repair his flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur in his right arm.

He returned in May 2025 after a 915-day absence but dealt with further, smaller injuries last year.

The 32-year-old, 6’2 righty was making his 5th start of the season. McCullers looked great in his first start this season — 7 innings of 4-hit, 1-run ball, striking out 9 and walking 1 vs Boston — but has been hit since, and came into the game with a 6.20 ERA.

The Yanks jumped all over him from the get go — Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge working walks to lead off the game, and Cody Bellinger singling to right to load the bases with nobody out.

Ben Rice hit a double-play grounder to 2nd — but Jose Altuve, whose defense has fallen to very sub-par levels the last few years — muffed the throw to 2nd — throwing it away for an error and Yankee run.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a comebacker to McCullers, who turned a double play — home to 1st.

But with 2 outs, Jazz Chisholm lined a clutch, 2-RBI single to right center for a 3-0 Yankee lead.

2. McMahon HR Puts NY Up 4-0 in 2nd

Ryan McMahon hit a first-pitch, 87-MPH cutter for a HR to left leading off the 2nd, and it was 4-0 NY.

3. Warren Good

Meanwhile Will Warren was looking good — not only pitching against the Astros but against the rest of the Yankee rotation — each pitcher trying to show how they belong in it when Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon get back.

The Yanks are getting great start after great start from Warren, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Luis Gil, and Max Fried — and 2 of those guys are going to have to go to the pen, most likely Weathers and either Gil or Warren.

Warren — who had a good rookie season last year — has been saying “it ain’t going to be me” with his performances doing the talking, and this one was no different against the hard-hitting Astros.

Warren pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st, then allowed a run in the 2nd in between 3 strikeouts: a leadoff single by Jose Altuve, a strikeout, a walk, a strikeout, an RBI single by Diaz, and a strikeout to end the inning.

Warren allowed a 1-out single to Yordan Alvarez in the 3rd, but with 2 outs picked him off 2nd.

Jose Altuve led off the 4th with a double, and Christian Walker singled him to 3rd. With 1st and 3rd, nobody out in a 5-1 game, Warren got tough — groundout by Cam Smith (for a run), strikeout, and line out.

Warren finished with a shutout 5th and 6th — scattering a single in each inning, and was helped in the 6th when Walker tried to stretch his single into a double but was gunned down — safe at 1st but out on the review called for by Jazz who applied the tag at 2nd.

4. Jazz HR Puts NY Up 5-1 in 4th

Jazz Chisholm Jr. — Red Hot — Ripped a 393-foot HR to right off an 83-MPH changeup leading off the 4th to make it 5-1 NY.

5. Yanks Knock Out McCullers & Take 8-2 Lead in 6th

And then the Yanks blew the game open in the top of the 6th. Ben Rice hit a double to center to lead off the inning, and Giancarlo Stanton ripped a single past shortstop, scoring Rice to make it 6-2 NY, and sending McCullers to the showers.

Colton Gordon, a 6’4 lefty, came in for Houston — and walked Jazz Chisholm to put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. J.C. Escarra ripped a shot off the wall in left — but Giancarlo Stanton could only jog slowly to 3rd — then ask to come out, with what was reported later to be tightness in his calf.

With bases loaded ad nobody out — Ryan McMahon RIPPED a shot caught by the 1st baseman playing off the bag.

But Jose Caballero ripped an RBI single to right to make it 7-2, and Trent Grisham hit a sac fly to center to make it 8-2.

6. Rice & Caballero HR’s Highlight 4-Run 7th

The Yanks pounced some more on Gordon in the top of the 7th.

Ben Rice led off with a 402-foot HR to right for a 9-2 lead.

Randal Grichuk doubled to left, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled him home.

J.C. Escarra singled to put runners on 1st and 3rd, and Ryan McMahon hit into a DP that scored a run to make it 11-2. Final icing on the cake was provided by Jose Caballero with a solo HR to left for a 12-2 Yankee lead.

7. Cruz Allows 2 Solo HR’s in 7th

Fernando Cruz struck out 3 batters in the 7th — but in between allowed solo HR’s to Yainer Diaz and Braden Shewmake for a 12-4 game.

8. Yarbrough Pitches Last 2 Innings

Ryan Yarbrough pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th and 9th for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401815073

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