Oswaldo Cabrera, Juan Soto lead Yankees' rally past Astros

Field Level Media|published: Sat 30th March, 22:37 2024

Mar 30, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera (95) celebrates with New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99, right) after hitting a two-run home run to right field against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Minute Maid Park. credits: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Oswaldo Cabrera and Juan Soto combined to lead a late-inning charge for a second consecutive game as the New York Yankees turned a three-run seventh inning into a 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.

After combining for seven hits and four RBIs in the Yankees' comeback win on Friday, Cabrera and Soto homered in the seventh inning off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu (0-1) to erase a two-run deficit and set the table for the Yankees to complete the four-game road series sweep Sunday.

Abreu, making his season debut after serving a two-game suspension tied to an incident from the 2023 American League Championship Series, had his outing unravel after he walked Austin Wells to open the seventh. Abreu was ahead 0-2 in the count before losing Wells, and Cabrera followed by lining a 1-2 inside fastball over the outstretched glove of right fielder Kyle Tucker and into the seats.

Cabrera tied the score at 3-3 with his second homer of the series. Three batters later, Soto went the opposite way with a 349-foot line drive that cleared the scoreboard in left. The Yankees tagged Abreu for three runs on two hits and two walks in securing a 4-3 lead, one they stretched to two runs when Anthony Volpe slugged a two-out homer off Ryan Pressly in the eighth.

Soto finished 2-for-5 and scored twice. Cabrera has six RBIs in the first three games of the series.

Right-hander Marcus Stroman (1-0) worked six strong innings in his Yankees debut, allowing three unearned runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Stroman surrendered a two-run, two-out double to Mauricio Dubon in the second that scored Yainer Diaz, who reached on an error, and Jose Abreu, whom Stroman hit with a pitch.

The Astros extended to a 3-1 lead in the fifth when Victor Caratini singled and scored on a Volpe throwing error. Stroman committed a throwing error as well but the damage was mitigated by inducing an inning-ending groundout from Tucker.

After allowing a leadoff double to Alex Bregman in the sixth, Stroman retired Diaz, Abreu and Jeremy Pena in succession to strand Bregman at third base and keep the two-run deficit intact.

Ian Hamilton tossed two perfect innings of relief. Clay Holmes notched his second save with a scoreless ninth.

—Field Level Media